IT leaders and archivists have warned of the risks of storing document‐based knowledge in formats that are at risk to deteriorate. In recent years, the world has lost significant works of knowledge due to the impermanence of storage media and technology. Paper, the most commonly used document medium, is highly vulnerable to forces of nature. In recent years, archivists and publishers have turned to microfilm technology, a black‐and‐white photographic process that places images onto reels or sheets of film. These images can then be read using special magnifying readers. However, this medium is also vulnerable to physical damage, and must be stored in carefully climate-controlled, limited access facilities in order to achieve its maximum life expectancy. As a result, many images stored in this fashion are now in poor condition and incapable of being read.

In recent years, many companies and organizations have chosen to store documents electronically. Although this technology provides space-efficient high‐speed retrieval, archivists do not approve of this medium for the long‐term preservation of records. In fact, Google Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf (one of the founders of the internet) noted in Computer World:

"What happens when files are there and we don't know how to interpret them anymore? If you have a CD but the form isn't known anymore. I have 5 1/4‐in. diskettes, but nothing to read them. Even 3 1/2‐in. diskette readers are becoming hard to come by. The physical source media change. We may lose the ability to read them."

There is a clear need for a more robust archival methodology. With Waferfiche™ technology, data is stored as a format-free optical image that it is visible to the human eye with magnification. As a first step, the data from print, digital or any other media is converted to images. Using photolithography tools and fabrication techniques, these images are then imprinted and etched on silicon wafers. The use of silicon makes the information temporarily resistant to high temperatures (up to 400°C) and water, ensuring longevity--of critical importance when preserving documents.

Using this method, the data is archived for long periods without any risk of loss of data. Retrieval of the data can be as simple and straightforward as magnifying the image on the silicon wafers thereby eliminating the need for a computer. This feature enables archival storage of data in a technology free environment.