Why do we still use Microfilm?

01 Apr Why do we still use Microfilm?

Microfilm is an interesting means of storing information that not many of us come across regularly. Indeed, the technology is older than 100 years (176-years-old, to be exact) and has been mostly phased out due to the development of more modern technology, such as the office printer and digital storage.

Still, it still occupies an important place in contemporary document storage, and we thought we’d have a look at just why this. Read on to learn more!

Security

You might think that cloud storage is pretty secure, but the leaked nude photos of female celebrities last year showed us that even the almighty iCloud is not invincible. On the other hand, hardcopy may seem like an even riskier way to store confidential information, but microfilm is one of the most secure ways to store data. As one requires a special reader or scanner to view microfilm, they don’t often get stolen, particularly because these scanners are pretty pricey.

Integrity

Over time, paper deteriorates and can render information and data inaccessible. When storing data on microfilm, however, you’re looking at around 500 years of safe storage. Similarly, we run risks with our digitally stored info, too – files can become corrupted, making them useless, so we tend to backup our files in several locations. Not only can this be costly, but we are also weakening the security of our data when we do this.

Legally Admissible

A court of law will accept information stored on microfilm as evidence. This makes it an extremely attractive medium of storage for many industries.

Compact

Particularly when compared to other means of storage, such as paper, microfilm is incredibly compact. Up to 12, 300 images can fit onto a single roll.

So you see, there is much more to microfilm than you thought! Long after other mediums have been stolen, disintegrated or compromised, info stored on microfilm is as safe and intact as they day it was transferred.

If you’re looking for quality printers and copiers that will help you store your information, contact DocX today! We are premier Xerox South Africa suppliers.

Main image credit: Unrelated Microfilm. Jason “Textfiles” Scott/Flickr, cc-by-2.0