The data universe is expanding.

Crisis, what crisis? The economy is groaning, moaning, consumers, economic forecasts point down. The growth of digital data, however, the economic situation does not threaten, their scope is becoming faster.

 

The data mountain, where we sit, is always higher. In the past year to the existing info-dumps further 487 billion gigabytes added. Exactly words: Mankind has 2008, a total 3,892,179,868,480,350,000,000 bits generated. This is the result of at least on behalf of EMC Corporation study conducted IDG "As the Economy Contracts, Expands the Digital Universe."

Storage: Within the next four years, the amount of data generated quintuple

EMC that with such huge numbers to the public is, of course, self-interest. The company sells large storage systems. EMC storage cabinets are available in computing - where much space is needed.

And much space you need in the future, said the EMC two years ago with a very similar study. Until 2006, the company at that time, mankind had the 161 billion gigabytes of data gathered, but now set to be strong. The key message was: Until 2010, the humanity 988 billion gigabytes of digital information to collect.

The amount of data is becoming faster

A good piece on this path, we now seem to back the above mentioned nearly 500 exabytes (an Exabyte is a billion gigabytes) accumulated. This, EMC, were three percent more than originally projected. In the coming years, the stockpile data faster enlarge. Every 18 months, according to the forecast, will the volume of data generated double. This reminds - coincidence or not - to Moore's law, which for decades correctly predicts that the number of transistors on a chip doubles every 18 months. As early as 2012 the humanity therefore produce five times more data than today, almost 2,500 billion gigabytes.

THE EXPANSION OF THE DIGITAL UNIVERSE

If the 2008 produced by mankind, nearly 500 exabytes to print and bind books, the pages would be put together ten of the distance from Earth to the Pluto cover.

As Einpackpapier uses the same amount of paper would be sufficient to complete the earth eight times einzuwickeln.

At the current growth rate of the paper stack would grow faster than the fastest missile can fly. That is a lot: The minimum speed that a missile to overcome the gravity must reach, is 11.2 kilometers per second (escape velocity). EMC expects to launch a NASA spacecraft need 13 months for the trip to Pluto. The data stack of paper would be the same lines already after three weeks have brought.

The 2008 volume of data produced from 487 billion gigabytes EMC tries with conversions comprehensible, fails in view of the sheer mass, but recovered in large numbers. Accordingly, the 2008 produced in accordance with digital information:

- The contents of 30 million iPod touch
- The storage capacity of 237 billion-Kindle eBook Readers
- 19 billion in Blu-ray discs
- 162 trillion digital

The reason for the rapid swelling of the data: In the next four years will focus on the billion people now connected a further 600 million are compounded, which actively use the network. And two-thirds of the network population, the study will not only stationary but also mobile do communicate via cell phone, while surfing the Web.

But communication is not really what the data lines is thick. There are pictures and especially video. Digital cameras, especially in mobile phones, contributed much to the growth of data in Berg.

But the lion's share of produce Ãœberwachsungskameras.

Overall, pictures and videos, 88 percent of the data. In light of projects such as the CCTV coverage of downtown London, one might believe it.

A number with 15 zeros

Computer data, text messages and data received from sensors, such as the reading of RFID chips that can be created, make only a small proportion of the total. The tiny data do, however, numerically noticeable in the statistics. Well 98 percent of the three quadrillion (Full 3,000,000,000,000,000) records from 2008 are these mini-packets.

Fortunately, not all of the data stored, especially not permanently. But since more than two-thirds of all data according to the study of individuals are generated, the question arises as to where all that remain. Much of it is certainly unnecessary. Since digital cameras, is photographed at random, what comes before the lens. Because while the price of storage just as quickly falling as the growing quantities of data, will also no longer be deleted - at least not intentionally.

Data without expiration dates

Nevertheless, the question
how long this data will survive, is still unsettled. Magnetic storage media such as optical have only a limited lifespan. Anyone who has in the late 20th Century even burned CDs, knows what that means. But what does this mean for the vast amounts of data that currently appears to be aufgehäuft?

A conclusive answer to this pressing question really has no one now at hand, including EMC, as the originator of the study. Rather, the company is even clear that the challenge is to find ways for data to cope with mountains, the digital heritage of mankind preserved to make. At home burned CDs, you can still manage so it every few years on new media umzukopieren. But what happens afterwards? And what of the treasures on public archives, and computer firms in store?

Until developers and researchers to have found an answer, should the flood of data companies such as EMC's always more work involved. Because as long as there is no massenfähigen long-term archives of digital data, is only one solution: remove, increase, increase - the memory of course.