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With an exponential growth in unstructured data, enterprises are facing a new set of challenges that demand innovative solutions. Unstructured data, such as emails, videos, documents, and machine-generated information, now constitutes roughly 80% of all data within organizations. If unstructured data is not managed properly, it can lead to inefficiencies, rising costs, and missed opportunities.
Unstructured data management (UDM) solutions are proving crucial in addressing these issues. They transform what seems to be chaotic data repositories into business assets. Some UDM solutions have evolved from simple storage systems into comprehensive platforms that can organize, analyze, and secure massive amounts of unstructured data.
Over 30% of IT budgets in most organizations are spent on storage costs, according to GigaOM, a research firm focused on technology analysis. With data volumes growing at 55–65% annually, businesses must find ways to reduce these costs while uncovering the hidden potential in their unstructured data.
The recently released 2025 GigaOM Radar for Unstructured Data Management report evaluates 22 top vendors to help businesses choose solutions that scale effectively, enhance security, and deliver actionable insights. By comparing a wide range of capabilities, the report offers crucial guidance for managing unstructured data and turning challenges into opportunities.
GigaOM recognized Arcitecta, Cohesity, Hammerspace, and Komprise as the leading UDM solutions providers for 2025. These vendors scored the highest average scores across the evaluation criteria, which included cost, performance, scalability, flexibility, ecosystem integration, and manageability.
The report also includes the GigaOM Radar chart that plots vendors based on maturity, platform play, innovation, and feature play. This year’s outperforming vendors in the GigaOM Radar chart included BigID, Hammerspace, and Cohesity.
GigaOM did emphasize that there is no universal “best” or “worst” offerings, as each UDM solution offers something that could work for specific customer needs. It encourages organizations to consider their specific requirements when comparing vendors and picking the most suitable solution.
GigaOM Radar Chart Source: GigaOM
A key focus for this year’s GigaOM report was to go beyond basic storage management capabilities for the evaluation criteria. GigaOM included features such as metadata handling, advanced search functionality, AI-powered classification, and seamless integration with existing systems in its assessment framework.
“This year’s report marks a significant evolution in our analysis approach,” as outlined in the report. “We’ve consolidated our previously separate infrastructure and business use case reports in a unified evaluation framework.”
“The integration reflects the market’s maturation and recognition that technical capabilities and business outcomes are inextricably linked in the UDM space. The consolidated approach provides decision makers with a more comprehensive view of the way infrastructure features translate directly into business value.”
The report also identified different market segments and deployment models to assess how the UDM solutions are designed to meet various needs. It categorized the market into infrastructure-focused and business-focused segments, and deployment options included user-managed systems and SaaS platforms.
GigaOM recognized Cohesity as an outstanding performer for the fifth consecutive year. The platform was acknowledged for its innovation, security, scalability, and ability to deliver a unified experience. Notable features include Integrated S3 View, enhanced SmartFiles capabilities, immutable snapshots, zero-trust architecture, and AI-driven ransomware detection, reinforcing Cohesity’s strong position in the unstructured data management space.
In December 2024, Cohesity finalized its acquisition of Veritas’ enterprise data protection business. GigaOM says this will help Cohesity “leap forward in the market next year.”
Arcitecta also performed strongly in GigaOM’s report. The company received recognition for its robust data management capabilities and its innovative approach to handling unstructured data across diverse environments. Its solutions offer flexibility and adaptability, helping organizations efficiently manage complex data.
“For unstructured data management, Arcitecta stands out with its sophisticated metadata analytics, exceptional performance, and advanced orchestration capabilities,” said Whit Walters, field CTO at GigaOM. “Arcitecta brings a unified approach to enterprise data management through its flagship Mediaflux platform, which, unlike competitors that offer fragmented solutions, consolidates all data management functions into a single binary, including web services, metadata management, network protocols, and filesystem operations.”
BigID stood out for its “exceptional rate of development over the last 6-12 months” and scored well on a number of evaluation criteria. The platform enables organizations to identify, classify, and manage unstructured data effectively, simplifying compliance processes and enhancing operational efficiency.
For organizations looking to invest in UDM solutions, the report offers actionable guidance through its Key Criteria framework. This framework helps decision-makers evaluate vendors based on critical aspects, including scalability, performance, reliability, usability, and total cost of ownership. By focusing on both technical capabilities and business outcomes, the framework ensures that companies can make informed decisions that align with their operational goals and strategic priorities.
GigaOM recommends the three-pronged approach to evaluating UDM solutions. First, develop a data-first strategy that meets current storage needs and accommodates future AI and machine learning capabilities. Second, invest in tools that bridge data silos while preparing for integration needs. Third, prioritize vendors with strong automated classification and metadata management capabilities to maximize efficiency and value.
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