> Anyone have any suggestions about long term storage of backups (like 15+
> years)?  We're considering converting old backup tapes to CDROM so we
don't
> loose any data because the tapes go bad.  Anyone have a better idea?
Anyone
> already doing this?  Any third parties?  How much?

This is a topic of recent interest of mine. I want to save all my 11 year
old family VCR recordings onto a reliable long term storage media before
they go bad. The answers that I've found is that the longevity of CD-R media
varies widely, depending most significantly on user care and treatment of
the media. Obviously, if you allow the media to become scratched, its
longevity can be pretty brief. However, if you keep the media stored at room
temperatures (25 degrees C), in the dark, with moderate relative humidity
(40%), it can last "more than 100 years".

The longevity of the media can also vary by manufacturer. The quote I
mentioned above of supporting "more than 100 years" was for Kodak
manufactured CD-R media. TDK quotes "TDK rates the archival lifespan of its
cyanine-based CD-R discs at 70 years (based on accelerated aging tests)."

The website that I used was
(http://www.cd-info.com/CDIC/Technology/CD-R/Media/Longevity.html). I've
enclosed the entire URL in parenthesis just in case it wraps in your reader.

I hope this helps.

Craig