Magazine Article | February 1, 2003

Multimedia Web Content Provider Upgrades Storage Solution

Business Solutions, February 2003
Written by: Carly Rohrer

Centurion, LLC, creates custom multimedia content for Web sites dedicated to aquatic recreation activities. The company has developed over 375,000 graphics, photo, audio, and video files over the past five years. As the company's digital library continued to grow, Centurion faced an ever-increasing need for storage capacity. "The vast collection of multimedia files we've created over the past five years represents an enormous part of our business," said owner Don Wilcox, Centurion. "Our clients come to us because of our depth and ability to deliver truly unique content - if we lose our data, we lose customers and revenue."

Outgrowing Storage Capabilities
Initially, Centurion managed daily backups of 9 GB. The process required 14 hours each week. The company also maintained an archived library of multimedia files. As Centurion continued to develop new, data-intensive content, the company quickly outgrew its backup and archive system. "Our digital library severely taxed the backup and storage solution we had been using for years," said Wilcox. "When Centurion got off the ground in 1997, a 7 GB tape drive adequately served our needs. But with recent growth, we needed to look elsewhere for a product that could grow with us."

Centurion's existing backup process was slow and required someone to monitor the process, swapping cartridges until the backup was complete. The investment of time and money began impacting the bottom line, so Wilcox began hunting down a new solution. Wilcox consulted with local experts ISSI Business Solutions to investigate the storage and backup options currently on the market. Of core importance to Centurion were reliability, performance, ease of use, and value. Additionally, Wilcox needed a drive that eliminated the need for nightly babysitting. Capacity was crucial for managing the company's library.

Cutting Costs
Wilcox chose OnStream's ADR2.60usb tape drive. With 60 GB of compressed capacity per tape, fast data transfer via the USB 2.0 interface, and a low cost of ownership, OnStream's tape drive met Centurion's demanding criteria. "Backing up Centurion's files used to take forever, and cost a lot," said Wilcox. "What used to require six cartridges can now be backed up on a single OnStream tape."

Since implementing OnStream's ADR2.60usb drive, backup and storage costs have plummeted at Centurion. Previously, each backup cost the company $210, or close to $4,200 each month. Using OnStream's drive, Centurion cut monthly storage costs by $3,000, or just $60 per backup.