Data Storage & Infrastructure
This article explains where TalkWriter's servers are located, what data is stored, and how infrastructure is designed for reliability and security.
Infrastructure Overview
TalkWriter's backend runs on cloud infrastructure with the following architecture:
- Edge network — A global CDN handles static assets and routes API requests to the nearest region
- Application servers — Stateless compute instances process API requests and manage sessions
- Speech processing — Dedicated GPU-accelerated instances handle real-time speech-to-text
- AI processing — Separate instances handle TalkTone (AI polish) when enabled
- Database — Encrypted relational database stores account data and preferences
- Object storage — Encrypted storage for custom dictionary sync and configuration
Data Regions
| Region | Location | Available On | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| US East | Virginia, USA | All plans | ✅ |
| EU West | Frankfurt, Germany | Enterprise only | ❌ |
Enterprise customers can request EU data residency during onboarding. Contact sales@talkwriter.ai.
What Is Stored Where
| Data | Storage Location | Encrypted | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account info (email, name) | Database | ✅ | Until account deletion |
| Subscription and billing | Database + payment processor | ✅ | Until account deletion |
| Custom dictionary | Object storage | ✅ | Until user deletes entries |
| App preferences | Database | ✅ | Until account deletion |
| Usage counters (word counts) | Database | ✅ | Rolling 90-day window |
| Audio recordings | Not stored | — | Deleted immediately |
| Dictated text | Not stored | — | Deleted immediately |
Reliability
| Measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Uptime SLA | 99.9% (Pro), 99.95% (Enterprise) |
| Redundancy | Multi-availability-zone deployment |
| Backups | Encrypted daily backups, 30-day retention |
| Failover | Automatic failover to standby instances |
| Monitoring | 24/7 infrastructure monitoring with automated alerting |
Network Security
- All traffic is routed through a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
- DDoS protection is active at the edge network layer
- Internal services communicate over private networks, not the public internet
- Network access is restricted by role and requires VPN for administrative access
FAQ
Can I choose where my data is stored? Free and Pro users are on US East. Enterprise customers can choose US East or EU West.
Is my data backed up? Yes. Account data and preferences are backed up daily. Audio and text are never backed up because they are never stored.
What happens if a data center goes down? TalkWriter is deployed across multiple availability zones. If one zone fails, traffic automatically routes to another with no user impact.