Archiving is often viewed as a place to store old information that’s rarely used, but as Graham Ashworth, Managing Director at Archive360, explains, it’s now becoming a strategic asset for organisations preparing for AI, tightening security, and reducing costs; especially in the public sector.
With over 15 years in the archiving space, Graham has seen the shift from traditional, single-purpose systems to cloud-native platforms that can manage all types of structured and unstructured data. This evolution allows organisations to break down data silos, strengthen compliance, and unlock information previously stuck in legacy systems.
Cost control is a major driver. Cloud providers differentiate between frequently accessed “hot” data and rarely accessed “cold” data, with the latter stored far more cheaply. Modern archiving platforms help organisations automatically identify inactive content and move it to lower-cost storage; without sacrificing access when data suddenly becomes important again for investigations, regulatory inquiries, or FOI requests.
Archived data is also emerging as a critical resource for AI. Historical information contains patterns and insights essential for training accurate machine learning models. But AI requires trustworthy, well-governed data. Archive360 supports this by maintaining immutable records, improving quality, and even masking sensitive information before it enters AI environments.
Security remains a pressing issue too. Many organisations continue running outdated applications solely because they hold data that must be retained. These legacy systems are rarely secure and often become cyber vulnerabilities. Migrating this information into a modern archive enables teams to retire risky systems and better protect citizen data.
For public sector teams preparing for AI, the message is clear: start with understanding and governing your data. Strong foundations unlock future potential.
🎧 To dive deeper into these insights, listen to the full conversation with Graham Ashworth on The DigiGov Podcast – Episode #3: Your Archive is an AI Asset, Not a Liability.