Attom Data Solutions, which has spent years building a massive catalogue of property records, announced Monday that it has uploaded its database onto the cloud.
Attom has been working to create what it describes as the “nation’s premier property database,” and uploading that database will help it be more nimble and efficient as it grows, the company said in its announcement. The database includes information on 155 million properties and comprised 50 terabytes, or the equivalent of nearly 800 iPhone Xs.
The company is using Microsoft’s Azure platform to store its data in the cloud. Cloud computing involves storing data remotely, which removes the need for individuals and individual companies to maintain their own physical hard drives.
Attom collects a myriad of different kinds of records including deeds, foreclosure filings, mortgage documents, tax information, neighborhood data and more. It aims to make property information from those records easier to include in apps and on websites, such as listing portals. It also provides services in the insurance and marketing industries.
Denny Cherry & Associates Consulting (DCAC) worked with Attom to get the data into the cloud. Joey D’Antoni, a principal at DCAC and a Microsoft MVP, described the process in a statement, saying it was “quite challenging as there were lot of moving pieces.” He also said that aside from a small error, “the process was seamless.”
Attom said that the move to the cloud means it is now saving 30 percent of its budget on infrastructure.
The company operates brands including RealtyTrac, and Home Disclosure. It previously made headlines after gobbling up competitors Onboard Informatics and Homefacts.com, and earlier this year launched a new tool to make it easier for other sites to include property information.
Attom’s clients include Re/Max, Compass, Knock and Roofstock.
Richard Sawicky, Attom’s chief data officer, said in a statement that the move means the company now has “the flexibility to scale, expand, and consolidate all of our operations and be nimble as we take on new projects, new datasets, and better serve our customers.”