IDC’s Storage System Research VP Benjamin Woo is of the opinion that despite the rise of intelligent data storage systems, many companies are left wanting in the data management stakes. As well as not making the best use of their data, says Woo, people are too tied to their equipment to consider changing it.

According to Woo, the two best bets for data storage, data management and security are cloud computing and virtualisation. Cloud computing, despite recent evidence suggesting that most IT professionals cannot accurately define it, is a cheap and effective way to store data. Virtualisation, though, allows data to be made accessible through different processes although most people have  trouble switching from a physical desktop to a virtual one. The key to good data management, according to Woo, is classifying data correctly and embracing the emerging technologies.