What Is Decentralized Storage?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Decentralized Storage Benefits
Decentralized storage is a cost-effective alternative to traditional public cloud services like AWS and Google Cloud. By distributing data storage over a network of computers, decentralized storage eliminates the need for large-scale, centralized infrastructure which reduces costs.
Beyond cost savings, decentralized storage provides additional benefits when compared to conventional cloud including enhanced data resiliency, availability and security; all made possible because of decentralized network architecture.
Explore Clients who trust DeStor with their data
Browse the Filecoin Network Client Explorer. Browse in real-time or view historical data on the clients who chose the Filecoin Network to solve their data challenges.Meet Filecoin
Filecoin is the world’s largest decentralized storage network. Filecoin consists of thousands of independent storage providers distributed throughout the world that store data.
Today, Filecoin provides cost-effective enterprise-grade cloud storage that’s used by leading universities and research organizations like UC Berkeley, the University of Utah, USC Shoah and CERN.
The future of cloud storage is decentralized.
A Better Cloud
Today, cloud storage is how most organizations store their data. It provides a secure way for companies to host data they may need to access remotely and share between multiple verified users. On the surface, it seems like a viable solution for an organization, but closer inspection reveals several potential flaws, including:
- Centralization: All data is stored with a single company, and often in one or very few geographical locations. This exposes servers to geopolitical, natural disaster, and security risks.
- Fragility: Cloud storage services can isolate data from the people that own it by limiting its transferability. With companies typically invested in a single vendor, these lock-ins can become a concern for those who wish to maintain multiple instances of their data.
- Cost: Enterprise data storage on the cloud has varying rates. Lock-ins tend to reduce the ability of organizations to negotiate prices, creating high-friction markets.
Decentralized storage solutions like Filecoin provide a compelling alternative to these shortfalls. Filecoin offers enterprises all the utilities they’ve come to expect from cloud storage services without the vulnerabilities that are inherent to a centralized data storage system. Among its benefits are:
- Decentralization: there’s no single-point-of-failure and no proprietary lock-in. Data can be spread across multiple storage providers around the globe who guarantee its permanence and availability in the face of any individual risk.
- Robustness: Cryptographic data is verified daily and multi-copy architecture means there’s always redundancy built into the system.
- Efficiency: Decentralized storage is cheaper than cloud storage because of a competitive bidding system that forms the core of the infrastructure. Data can be stored closer to the edge.