The Near-Term Demands of Data Storage: Prepare for Heavy Volumes
Data is flowing out from everywhere. Industries are drowning in information oceans, and it’s only set to expand exponentially. But where can it stay?
Currently, Innogrit News reports that storage technologies are keeping up, with emerging tech hoping to extend capacities over the coming years. However, the niche’s future is looking a little murky. Although, experts encourage businesses to remember that it isn’t without hope.
The already occurring advances are set to bolster IT, carrying it through the next ten years and beyond.
Today’s Storage Market
In 2018, an IDC study forecasted that the globe would need to hold 175 zettabytes (ZB) of data by 2025 — but the world is set to exceed that figure, especially while the IT sector grapples with the actual impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Experts note a few key drivers of the mind-blowing data growth, including:
- The influx of remote workers
- AI and machine learning
- Big data protocols
- 5G networks
- The Internet of Things
Historically, storage manufacturers have been able to keep up, despite the pandemic and resultant supply chain problems. But every year brings more capacity than the previous, and it’s not slowing down.
There’s an ongoing debate as to whether manufacturers will be able to meet future storage demands, despite promising technologies making their steady way into the pipeline.
In fact, some industry moguls believe that several storage devices could reach scaling limits, necessitating new tech to handle predicted workloads.
And, of course, this comes with many challenges.
For instance, supply chains are still vulnerable to worldwide shipping problems, labor shortages, lack of materials, and hiked costs. Not to mention the likelihood of unprecedented scenarios and natural resource shortages that could cause considerable disruption.
Furthermore, new data uses could emerge, generating even more data and soiling growth projections, leaving the world with insufficient storage.
But Current and New Technologies Could Work to Solve the Data Storage and Transport Problem
The ostrich approach won’t work — data storage manufacturers can’t stick their heads in the sand, hoping it will all disappear. Instead, they’re already innovating to solve the ever-growing needs.
For example, companies like Innogrit are laser-focused on advancing storage tech, has developed efficient, reliable, and secure integrated circuits and system solutions that can handle the heavy volumes required in the (likely) near future.
The low-power, high-performance SSD controller solutions let companies across many industries maximize their next-gen storage investments while lowering costs and reducing capital.
After all, industry specialists understand that storage over numerous environments is imperative, especially with the ever-boosting concerns about compliance and security.
It appears storage protocols and interfaces will play a transformative role in handling data requirements, offering increased bandwidth and supporting data transportation and, thus, efficiency.
Many storage devices already support PCIe 4.0, doubling the bandwidth of the previous 3.0 systems. And PCIe 5.0 is already incorporated throughout some systems, with the finalization of PCIe 6.0 happening in 2022.
Shingled magnetic recording, helium-filled HDDs, heat-assisted magnetic recording, and microwaved-assisted magnetic recording are also in the pipeline, giving the industry a fighting chance at handling future heavy volumes.