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Tape, if a data center uses it at all, is often relegated to the role of storage for deep archives. But it can also play an essential role in an organization's backup strategy, so much so that IT professionals may want to consider reintroducing the use of tape backup in 2020. Tape is still the most cost-effective storage medium on the market. Yes, technologies like cloud storage have lower upfront costs. But if you factor in the long-term costs of retaining data -- many backups are retained for seven years or more -- tape quickly becomes less expensive, especially at scale. Furthermore, tape provides a real, physical air gap that is vital to protect backup data from ransomware and rogue user attacks. The software air gaps common in object storage go a long way, but nothing beats a physical air gap when trying to protect data. Third, and this may surprise many, tape is reliable. Modern tape technology and the robots that manage tape media have come a long way in the last 10 years. Many organizations that use tape today report ...