Considered by many librarians to be the most secure and reliable method for storing information, the Microfiche Hosting industry is expected to grow by 50% this Summer and another 100% by year end. Leading the way is an unconventional player in the cut-throat world of alternative web development, Asheville's very own PaleoSun, Inc. Located deep within the confines of the Cash-n-Carry Storage Facility, PaleoSun executives have been carefully planning their move for months. And now they are all-in!
“Our immediate future couldn’t be more tied to a single technology”, says President and CEO Bill Nixdorf. "These are exciting times for anyone passionate about information storage."
“What is Microfiche?” readers younger than thirty are asking? It is a collection of related images recorded using special film that you view with a microfiche reader, similar to how PDFs need a PDF reader except Microfiche is open source. Before the Internet we had something called newspapers. Anyone making newspapers today is just doing it as a hobby but at one time it was how people found your business. That information was stored in libraries on Microfiche.
"We're looking at all the security issues going on with North Korea and the film industry and we're seeing a desire for more community and Microfiche just makes sense. There are two types of 'things' in the world.", says Nixdorf, "Those that are temporary and those that last. Microfiche was designed to last 500 years. This internet thing... who knows when someone will decide to unplug it."
When questioned about the availability and viability of this technology, Senior Programmer, Gary Reckard noted that "Older libraries commonly have one of these readers in their closet or basement. You can sometimes pick one up from Goodwill, Habitat or The Salvation Army for pretty cheap and those stores are in every city."
“We take comfort that our success truly rests with the early technology adopters", says Account Manager Stephen Eggett. "You know, people who are the first to buy anything."
So why should people choose this hosting option? Reckard argues that this form of delivery has many unique advantages. “It is difficult to hack from remote locations and it has better up-time than sites hosted on traditional web servers.” There are also no net-neutrality issues to worry about."
When questioned whether this technology has a future, Nixdorf chuckles, “We’re a tech company and we are betting our future on it so you know it is going to be the next big thing."
Reckard adds, "I can put these Microfiche servers in our closet and host a million websites. When no one is looking at them, which is most of the time, they use no electricity. This technology is clearly here to stay. Just be sure to renew your library card once a year and return those VHS tapes before they are due."
Eggett chimes in, "It is important to think about the future. We don't expect to ride this gravy train forever. Looking ahead, Microfilm hosting looks attractive and we're beginning to think about how to incorporate crazy technologies like Merlin and Speak & Spell."
With their TRS-80-like appeal and Ouija board interface Nixdorf expects to sell at least one or two microfiche websites by next Thursday. "If my mom comes to town then that is most definitely one sold. My wife's parents are a tougher sell. I think I could do a lot of business at the Grove Park Inn at that bar near the big fireplace."
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