In the past few years, the demand for larger storage devices has increased rapidly. Games, videos, pictures, even software which could previously fit in a compact disk now easily use up hundreds of gigabytes. 4K videos are becoming common and the newest trend, Virtual Reality (VR) content requires a lot of space. In the near future, their usage and recurrence will be more than double of what it is today.
The same goes for enterprises which offer cloud services and require larger and more efficient storage options.
The world’s storage needs are expanding day by day and the largest Hard Disk Drive currently can store up to 12-14 TBs (terabytes).
Western Digital’s Breakthrough 40 Terabyte HDD
Western Digital has announced their innovative “microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) HDD” technology which uses microwaves to store data.
This technology will help create ultra-high capacity hard drives which can store 40 terabytes of data on a single disk. WD hasn’t started producing these hard drives yet but these are expected to begin shipping in 2019 for use in data centers.
A research says that by 2025, the world’s data will be 10x of what it is now and the expanding storage needs require a new generation of hard drives capable of storing massive amounts of data. The President and Chief Operating Officer at Western Digital, Mike Cordano said,
Our ground-breaking advancement in MAMR technology will enable Western Digital to address the future of high capacity storage by redefining the density potential of HDDs and introduce a new class of highly reliable, ‘ultra-high capacity’ drives. We have a proven track record for identifying, investing in, and delivering advanced technologies that create new product categories and enable the world to realize the possibilities of data.
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While the company has announced these hard disks for enterprise use only, expect these to be available for consumer use within a year after the final enterprise product is announced. If nothing else, the trickle down effect might help reduce prices for current-gen hard disks which are expected to increase in the coming months.
