Flash drives seem to be the future of storage media, according to Pure Storage. The company has predicted that spinning disks will become obsolete as a storage medium by the year 2028. Their prediction is based on their ability to market high-capacity flash drives that bring down the cost per gigabyte (GB) to a level that will make HDDs uneconomical.
Pure Storage has made a bold prediction that by the year 2028, spinning disk will be completely phased out as a storage medium. This is a significant forecast considering the fact that hard disk drives have been the industry standard for many years. However, Pure Storage believes they have the technology and expertise to make this a reality. They argue that spinning disk will become uneconomical as their flash storage drives become cheaper and more efficient, making them the preferred choice for businesses.
Pure Storage aims to become the agent of change by continuing to develop and market their high-capacity flash drives. The company is confident in its ability to bring down the cost per gigabyte to a level that makes HDDs uneconomical. They believe that their technology and expertise will be the driving force behind the change, enabling them to replace spinning disks as the primary storage medium used by businesses.
DirectFlash Modules (DFM): Flash, Cache-Like Capacity, and Drive Controller Software
At the core of Pure Storage’s technology is their DirectFlash Modules (DFM). These modules combine flash modules with cache-like capacity and drive controller software. They populate the company’s FlashArray and FlashBlade arrays and are available in triple-level cell (TLC) and quad-level cell (QLC) NAND flash variants. These modules can store and manage large amounts of data while providing excellent performance.
Price per Gigabyte of DLFs to Replace Spinning Disk
Pure Storage aims to make their DLFs cost around 20 cents per gigabyte. This would make them a cheaper alternative to spinning disks for nearline and secondary data use cases. Once their prices reach this level, they believe there will be no reason for businesses to continue using spinning disks.
Whole-Life Costs: Power, Cooling, and Space
Pure Storage argues that whole-life costs, such as power, cooling, and space, need to be taken into account when considering the cost of storage media. The company’s massive storage density allows them to replace HDDs with fewer units occupying the same space. This translates to lower power and cooling costs, making their technology even more cost-effective.
Pure’s Edge Over Competitors
Pure Storage believes that their competitors lack the expertise necessary to replicate the software that operates their DirectFlash Modules. This gives them a significant edge over other companies in the storage media industry, allowing them to provide better technology and solutions to businesses.
Efficiency Advantage of Pure’s SSD
Eric Burgener, Pure’s Director of Technical Strategy, has pointed out that Pure has a significant efficiency advantage over off-the-shelf SSD drives. He estimates that Pure has between two to five times the efficiency advantage over its competitors. This gives their technology a considerable edge in terms of performance and cost-effectiveness.
Industry Giants are Watching and Investing in research
If Pure Storage’s predictions hold any substance, the change in the storage media industry could be potentially huge, with many suppliers left struggling due to such rapid change. Therefore, it’s likely that the giants of storage media are closely watching this development and investing in research to keep up with the changing market.
It will be fascinating to see what happens in the storage media industry over the next decade. Pure Storage’s prediction of spinning disks becoming obsolete is bold, but not impossible. If their technology continues to improve and their prices continue to drop, it’s possible that spinning disks will be replaced. Whether this will happen by 2028 or beyond remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Pure Storage is a company to watch in the coming years.