How much archive storage do I need? 

To plan your archive storage requirements, consider the following key dimensions:

1. Number of users (A): This includes all employees or systems for which you are archiving data. Some may be shared accounts or systems that send notifications, reports, or handle support.
2. Annual average data growth per user in GB (B): This can vary from 0.1GB to 5GB, with some extreme cases reaching 10-15GB. Data growth depends on your industry and the user’s role. From our experience:
   • 0.5GB: Light usage, minimal attachments, about 40 emails/day.
   • 1GB: Medium usage, more attachments, about 50 emails/day.
   • 1.5GB: Heavy usage, large attachments, about 60 emails/day.
   • >1.5GB: Very heavy usage, including unmanned systems and file repositories.
3. Volume of legacy data to archive in GB (C): Many organizations have large amounts of legacy emails and files stored offline or as raw data on cloud platforms, including formats like PST, EML, or MBOX for emails, and various file formats for business data.

To estimate your storage needs for the next 12 months, apply the formula:
Estimated storage = (A) x (B) + (C)

For example, a mid-sized manufacturing organization with 300 users, an average annual growth of 0.5GB per user, and 1TB of legacy data would need:
300 x 0.5 + 1000 = 1150GB.

If you’re unsure about how much storage you may need, feel free to contact us for a chat. Our experts are ready to help answer your data management questions