What is data storage?

Data storage is a system used by organizations and companies to organize and store digital information. Data can be stored in either hardware or software form, stored in the cloud, or on a physical asset like digital tape or a data disk. Data storage in the cloud is becoming more prominent due to its scalability and large amounts of data that can be stored. With the increasing digitization of our world, the demands of data storage have grown exponentially. IDC estimates that digital data will grow to 175 zettabytes by 2025 . That's more than triple the growth of data where we are today. For comparison, know that one zettabyte is equal to one trillion gigabytes. Some of the largest data storage companies include Pure Storage, Microsoft Azure, AWS (Amazon Web Services), Dell EMC, and IBM. There are also data storage facilities in remote locations that are being used by the largest corporations in healthcare, retail, and government.

Why is it important to learn about data storage?

It's important to learn about data storage to gain insights and knowledge about how all the data consumed daily is processed, analyzed, and stored. You can learn that digital information in applications, websites, databases, network protocols, media, and more is stored on block storage, file storage, network storage, magnetic tapes, hard disks, and in the cloud. All of this knowledge can elevate your understanding of data storage and put you at the forefront of new trends in big data storage.

What are careers that use data storage knowledge?

Careers that use data storage knowledge and understanding include data technician, storage architect, data architect, data engineer, database administrator, and storage and data engineer, to name a few. These jobs are in high demand across all industries, as big data's rise has accelerated the need for people to work in data storage jobs.

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn about data storage?

Online courses on Coursera in data storage will be applicable to you whether you work in network storage, cloud facilities, or systems administration. Courses are led by experts that are knowledgeable about data storage and can help you figure out your strengths and where best you can apply your skills. When you take this online course knowledge and pair it with real-world applications at your job, the insights of data storage that you learned can take on new understanding for you.

What are the benefits of taking an online Data Storage course?

Online Data Storage courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Data Storage skills. Choose from a wide range of Data Storage courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Data Storage courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Data Storage, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Best Data Storage Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the Data Storage Course Catalog

Status: Free Trial
SkillUp EdTech
Data Integration, Data Storage, & Data Migration
Skills you'll gain: Data Migration, Cloud Storage, Data Management, Data Integration, Data Storage, Data Infrastructure, Data Architecture, Data Security, Data Transformation, Data Pipelines, File Systems, Disaster Recovery
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
10 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Introduction to Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Big Data, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Apache Hadoop, Data Wrangling, Apache Hive, Data Collection, Data Mart, Data Warehousing, Analytics, Apache Spark, Data Cleansing, Data Lakes, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Visualization Software
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
19K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
DeepLearning.AI
Data Storage and Queries
Skills you'll gain: Data Storage, Data Storage Technologies, Query Languages, Data Lakes, Database Systems, SQL, Databases, Data Architecture, Cloud Storage, Data Warehousing, Amazon Web Services, Amazon S3, Performance Tuning
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
65 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Meta
Introduction to Data Management
Skills you'll gain: Data Management, Data Collection, Data Governance, Data Analysis, Information Privacy, Data Quality, Data Storage, Data Security, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Data Architecture, Data Visualization Software, Big Data, Machine Learning
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
91 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Microsoft
Data Storage in Microsoft Azure for Associate Developers
Skills you'll gain: Cloud Storage, Data Storage, Microsoft Azure, Data Storage Technologies, Cloud Applications, Azure Active Directory, Cloud Security, Data Security, Application Development, Application Programming Interface (API), Key Management, Authentications, Unstructured Data
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
29 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Google
Foundations of Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Ethics, Data Analysis, Workflow Management, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Analytical Skills, Data Science, Project Design, Communication, Business, Business Workflow Analysis, Stakeholder Communications, Machine Learning
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
3.2K reviews
Advanced · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Data Engineering Foundations
Skills you'll gain: Web Scraping, Database Design, SQL, MySQL, Data Transformation, Data Store, Extract, Transform, Load, IBM DB2, Relational Databases, Data Architecture, Jupyter, Data Pipelines, Big Data, Data Warehousing, Data Governance, Data Manipulation, Stored Procedure, Databases, Automation, Python Programming
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
56K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: New AI skills
Google
Google Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Literacy, Data Visualization, Data Presentation, Data Ethics, Rmarkdown, Interactive Data Visualization, Interviewing Skills, Data Cleansing, Data Validation, Professional Networking, Ggplot2, Tableau Software, Presentations, Spreadsheet Software, Data Analysis, Data Visualization Software, Stakeholder Communications, Dashboard, Sampling (Statistics)
Build toward a degree
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
168K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Python for Data Science, AI & Development
Skills you'll gain: Jupyter, Automation, Web Scraping, Python Programming, Data Manipulation, Data Import/Export, Scripting, Data Structures, Data Processing, Data Collection, Application Programming Interface (API), Pandas (Python Package), Programming Principles, NumPy, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Computer Programming
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
41K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
IBM
IBM Data Analyst
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Dashboard, Data Visualization Software, Plotly, Data Wrangling, Data Visualization, Generative AI, SQL, Interactive Data Visualization, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Cleansing, Big Data, Jupyter, Matplotlib, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Pandas (Python Package), Data Manipulation, Excel Formulas, Professional Networking
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
92K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Data Analysis with Python
Skills you'll gain: Data Wrangling, Data Cleansing, Data Analysis, Data Manipulation, Data Import/Export, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Science, Statistical Analysis, Descriptive Statistics, Regression Analysis, Predictive Modeling, Pandas (Python Package), Scikit Learn (Machine Learning Library), Machine Learning Methods, Data Pipelines, NumPy
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
19K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
IBM
IBM Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Dashboard, Data Visualization Software, Data Wrangling, Data Visualization, SQL, Supervised Learning, Feature Engineering, Plotly, Interactive Data Visualization, Jupyter, Data Literacy, Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Mining, Data Cleansing, Matplotlib, Data Analysis, Unsupervised Learning, Generative AI, Pandas (Python Package), Professional Networking
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
143K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months