Just like the media used in the broadcast and A/V worlds, the physical storage media in the IT industry are constantly evolving and improving. However, whilst replacement of format within the broadcast world typically occurs every ten years or so, in the IT field media is replaced in cycles of five years or even less. Even without a change in the format of the component, the increases in capacity can make a replacement of components all but unavoidable within a couple of years.

All forms of storage, magnetic, optical and solid state, are subject to constant revolutionary improvements in performance, and manufacturers simply cannot afford to support a range of media extending very far into the past.

Explore the migration pressures in each type of format, and other components of IT storage

- Hard Disk Drives
- Magnetic Tape
- Optical Disks
- Robotics
- Back Planes
- Networking Standards