Consider where we were on December 31, 1999: Nobody was quite sure what would happen to computer systems when the clock struck midnight; security mattered but not in the post-September 11 way of constant cyberwar; legacy companies like Digital Equipment Corp. were still relevant although under the Compaq banner; broadband internet access was just beginning to surpass dial-up for home users; Google was a startup; social media was a fad for teenagers; PalmPilots were still hip, and smartphones were in their infancy.

Following in this free TechRepublic PDF download are the top 11 new mainstream movements in storage since that time. This list is presented alphabetically–feel free to debate their order of importance among your colleagues.

From the download:

CLOUD STORAGE

What if a large portion of your company’s data resided off-site on infrastructure managed by you or by a third party? Pros: Someone else maintains the hardware; in some cases, you can add or reduce capacity at will; and you’re automatically protected from disasters. Cons: Do you trust non-employees to secure your data; what if your internet access goes down; and are the cost savings real or a mirage?