Microsoft's glass storage works with material used in cookware

Long-term data preservation remains difficult. SSDs are expensive and, as SanDisk notes, "most SSDs will last anywhere from 5 to 10 years," which falls short of archival-quality storage.

A Microsoft study found laser-etched glass can potentially store high-density data for up to 10,000 years, and the team says the technique now works with the same material found in kitchen cookware and oven doors.

That 10,000-year claim cannot be definitively proved, and Microsoft has explored glass-based storage before. The key advance reported here is a significant reduction in cost, which makes broader use more likely.

The research phase has finished, but a commercial product is not guaranteed. As All Black put it: "We are continuing to consider learnings from Project Silica as we explore the ongoing need for sustainable, long-term preservation of digital information."

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