Why is Data Recovery Highly Expensive?

If you are regular computer user; working on computers since long, you might have experienced data loss at some point of time or other. Data loss is not a big problem if:

The lost data is not valuable
You have created a regular backup and,
The backup media is well functioning.

However, most of the data losses do not adhere to one of the parameters. The loss thus turns expensive, necessitating a visit to the data recovery specialist. Generally, data recovery service providers work on the principle of ‘no recovery, no fee.’ but they charge exorbitantly when they are successful. Data recovery service providers are frequently asked to justify the high costs they charge.

Why are Data Recovery Services so Expensive?

This is a question that can be answered by having a look at the wide array of specifications required, that comprises of lab facilities, expert man power and specialised equipment that is necessary to make data recovery a possibility. Each and every aspect involved in the recovery process is expensive. The combined effect of the varied expenses enhances the recovery cost.

Let’s have a look at the varied expenses involved.

The Class 100 Clean Room

Physical data recovery necessitates the opening of the hard disk in a class 100 room. The clean rooms are chambers where the air is filtered and every cubic foot of air contains not more than 100 particles of 0.5 microns. Such cleanliness is necessary for the gap between the head and the magnetic platter is lesser than a dust particle. Even a minute particle is enough to lead to a head crash that permanently damages data.

Such class 100 clean rooms cost more than £ 750,000 to construct and equip and even the cost of its maintenance is quite high. Engineers work with special equipments and tools in these rooms.

Specialised Tools and Equipment

Appropriate tools and equipments have to be constantly developed. Hard drives are evolving at rapid speeds. To state precisely they have changed 1,000,000% over the last two decades. The first hard disk drive (HDD) was manufactured by IBM. It was the size of two refrigerators placed side by side and was able to store just 5 MB of data. Compare this to the incredibly small HDD used today, that can contain more than 100 GB of data.

New tools and equipments have to be developed to keep pace with the changing hard disks. Such specific tools can be developed by constant and expensive research and development (R&D) process.

Constant R & D and Training

Constant research leading to development of better tools is an expensive exercise that data recovery companies have to perform to successfully retrieve data. Technological development of the tools and equipment necessitates a corresponding training of the in house engineers. These engineers work hard 24x7.

In House Expertise

When data is lost, it brings forth huge losses in the form of downtime. The magnitude of the loss even forces company closure. Data recovery experts have to work overtime, over the weekends too when the need arises. Needless to say such services come for a price. Often these experts have to put in plenty of man hours of work for recovery process is sometimes labour intensive.

Labour Intensive Methods

Hard disks are losing data for a myriad number of reasons. Each data recovery case is unique and has to be treated accordingly. Data recovery has thus turned a highly complicated and specialised job. The engineers work by replacing the parts of the damaged media. However part replacements is successful only in 4 to 6 cases out of 10. Quite frequently it is not possible to find a suitable replacement even if the hard disks share the same make. Hard disks parts are set aligned to work in perfect cohesion. In the absence of parts, the recovery experts have to painstakingly recover the data by labour intensive methods. This is also partly responsible for the high recovery costs.

These varied factors add up to the high costs of data recovery and make it prohibitively expensive. So expensive are these services, that often recreating data is less expensive than recovering it. Some data losers prefer to approach hard drive repair shops whose services are much cheaper. However, the fact prevails that cheaper rates entail qualitatively low services. Though, uneconomical a reputed service provider should be approached if data is highly valuable.

About the Author

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you are concerned about data loss and would like more information on Data Recovery see http://www.fields-data-recovery.co.uk