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STORAGE
MAGAZINE
The UK’s number one in IT Storage
May/June 2025
Vol 25, Issue 3
THE AI TSUNAMI:
Is the Storage Industry ready?
DATA CENTRES:
Pauses in hyperscale builds
DECARBONISING DATA:
AI sustainability challenges
COMMON BACKUP MISTAKES:
That perpetually haunt IT teams
COMMENT - RESEARCH - INTERVIEWS - CASE STUDIES - OPINIONS - PRODUCT REVIEWS
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The UK’s number one in IT Storage
THE AI TSUNAMI:
Is the Storage Industry ready?
May/June 2025
Vol 25, Issue 3
CONTENTS
STOR
MAGAZINE
STORAGE
CONTENTS
DATA CENTRES:
Pauses in hyperscale builds
DECARBONISING DATA:
AI sustainability cha lenges
COMMON BACKUP MISTAKES:
That perpetually haunt IT teams
COMMENT - RESEARCH - INTERVIEWS - CASE STUDIES - OPINIONS - PRODUCT REVIEWS
COMMENT….....................................................................4
Welcome to My First Issue of Storage Magazine as Editor
08
STRATEGY: AVOIDING VENDOR LOCK-IN...............….6
Open-E CEO Kristof Franek looks at how excessive dependence on a single vendor's
ecosystem can become a severe hindrance
MANAGEMENT: DATA CENTRES...........................…....8
Ted Oade, Product Marketing Director, Spectra Logic, explains some of the pauses in
hyperscale builds
CASE STUDY….........................................................…….10
Revolutionising high-performance storage at a leading US financial services powerhouse
16
TECHNOLOGY: NEXT GEN HDDS..........…..........……..12
Rainer W. Kaese, Senior Manager, HDD Business Development Toshiba Electronics
Europe outlines that while MAMR and HAMR technologies are set to exceed 30TB
capacity, these aren't the only advancements in the next generation of hard drives
MANAGEMENT: DATA….…......................................……14
Yaniv Valik, VP Product Management, Continuity, talks about the importance of cybersecurity
within backup and storage infrastructures
22
CASE STUDY: DWP…..…..……................................………16
The UK's largest central government organisation deploys Nutanix Cloud Platform to
take back IT reins
RESEARCH: DECARBONISING DATA….….............……18
Seagate survey highlights growing sustainability challenges driven by AI demand
24
CASE STUDY….….......................................................................……22
Archiving solution gives Timra's Microsoft 365 environment total protection and
archiving capabilities with Hornetsecurity
AWARDS: 2025…………….............................................………24
Roundup of Nominations ahead of the 2025 Storage Awards
DEBATE:………...........................................................…….32
Is the Storage Industry Prepared for the AI Tsunami? Storage Magazine examines
readiness for the explosion of AI data with Infinidat and Toshiba
34
MANAGEMENT: BACKUP:…......................................…34
Bill Andrews, ExaGrid President and CEO, discusses why Backup Storage mistakes perpetually
haunt IT Teams
www.storagemagazine.co.uk @STMagAndAwards May/June 2025
STORAGE
MAGAZINE
03
COMMENT
EDITOR: Sharon Munday
editor@storagemagazine.co.uk
SUB EDITOR: Mark Lyward
mark.lyward@btc.co.uk
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WELCOME TO MY FIRST
ISSUE AS EDITOR!
BY SHARON MUNDAY,
EDITOR
I'm thrilled to welcome you to the May/June edition of Storage Magazine - my very
first as Editor! Stepping into this role after David Tyler's long-standing leadership is
both an honour and, if I'm honest, a tad daunting. David has left some big shoes to
fill (though I promise I'll be doing it in slightly higher heels!). Having spent over 30
years working alongside the brilliant minds in storage and data management, I've
always admired the spirit of innovation and resilience that defines this industry. Now,
I'm excited to bring that passion to the pages of Storage Magazine, sharing the stories
of those who are pushing boundaries and driving change.
This month, we're diving headfirst into AI - a topic we've covered many times before,
but one that's evolving so quickly, it's worth a fresh look. According to the International
Data Corporation (IDC), global data creation is expected to reach a jaw-dropping
221 zettabytes by 2026. That's an almost incomprehensible amount of data, leaving
us all with the question: How do we store it all, responsibly, efficiently, and sustainably?
To help answer that, we've got some fantastic insights lined up in this issue. First
Seagate shares its latest research on AI and sustainability, giving us a glimpse into how
AI-driven demands are reshaping data infrastructure. Infinidat and Toshiba take the
dialogue hot seat and are challenged to answer the big question: Is the storage
industry really ready for the AI tsunami? And at the other end of the debate, Spectra
Logic challenges the hype, asking if AI's rapid growth is putting too much strain on an
already stretched energy supply.
Of course, it wouldn't be coming into June without the excitement of the 2025
Storage Awards! Voting is now open and runs until midnight on 23 May. Head to
https://storage-awards.com/?page=sta2025vote and make your voice heard. I'm
really looking forward to seeing many of you there on 5 June as we celebrate the best
in data matters together.
Finally, I want to take a moment to thank David for his incredible years of dedication.
I'm committed to building on the legacy he's created - keeping Storage Magazine the
trusted voice it's always been, while also exploring new frontiers in technology with a
fresh perspective, bold ideas, and yes… zettabyte high heels on stage at the Storage
Awards!
Here's to new beginnings, and plenty of exciting stories ahead!
Sharon Munday
Editor, Storage Magazine
04 STORAGE
MAGAZINE
May/June 2025
@STMagAndAwards
www.storagemagazine.co.uk
The future is here.
Tiered Backup Storage
• Fastest backups
• Fastest restores
• Scalability for fixed-length backup window
• Comprehensive security with ransomware recovery
• Comprehensive disaster recovery from a site disaster
• Low cost up front and over time
ExaGrid is honoured to be a finalist for
the Storage Awards 2025 in these categories:
· Storage Innovator of the Year
· Immutable Storage Company
of the Year
· Storage Industry Champion –
Commercial
· Storage Industry Champion –
Marketing
· Channel Excellence Award
· Cyber Resilient Storage
Company of the Year
· Ransomware Product
of the Year
· Data Protection Company
of the Year
· Enterprise Backup Hardware
Vendor of the Year
· Object Storage Vendor
of the Year
· Storage Optimisation
Company of the Year
· Capacity Storage Vendor
of the Year
· Channel Partner Programme
· Storage Product of the Year
· Storage Company of the Year
VOTE NOW
STRATEGY:
STRATEGY: AVOIDING VENDOR LOCK-IN
HOW TO ACHIEVE I.T. FREEDOM AND AVOID
VENDOR LOCK-IN
OPEN-E CEO KRISTOF FRANEK LOOKS AT HOW EXCESSIVE DEPENDENCE ON A SINGLE VENDOR'S
ECOSYSTEM CAN BECOME A SEVERE HINDRANCE
One of the most pivotal events to
shake the data storage industry
in recent years was Broadcom's
acquisition of VMware and the
subsequent changes it brought. This shift
forced many companies to reevaluate
their reliance on a single
virtualisation provider and
explore alternative solutions to
bolster operational stability
and strategic flexibility.
The lesson from this
episode is clear: excessive
dependence on a single
vendor's ecosystem can
severely hinder an
organisation's ability to
optimise its IT infrastructure.
As Open-E CEO Kristof Franek
underlines: "Vendor lock-in is
something that any company
should avoid whenever it can, as
a single unexpected decision by
a vendor can lead to many
disruptive scenarios for a
company. This very
critical need
for
freedom is what shapes Open-E
software, to provide IT administrators
with a wide range of possible
configurations, as well as high hardware
and hypervisor compatibility. We want to
ensure that with Open-E JovianDSS your
business stays independent from
unexpected shifts and disruptions."
AVOIDING VIRTUALISATION
CONSTRAINTS WITH HYPERVISOR-
AGNOSTICISM
Organisations often employ different
hypervisors, depending on their specific
requirements. A hypervisor-agnostic
system ensures interoperability, allowing
businesses to readily switch to an
alternative virtualisation platform as
circumstances require.
Virtualisation enables organisations to
optimise hardware utilisation and reduce
costs. However, these benefits can only be
sustained if the underlying infrastructure
allows flexibility in hypervisor selection.
THE BENEFITS OF HARDWARE-
AGNOSTIC STORAGE SOLUTIONS
Similar to hypervisor-agnosticism,
hardware-agnostic software frees
businesses from the constraints of
proprietary hardware ecosystems, and
offers numerous advantages:
Broad Compatibility: Hardwareagnostic
solutions integrate smoothly
with various storage devices,
eliminating compatibility concerns.
Cost savings: Businesses are no
longer forced to purchase
expensive, vendor-specific
hardware, allowing them to select
cost-effective alternatives without
06 STORAGE May/June 2025
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www.storagemagazine.co.uk
MAGAZINE
STRATEGY:
STRATEGY: AVOIDING VENDOR LOCK-IN
"Vendor lock-in is something that any company should avoid whenever it can, as a single
unexpected decision by a vendor can lead to many disruptive scenarios for a company."
compromising performance.
Scalability and flexibility: Businesses
can easily expand their storage
infrastructure as data needs increase
without worrying about hardware
vendor constraints.
Supply Chain Resilience: The post-
COVID-19 era has underscored the
importance of supply chain
adaptability. Hardware-agnostic
solutions ensure businesses can source
hardware from multiple vendors,
reducing the risk of disruptions from
hardware shortages.
ENHANCING IT FREEDOM BY
COMBINING AGNOSTICISM WITH
DATA CENTRALISATION
The combination of hardware- and
hypervisor-agnosticism is particularly
powerful when applied to centralised data
storage solutions where interoperability and
flexibility are crucial. Using softwaredefined
storage or hyper-converged
infrastructure, organisations can seamlessly
integrate different hardware and
virtualisation environments into a unified
system. This enhances control, simplifies
management, and mitigates data
fragmentation, which can otherwise lead to
inefficiencies such as increased data
retrieval times, redundant data storage,
complicated backup and recovery
procedures, and higher operational costs
due to maintaining multiple storage
platforms.
Centralised, on-premises storage solutions
also provide a critical layer of technological
independence by reducing reliance on
external cloud service providers. This
independence shields businesses from
unexpected price increases, changes in
service terms, or vendor outages.
Ultimately, by retaining full control over
data security, businesses can better protect
sensitive information and ensure
compliance with regulatory requirements.
More info:
https://www.open-e.com/r/bryk/
www.storagemagazine.co.uk
@STMagAndAwards May/June 2025
STORAGE
MAGAZINE
07
MANAGEMENT: DATA CENTRES
DATA CENTRE EXPANSION UNEXPECTEDLY
SLOWING - IS POWER THE MAIN CULPRIT?
TED OADE, PRODUCT MARKETING DIRECTOR, SPECTRA LOGIC, EXPLAINS SOME OF THE PAUSES IN
HYPERSCALE BUILDS
We've long heard that data centres
are the backbone of the digital
age, expanding rapidly to meet the
demands of AI, cloud computing, and
massive content delivery needs. But recently,
that momentum has slowed as major players
like Amazon, Microsoft Azure, and Google
have unexpectedly applied the brakes on new
data centre builds. So, what's behind the
sudden shift?
One culprit may be hiding in plain sight:
power. Or more accurately, a shortage of it.
But that's only part of the story.
HYPERSCALERS HIT PAUSE
In early 2025, industry watchers were
surprised when the "big three" hyperscalers -
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft
Azure, and Google Cloud - announced
delays or pauses in their planned data centre
expansion projects. While none cited a
specific reason, the pattern was
unmistakable. Across earnings calls,
construction site reports, and local
government updates, one factor kept
surfacing: power availability and sustainability
are now critical constraints.
Microsoft directly cited power shortages in
key regions as a major reason for slowing
builds. AWS acknowledged that several highgrowth
metros are now designated as
"power-constrained zones." In a recent
infrastructure update, Google stated it was
"recalibrating" its expansion strategy to align
with local energy infrastructure and long-term
sustainability commitments.
HOW MUCH POWER ARE WE
TALKING ABOUT?
For context, data centres consumed about
2.4% of the world's electricity in 2023,
according to the International Energy
Agency (IEA). That figure is expected to
more than double by 2030, driven mainly
by AI workloads.
AI infrastructure is in a league of its own.
Traditional CPU-based workloads are
relatively power-efficient. In contrast, GPUpowered
AI systems, especially those training
large language models or running deep
learning frameworks, can consume up to
fourteen times more electricity than standard
computing infrastructure. And that's before
factoring in the significant power demands of
cooling, networking, and storage systems.
POWER DEMAND IS OUTPACING
SUPPLY
Here's the long-term concern: data centre
power demand is growing faster than utilities
can add new energy capacity to the grid. In
places like Northern Virginia, Phoenix, and
Dublin - once go-to hubs for data centre
growth - utility companies are warning they
cannot guarantee additional capacity in the
near term.
In Ireland, for instance, the government has
placed temporary restrictions on new data
centre connections in certain regions until the
national grid can catch up. In the U.S.,
similar concerns are slowing development in
Virginia and parts of California.
This mismatch could become one of the
biggest constraints on the cloud and AI
boom. The technology and demand are here,
but without enough power, everything stalls.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT POWER
Power is a major issue, but it's not the only
one. Several other barriers are adding
friction:
Community pushback: Local residents are
increasingly opposing new data centres
due to noise, water usage, and
environmental impact concerns.
Planning Permission delays: Regulatory
and environmental review processes are
becoming more complex and timeconsuming.
Land constraints: Ideal land near fibre,
water, and substations is becoming harder
to find.
Data sovereignty laws: Governments are
tightening rules on where data can reside,
limiting siting flexibility.
Uncertain AI economics: While AI is hot,
many operators are still assessing whether
AI workloads will produce sustainable
long-term profits.
Cooling challenges: Higher rack densities
and hotter chips require more advanced
(and costly) cooling infrastructure.
ENTER TAPE: A SURPRISING POWER-
SAVING ALLY
Interestingly, tape storage is reemerging as a
strategic tool in reducing power
consumption. In the UK, Amazon Web
Services is building a facility that relies
exclusively on tape to store vast amounts of
"cold" data, rarely accessed data that must
be retained. In a filing to the local
government, the data centre architect states:
"This data centre will be a data repository
which requires significantly less power
consumption than typical data centres. This
building will be designed to house tape
media, that provides a long-term data
storage solution."
This move highlights a growing recognition:
08 STORAGE May/June 2025
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MAGAZINE
MANAGEMENT: DATA CENTRES
"The mismatch could become one of the biggest
constraints on the cloud and AI boom. The technology and
demand are here, but without enough power, everything
stalls." Ted Oade, Product Marketing Director, Spectra Logic
storing cold data on spinning disks or flash
drives is energy-inefficient. These devices
require constant power, even when idle.
Tape, by contrast, consumes virtually no
power when not in use, making it an ideal
medium for infrequently accessed data.
Modern tape technology is truly cutting
edge. With significant advances in
capacity, density, performance, and
automation, tape is beginning to play a
more prominent role in tiered storage
architectures. And the benefits are
substantial: when up to 80% of data in a
typical data centre is cold (source: Horison
Information Strategies), moving that data
to tape can significantly reduce power
consumption and ease grid demand.
RETHINKING DATA CENTRE
ARCHITECTURE
Faced with power constraints, data centre
operators are beginning to reimagine
their designs. Strategies include:
Tiered storage: Using flash for hot
data and tape for cold data, reducing
total energy consumption.
New locations: Exploring cooler
climates, renewable energy regions,
and remote areas for development.
Microgrids and on-site renewables:
Supplementing grid electricity with
solar, wind, or battery storage.
Low-power, high-density facilities:
Blending compute, storage, and
cooling innovations to do more
with less.
Tape is becoming a pillar in this architectural
shift, not just for backup and compliance, but
as part of a live, automated, energy-efficient
storage ecosystem.
A TIPPING POINT MOMENT
This data centre slowdown may feel disruptive,
but it also represents a healthy inflection point.
The industry is being forced to balance
between growth and the realities of
sustainability and infrastructure.
Hyperscalers aren't abandoning expansion
but recalibrating for a more efficient and
sustainable future. This includes more
innovative uses of power, storage strategies,
and architectural designs. AI and cloud
workloads will continue to rise, but we'll need
to rethink where they are located and how they
are powered to support them.
Tape does not supplant flash or disk, but for
the massive amount of cold data currently
stored on continuously-powered media, tape
easily delivers savings of power, space, cost,
and environmental impact.
More Info: https://spectralogic.com
www.storagemagazine.co.uk
@STMagAndAwards May/June 2025
STORAGE
MAGAZINE
09
CASE STUDY: NCS STUDY:
CREDIT
CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE
REVOLUTIONISING HIGH-PERFORMANCE STORAGE AT A LEADING US FINANCIAL SERVICES
POWERHOUSE
NCS Credit, a US leader in the
corporate credit industry since 1970,
is a provider of commercial credit
services, specialising in helping businesses
secure their outstanding payments and
minimise credit risk. Headquartered in Ohio,
NCS Credit serves clients across the US and
Canada, offering a comprehensive set of
services including commercial collections,
mechanic's lien, bond claim services, and
UCC filings.
With more than 50 years of experience,
NCS Credit has developed a national
network of experts to provide proactive
solutions tailored to various industries such as
construction, manufacturing, food
distribution, and energy. NCS Credit's services
are designed to help businesses receive
payments faster and more efficiently.
Some of the advantages that NCS Credit
offers include simplifying the process of
recovering past-due accounts with access to inhouse
attorneys, paralegals, and collectors
focused on commercial debt recovery.
Additionally, NCS Credit offers UCC services to
protect accounts receivable, inventory, and
equipment, including a full-service flat-fee UCC
filing program and assisting clients in
navigating complex lien laws to ensure they are
in the best position to receive payments faster.
With decades of experience supporting
organisations in protecting their receivables and
reducing financial risk, NCS Credit has built a
reputation for reliability and innovation. As the
company's operations evolved and its data
demands expanded, NCS Credit began to face
mounting pressure to modernise its storage
infrastructure without compromising budget,
performance, or efficiency.
The organisation's requirements were
straightforward; a cost-effective storage solution
that could deliver high-performance support for
mission-critical workloads across more than
100 virtual machines, databases, and line-ofbusiness
applications. At the same time NCS
Credit needed to consolidate its existing storage
systems into a unified platform that would
support future growth, maintain a minimal
footprint in the data centre, while optimising
power and cooling efficiency. NCS Credit
sought out a technology partner that could not
only meet technical expectations but also work
alongside their internal IT team as a helpful
adviser and collaborator.
SOLUTION
StorONE is a highly efficient, software-defined
storage platform that simplifies and secures
storage environments. Built from the ground up
with a patented storage stack, StorONE delivers
unmatched storage efficiency while providing
integrated data security that enables instant
ransomware recovery. As a hardware-agnostic
solution, it gives organisations the freedom to
scale using the hardware of their choice,
10 STORAGE May/June 2024
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MAGAZINE
CASE STUDY: NCS CREDIT
avoiding vendor lock-in and supporting future
growth with ease. StorONE's cost-effective
model significantly lowers both capital and
operational expenses without sacrificing
performance or reliability. Designed to be
flexible and future-proof, StorONE ensures
that IT teams adapt quickly, protect data
confidently and manage growing demands
with a storage foundation that is built to last.
StorONE consolidates all workloads, block,
file, and object, onto a single platform,
eliminating silos and dramatically reducing
complexity. This unification is StorONE's
"special sauce" and eliminates the massive
complexity of managing multiple storage
systems. StorONE presented a plan to NCS
Credit to streamline its operations while
reducing overhead. By supporting all
protocols and use cases, it provides a
versatile foundation for diverse workloads.
After evaluating several options, NCS
Credit selected StorONE's ONE Enterprise
Storage Platform, an all-NVMe solution that
met the company's performance
requirements while staying within cost
constraints. The deployment provided NCS
Credit with a compact 2U configuration that
enabled the company to scale capacity one
drive at a time. This expansion model
aligned perfectly with NCS's operational
goals, allowing the organisation to scale
storage incrementally as needs changed
without overprovisioning or compromising
on performance.
StorONE tackled NCS Credit's need for
streamlined operations with its advanced
storage platform technology, allowing for
multiple workloads to be run on a single
set of storage all separated into Virtual
Storage Containers.
The company's support for the use of
commodity hardware also helped NCS
Credit avoid restricted vendor choice while
reducing costs. StorONE's storage engine
maximises hardware utilisation, enabling
organisations to achieve high performance
without excessive investment.
"StorONE struck the right balance between
performance and cost," said Michael Frank,
Director of Technology at NCS Credit. "We
needed a performance-based system, but at a
price point that would not break the bank. The
StorONE system provided a small footprint that
was all NVMe, allowing us to increase capacity
one drive at a time. Deploying dense NVMe
was also critical for us to maintain our form
factor, power, and cooling requirements."
OUTCOME
The implementation not only consolidated
NCS Credit's storage operations, but also
helped NCS gain better control over workload
segregation and performance tuning. With
StorONE's virtual storage container
technology and intelligent architecture, NCS
Credit can now manage demanding
workloads while ensuring flexibility for future
needs and changes. Additionally, the
platform's ability to support virtualisation
workloads made it a perfect fit for NCS
Credit's existing IT environment.
NCS Credit was also impressed with the
consultation and support offered by
StorONE. StorONE became a trusted
adviser to NCS Credit, ensuring that the
company could confidently move forward
with its digital infrastructure plans. "The
support model from StorONE is also great,"
Frank added. "It is not just break-fix but fully
consultative, fostering a true partnership
between NCS Credit and StorONE. At NCS
Credit, we believe in building partnerships
with both our customers and vendors and
StorONE fit into this model perfectly."
James Keating, Solution Architect at StorONE,
sees the partnership as a prime example of how
the company's platform addresses real-world
enterprise challenges. "We are proud to partner
with NCS Credit and provide the company with
a high-performance, cost-effective storage
solution," said Keating. "This deployment
underscores the power of our highly efficient
platform in addressing enterprise storage needs
through our unique architecture and virtual
storage containers."
With StorONE's ONE Enterprise Storage
Platform now underpinning its environment,
NCS Credit can focus on delivering fast,
reliable services without worrying about
storage limitations. By choosing StorONE,
NCS Credit achieved a unified, cost-efficient
infrastructure that seamlessly supports more
than 100 virtual machines, databases, and
critical business applications. The platform's
flexibility means that as NCS Credit grows,
whether through expanding client demands or
new service offerings, its storage footprint can
scale together all while maintaining optimal
power and cooling efficiency.
StorONE's software-defined architecture
simplifies management and has enabled
NCS Credit's IT team to spend less time
wrestling with siloed systems and more time
helping its clients. Perhaps most importantly,
the partnership with StorONE has brought
more than just technology, it has brought
reliable support and expertise. NCS Credit's
internal team now has a trusted adviser for
roadmap planning, firmware updates, and
best-practice tuning. This collaboration
ensures that the storage environment evolves
alongside the business. In today's rapidly
changing landscape, NCS Credit is now
equipped with a storage foundation that is as
dynamic and growth focused as its own
current needs and for its business ambitions.
"We engineered the ONE Enterprise Storage
Platform to break down storage siloes and
deliver consistent, predictable performance at
scale," added Keating. "By consolidating
storage workloads onto a single softwaredefined
layer, our platform powers NCS
Credit's 100+ VMs, databases, and
applications with sub-millisecond latency. This
approach drives down total cost of ownership,
streamlines operations, and enhances energy
efficiency. We're proud to enable organisations
like NCS Credit to move at the speed of their
business, with storage that keeps up."
More Info: https://www.storone.com
www.storagemagazine.co.uk
@STMagAndAwards May/June 2024
STORAGE
MAGAZINE
11
TECHNOLOGY: NEXT GEN HDDS
EXPLORING THE NEXT
GENERATION OF HDDS
RAINER W. KAESE, SENIOR MANAGER, HDD BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT TOSHIBA ELECTRONICS EUROPE, OUTLINES THAT
WHILE MAMR AND HAMR TECHNOLOGIES ARE SET TO EXCEED 30TB
CAPACITY, FURTHER ADVANCEMENTS IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF
HARD DRIVES ARE TO COME
"In the past few years,
the capacity of
enterprise HDDs has
increased continuously
by around 2 TB per
year, while costs have
remained the same."
With the MAMR (Microwave-Assisted
Magnetic Recording) and HAMR
(Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording)
technologies, hard drives are poised to
surpass 30 TB per drive. Both technologies
utilise an additional energy source to enable
a smaller write head, allowing for more
densely packed bits and tracks. However,
these are not the sole advancements in the
next generation of hard drives.
Conventional Perpendicular Magnetic
Recording (PMR), which has been the
standard in hard drives for nearly two
decades, has now reached its limits. As a
result, manufacturers have been exploring
new recording technologies for some time to
further enhance the storage capacity of their
drives. The application of microwaves and
laser beams has emerged as particularly
promising, reducing the required strength of
magnetic energy and allowing a weaker
magnetic field to magnetise the bits. This
innovation enables the write head to be
smaller and the individual bits and data tracks
to be written more densely, meaning more
data can be stored on the magnetic disks,
thus increasing storage capacity. These
technologies are known as Microwave
Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR) or Heat
Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR),
depending on whether microwaves or laser
beams are employed.
MAMR GETS THINGS STARTED
MAMR hard drives have been available since
2022, and as of now, they represent the first
development stage of the technology, known
as Flux Control MAMR (FC-MAMR). Here, the
microwaves bundle the magnetic flux at the
write head so that the magnetic energy can
be directed onto the magnetic disk in a more
focused manner. In the next stage of
development, Microwave Assisted Switching
MAMR (MAS-MAMR), the microwaves should
then also activate the magnetic material on
the disks so that even less magnetic energy is
required. This is technically more challenging,
as it requires not only a new coating that
responds to the microwaves, but also more
precise switching of the microwave generator.
With FC-MAMR, this can in principle run
continuously, whereas with MAS-MAMR it has
to be switched on specifically for each bit to
prepare exactly the right area of the magnetic
surface for the writing process.
In addition, it has been shown that a
microwave generator with two field
generation layers (FGLs) produces less noise
than one with one FGL, making the bits easier
to write and read. However, the technology
still needs to be further tested and refined until
it is reliable and cost-effective enough for
series production. Until then, FC-MAMR
already enables storage capacities of over 30
TB per drive - thanks to the clever
combination with two other technological
improvements: a further development of
Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) and an
eleventh magnetic disk in the hard drive
housing. Toshiba recently presented a
corresponding prototype, which has a
capacity of 31.24 TB.
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MAGAZINE
TECHNOLOGY: NEXT GEN HDDS
IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING
TECHNOLOGIES
SMR is not new - the recording technology
uses overlapping data tracks to increase
storage density. When overwriting existing
data, the overlapping tracks must first be read
in and temporarily stored before they are
written back again after the new data has
been written. The additional read and write
operations can lead to fluctuating write
performance, which manufacturers try to
compensate for with better caching algorithms
and larger caches. What is new is that the
larger caches can now also be used for
normal read operations to read in more data
so that more complex error correction
mechanisms can be used. These digital
filtering algorithms originate in part from radio
technology, where the desired signals can be
filtered out even from strong noise. In the hard
drive sector, they make it possible to
compensate for a larger number of read
errors so that the data tracks can overlap
more than before.
In addition, thinner magnetic disks provide a
further increase in capacity. They are now only
0.55mm thick instead of 0.635mm, meaning
that eleven instead of ten disks fit into the
standard 3.5-inch form factor. Together, MAS-
MAMR, SMR and thinner magnetic disks
should increase the storage capacity of hard
drives to around 40 TB in the next few years.
However, there will still be drives without SMR
for the enterprise sector, as many business
applications generate very high write loads
and are dependent on constant write
performance. SMR is not ideally suited for this
due to the time-consuming write operations.
Without SMR, enterprise HDDs will have
slightly lower capacities.
THE FUTURE BELONGS TO HAMR
To fit into the so-called 'write gap' of the write
head, the microwave generator used in MAMR
must be very small, which limits its
performance and makes capacity increases
beyond 40 TB unlikely. HAMR technology
offers more potential. Here, a laser diode sits
above the write gap, through which the laser
beam is guided into a near field transducer
(NFT) via an optical fibre and concentrated
onto the magnetic surface. There, it heats up
the material to the Curie point, where it loses
its magnetic properties, so that the bits can be
aligned with very low magnetic energy.
While MAMR primarily increases the linear
bit density on the data tracks, HAMR tends
to increase the track density. Like MAS-
MAMR, HAMR also requires a new type of
coating on the magnetic disks that can
withstand precise heating and allows stable
alignment of the bits. HAMR has not yet
achieved the reliability of MAMR, and the
production processes also need to become
more cost-efficient. After all, the most
important requirement in the further
development of hard drives is that new
technologies do not increase the price per
unit of capacity, otherwise companies would
simply resort to older, smaller hard drives.
However, two prototypes recently presented
by Toshiba show that HAMR works: one
brings it to 27 TB with ten magnetic disks,
the other in combination with SMR (and also
ten magnetic disks) to 32 TB.
SUMMARY
In the past few years, the capacity of
enterprise HDDs has increased continuously
by around 2 TB per year, while costs have
remained the same - also thanks to FC-
MAMR. MAS-MAMR and HAMR will have to
continue this development to survive in the
market, whereby MAS-MAMR is currently
closer and the next generations of hard
drives up to 30 or 40 TB will therefore tend
to rely on this technology. HAMR will then
gradually take over.
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STORAGE
MAGAZINE
13
MANAGEMENT: DATA
WHAT MAKES STORAGE AND
BACKUP SYSTEMS A PRIME
ATTACK SURFACE?
YANIV VALIK, VP PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, CONTINUITY, TALKS
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF CYBERSECURITY WITHIN BACKUP
AND STORAGE INFRASTRUCTURES
When we talk about cybersecurity,
storage and backup systems rarely
get the spotlight. But in today's
evolving threat landscape, ignoring them can
be catastrophic. Recent cyberattacks have
shown that these foundational components -
once seen as technical backend concerns - are
now front-line targets. It's time to put your
storage and backups at the centre of your
Security Posture Management strategy.
REAL-WORLD WAKE-UP CALLS: THE
STORAGE & BACKUP ATTACK SURGE
Cybercriminals have started to specifically target
storage and backup infrastructure - and the
fallout has been devastating.
DarkSide ransomware actors described how
they disable organisations by deleting a
single backup index file, instantly rendering
all recovery data inaccessible.
In a high-profile Russia-Ukraine cyber
incident, attackers destroyed over 4,000
servers, crippling Ukraine's largest mobile
provider by taking out its storage and
backup systems just hours before President
Zelenskyy met with President Biden.
Let's Secure Insurance suffered a breach
after failing to properly secure its storage
systems - a reminder that even traditional,
risk-aware industries aren't immune.
These are not isolated cases. This is a trend.
And your storage and backup systems could
be next.
INDUSTRY STANDARDS ARE RAISING
THE BAR
It's not just attackers taking notice. Regulators,
compliance bodies, and cyber insurers are
explicitly calling out the need to harden storage
and backup systems:
NIST SP 800-209 and ISO/IEC 27040
provide detailed guidance on securing
storage infrastructure - and are quickly
becoming must-follow references.
Cyber insurers are raising premiums and
increasing scrutiny of storage and backup
controls - requiring evidence of
segmentation, access control, and patch
discipline.
Gartner (2024 Cyberstorage Insight) urges
organisations to "harden existing
unstructured data storage solutions by
leveraging storage vulnerability
management tools and following vendor
best practices."
WHY STORAGE AND BACKUP SECURITY
MATTERS MORE THAN EVER
From ransomware to insider threats, if your
primary storage is compromised, hundreds or
thousands of workloads - databases,
containers, VMs - can go down in a flash.
Worse still, if your backup systems are
compromised, there's no Plan B. No way to
recover. You're out of options.
On average, each enterprise storage or
backup device has ten vulnerabilities,
including five critical or high-severity ones. Yet
most organisations have limited visibility into
these weaknesses.
TWO KEY STEPS TO FORTIFY YOUR
STORAGE AND BACKUP SYSTEMS
1. Build a Secure Configuration Baseline
Define secure settings per product (e.g., Dell,
Pure, Hitachi Vantara, NetApp, Rubrik,
Cohesity) - and ensure they're reviewed and
refreshed regularly. A secure baseline
includes both system-level and security
controls that reflect vendor guidance and
real-world attack patterns.
2. Perform a Gap Assessment
Start by evaluating your vulnerability and patch
management capabilities: Can you scan your
storage and backup appliances? Are those
scans authenticated and tailored to each
platform's unique architecture? Can you
automatically detect whether patches or
mitigating configurations have been successfully
applied? Do you have a complete and accurate
inventory of all your arrays, appliances, nodes,
and software?
Next, assess your configuration compliance
and drift management: Have you defined
security baselines for your storage and
backup platforms? Do you have a reliable,
repeatable process to check for
misconfigurations and detect changes over
time? Gap assessments surface weak spots
you didn't know existed.
WHAT A COMPLETE STORAGE &
BACKUP SECURITY PROGRAMME
LOOKS LIKE
A well-architected Security Posture Management
plan for storage and backups includes:
Secure configuration enforcement
Real-time anomaly detection (block and
file-level)
Vulnerability management tailored to the
environment
Compliance mapping (PCI DSS, NIST, ISO,
HIPAA, etc.)
More info: www.continuitysoftware.com
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MAGAZINE
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CASE STUDY: DWP STUDY: DWP
THE DEPARTMENT FOR WORK AND PENSIONS,
STANDARDISES ON NUTANIX FOR THEIR HYBRID
CLOUD ENVIRONMENT
THE UK'S LARGEST CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION DEPLOYS NUTANIX CLOUD PLATFORM
TO TAKE BACK I.T. REINS
Over 20 years of outsourcing had left
the UK Department For Work &
Pensions (DWP) with a fragmented IT
infrastructure. This created implications in terms
of value for money, resilience and the DWP's
ability to embrace new ways of working. The
Nutanix Cloud Platform has enabled the DWP
to address all those issues and more by hosting
core workloads on its own private cloud while,
at the same time, laying the foundations for a
yet more agile hybrid multicloud future.
"Nutanix has put us firmly back in the driving
seat, meeting all the scalability, resilience and
easy management requirements of what was a
major change of direction for the DWP. Beyond
that, Nutanix has impressed us with the
completeness of its solution, high levels of
service and support and its vision for an agile
multicloud future towards which we're already
moving," commented Jamie Faram, Head of
Hybrid Cloud Services Operations, Department
for Work and Pensions.
CHALLENGES FACED
For over 20 years, the DWP outsourced much of
its IT, but that arrangement was no longer seen
as delivering the best value for money in terms
of performance or availability. More than that,
outsourcing had led to the creation of isolated
IT silos which, together with arms-length
management and support, was limiting the
DWP's ability to scale and adapt its apps to
meet the needs of a rapidly evolving modern
workplace. Jamie Faram, Head of Hybrid Cloud
Services Operations at the DWP, explains:
"Once seen as the future of IT, outsourcing
had become something of a millstone around
our necks," he commented. "It left us with a mix
of outdated technologies, siloed data stores
and complex delegated management chains.
All of which was impacting not just the
resilience and security of our core applications,
but our ability to move forward and take
advantage of new technologies and ways of
working. We needed to take back control and
find better ways of doing IT for ourselves."
The DWP sought an approach that would
enable it to migrate workloads to the public
cloud where and when needed, but continue
to host those not suited to that environment on
a private cloud run by the DWP itself. The big
challenge was finding the right tools to make
that all happen.
THE SOLUTION
As a public body, the DWP has to follow
strict competitive tendering guidelines for
what, in this instance, would be a major
multi-million pound project. A number of
tenders were received, all of which were
evaluated in detail before the DWP made
its decision. The decision went in favour of
the Nutanix Cloud Platform, which the
DWP saw as the best way of building its
new on-premise private cloud ready to
bring all of its previously outsourced
applications back in-house.
Nutanix ticked all the basic boxes,
matching the performance, on-demand
scalability and resilience of public cloud
platforms while giving the DWP back
control without the need for teams of
specialist technicians. "Beyond that, the
DWP was impressed by the completeness
of the Nutanix solution; its reputation for
high level service and support; and its
vision for a hybrid multicloud future. This
vision would enable it to, ultimately, move
application workloads seamlessly between
private and public clouds as required,"
added Faram.
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MAGAZINE
CASE STUDY: CASE STUDY: DWP
"Nutanix has put us firmly back in the driving seat, meeting all the scalability, resilience and
easy management requirements of what was a major change of direction for the DWP."
- Jamie Faram, Head of Hybrid Cloud Services Operations, Department for Work and Pensions
For maximum resiliency, the DWP private
cloud would be spread across two data
centres and configured initially to host two
key workloads.
The first of these would be an existing
Citrix Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
which, at the time of installation, was
supporting around 100,000 remote
desktops across its network of UK job
centres and other DWP locations. This
would be moved to the private cloud and
switched from VMware to the Nutanix AHV
hypervisor included as part of the Nutanix
software stack.
The second workload comprised an
extensive collection of data and analytics
systems including both a large-scale
Cloudera/Hadoop data lake plus a number
of more traditional database and data
warehousing applications. The latter would
also make use of Nutanix Files, a softwaredefined,
scale-out file storage solution
included as a fully integrated part of the
Nutanix software stack and managed along
with the rest of the physical and virtual
infrastructure from the unified Nutanix Prism
management console.
A few applications would continue to use
VMware - not an issue for the hypervisoragnostic
Nutanix platform - with built-in
Nutanix replication tools also specified to
ensure maximum availability and rapid
disaster recovery with Rubrik backup tools
for additional protection.
DEPARTMENT OF WORK AND
PENSION OUTCOMES:
FASTER, FITTER, BETTER
Switching from outsourced to on-premise IT
is a big ask for any organisation. Thanks,
however, to the easy-to-use Nutanix Prism
management interface, it wasn't long
before the newly assembled workforce
were back in charge of IT at the DWP with
no disruption during the process and rock
solid availability ever since.
As well as on-demand scalability to
match that of a hyperscale public cloud
platform, performance has also improved
across the board.
"The support team used to spend whole
mornings just getting everyone logged
onto their desktops," recalled Faram. "Now
it just works, freeing up staff previously
dedicated to hand-holding to do more
productive work."
Similarly in the data and analytics team,
lengthy routine workloads needing a
whole weekend of processing now
complete in just a few hours, and can be
accommodated anywhere across the
schedule. Moreover, experience gained
during the migration has empowered staff
to develop new Infrastructure as Code
(IaC) scripts to automate an ever growing
number of routine tasks, thereby saving
time and reducing the risk of costly
errors.
FIT FOR THE FUTURE
A couple of years on from the original
deployment, additional nodes have been
installed, bringing the infrastructure up to
450 nodes across the two data centres.
The workload balance has also shifted
following a move away from fixed desktops
to handheld user devices and remote
working, all of which has been handled
with ease by the DWP private cloud.
"With Nutanix we've learnt that we can do
a lot more with less, scale down as well as
up and reallocate resources to meet
demand just like a public cloud," enthuses
Faram. "Talking of which, we're also starting
to move workloads to the hyperscalers and
back again as part of a truly hybrid
multicloud infrastructure."
NEXT STEPS
The long term aim at the DWP is to continue
that journey to a hybrid multicloud future
using Nutanix technologies and tools, where
appropriate. To this end, Faram and his
team are laying plans to empower staff to
manage their own IT through AI-assisted
self-service portals and the use of Database
as a Service technologies hosted by the
Nutanix infrastructure. Likewise, they are
planning to help developers by providing
access to containers and other cloud-native
technologies as well as allowing ever more
flexible balancing of workloads across
multiple clouds going forward.
BENEFITS IN SUMMARY:
Achieved aim of bringing outsourced
applications back under direct DWP
management and control
Cloud-like on-demand scalability and
enhanced agility from a secure onpremise
solution
Enhanced resilience with no downtime
since implementation
Noticeable improvement in application
performance and availability across the
board
Low operational overheads with no silos
through single management interface
requiring no specialist skills
Ability to meet application needs with an
appropriate private or public cloud host
More info: www.nutanix.com
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STORAGE
MAGAZINE
17
RESEARCH:
RESEARCH: DECARBONISING DATA
SEAGATE RELEASES DECARBONISING
DATA REPORT
SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS GROWING SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES DRIVEN BY AI DEMAND
Seagate Technology has unveiled its latest
global report, Decarbonising Data¹- a
comprehensive study based on a
commissioned survey of over 300 data
centres. The report highlights the mounting
sustainability challenges faced by enterprises
as they scale to meet the growing demands of
AI. The report, conducted by independent
research firm Dynata, explores the current
landscape of data centre efficiency and
sustainability, aiming to provide industry
leaders with data-driven insights to guide
future sustainable decision-making.
At the top of the report's findings is the fact
that energy usage is now a top concern for
53.5% of business leaders (and echoes recent
Goldman Sachs Research forecasts that
illustrate how global power demand from data
centres will increase by as much as 165% by
2030, compared with 2023). Rising data
volumes, slowing power efficiency gains, and
increasing AI adoption are putting pressure on
organisations to manage carbon emissions,
infrastructure expansion, and total cost of
ownership (TCO) - all at once.
"Data centres are under intense scrutiny - not
only because they support modern AI
workloads, but because they are becoming one
of the most energy-intensive sectors of the
digital economy," said Jason Feist, Senior Vice
President of Cloud Marketing, Seagate. "This
calls for a fundamental shift in how we think
about data infrastructure - not as a trade-off
between cost and sustainability, but as an
opportunity to optimise for both."
KEY TAKEAWAY FINDINGS:
Four key findings emerge from the
Decarbonising Data report:
1. AI is driving a wave of demand for data
storage: 94.5% of respondents reported
increasing data storage needs, with 97%
anticipating AI's growth to further impact
storage demand.
2. Environmental impact versus total cost of
ownership: Nearly 95% of respondents are
concerned about environmental impact,
but only 3.3% prioritise it in purchasing
decisions.
3. Top barriers to driving sustainability in data
centres include: High energy consumption
(53.5%), raw material requirements
(49.5%), physical space constraints
(45.5%), infrastructure costs (28.5%), and
acquisition costs (27%)
4. Life cycle management disconnect: 92.2%
acknowledge the importance of extending
the life cycle of storage equipment, but only
15.5% consider it a top purchasing factor.
IN-DEPTH FINDINGS:
The survey highlights that the rapid adoption of
AI technologies is forcing data centres to
manage soaring energy demands and an
expanding carbon footprint. The findings make
two undeniable conclusions: AI is the engine
behind data growth. A striking 94.5% of
respondents reported increased data storage
needs within their organisations, while 97%
anticipate AI's continued growth will further
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MAGAZINE
RESEARCH:
RESEARCH: DECARBONISING DATA
amplify this demand.
This corresponds to a growing energy
demand. According to data from IEEE, by
2030, data centre energy demand is projected
to grow significantly, potentially accounting for
8% of global carbon emissions, up from 0.3%
in 2022.
To keep pace with AI innovation,
organisations must scale their data
infrastructure while aligning with corporate
sustainability mandates. Increasingly,
businesses face expectations - and sometimes
regulatory requirements - to operate data
centres both cost-efficiently and sustainably. It
can be challenging to reconcile these two
expectations because the more energy data
centres use, the harder it becomes to reduce
their carbon footprints.
For this reason, total cost of ownership is
sometimes seen as being at odds with with
sustainability goals. Survey findings indicate
that:
Environmental impact is a concern for
nearly 95% of respondents.
Only 3.3% of the surveyed data centre
professionals report their companies
prioritise low environmental impact in data
centre purchasing decisions.
Other survey findings suggest that TCO and
sustainability are not necessarily competing
priorities. In fact, TCO and sustainability
considerations often align, providing
opportunities for both operational efficiencies
and environmental impact reduction.
The study found that data centre operations
are influenced by factors that reflect both TCO
and sustainability goals. Among them are:
Energy consumption. High energy usage
drives both operational costs and carbon
emissions, with 53.5% of respondents
identifying this as a significant concern.
Raw material requirements. Nearly 49.5% of
the surveyed data centre professionals cited the
large amounts of raw materials needed for
infrastructure as a key issue.
Physical space constraints. Close to 45.5% of
respondents highlighted the financial and
logistical burden of limited space.
Infrastructure costs. High construction costs for
sustainable infrastructure (identified by 28.5%
survey takers) and acquisition costs for data
centre components (27% respondents)
significantly impact capital expenditure (CapEx).
Lifecycle extension. Over 92% of respondents
agreed that extending the lifecycle of storage
equipment is important, emphasising durability
to reduce replacement and maintenance costs.
(In contrast, only 15.5% of respondents
considered lifecycle extension a top purchasing
factor for data storage infrastructure or
equipment, and 12.1% chose durability as an
important factor).
These concerns underscore the multifaceted
nature of data centres' TCO, which integrates
both CapEx and operational costs - and directly
bears on sustainability. Improving energy
efficiency reduces both emissions and
operational costs, and extending equipment
lifecycles minimises e-waste and raw material
demand.
This isn't to say that sustainability doesn't
complicate TCO calculations - it can do that.
For example, power consumption is an
inherent part of the TCO equation. But, as data
centre operators know, green energy sources
may be more costly up front. When that's the
case, the focus on the nature of energy
procured adds cost and efficiency constraints to
an already challenging cost efficiency problem.
A THREEFOLD CHOICE
As AI adoption accelerates data creation,
organisations require more capacity for everexpanding
data volumes, yet many struggle
with space limitations. Spatial constraints hinder
their ability to expand and implement more
sustainable storage solutions. Additionally, high
upfront costs for sustainable infrastructure
remain a significant barrier to progress.
About 82.5% of respondents said they lack
the physical space to build sustainable data
storage infrastructure.
When asked about the top three barriers to
sustainable data centre operations, respondents
pointed to lack of physical space (45.5% of
respondents), cost of constructing storage
infrastructure (28.5%), and cost of acquiring
data centre components (27%).
Because of these barriers, organisations often
face a threefold choice to accommodate
skyrocketing data volumes: optimise existing
infrastructure, expand the data centre footprint,
or migrate workloads to the cloud.
Each option involves trade-offs between cost,
carbon, and control, indicating that total cost of
ownership and sustainability can be compatible
goals. Decisions on energy consumption, space
utilisation, raw material use, and infrastructure
investment now impact both business
performance and environmental outcomes.
CURRENT SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES
The survey revealed that businesses are
increasingly adopting various strategies that
align sustainability with TCO goals.
Renewable Energy Sources. Nearly 62% of
respondents reported using renewable energy
sources to power their data infrastructure.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure. Close to
58% of survey takers said their organisations
are investing in renewable energy infrastructure.
Using AI to determine data storage needs.
Additionally, 42% of surveyed organisations
are implementing AI-based systems to
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RESEARCH:
RESEARCH: DECARBONISING DATA
"Sustainability cannot be solved in isolation. A holistic
approach spanning infrastructure, life cycle
management, and industry-wide accountability could
ensure that the growth of AI and data centre
operations does not come at the expense of the
environment," - Jason Feist, Senior Vice President of Cloud Marketing, Seagate
optimise storage operations.
As the boom in AI applications drives data
centre expansion, collaboration and
innovation across the supply chain will be
crucial to achieving a sustainable and more
efficient data ecosystem.
To support the industry in navigating this
shift, the Decarbonising Data report outlines
three strategic pillars for building a more
sustainable data future:
1. Technological Innovation: Technological
innovation remains a key driver of
sustainable transformation. Advances in
computational power, storage density,
and energy-efficient technologies like
liquid/immersion cooling and HVAC
systems can significantly lower energy
consumption and carbon emissions,
effectively managing the growing
demand profile. For instance, Seagate's
HAMR-based Mozaic 3+ platform
enables up to three times more capacity
in the same footprint, reduces embodied
carbon by over 70% per terabyte2, and
lowers cost per terabyte by 25%3.
2. Commitment to life cycle extension and
circularity: Refurbishing, reusing, and
maintaining storage equipment extend
lifespan and reduces waste. Real-time
environmental monitoring and
transparent reporting can foster
accountability across the data centre
environment.
3. Share accountability across the
ecosystem: Achieving meaningful
emissions reduction requires
collaboration across the entire value
chain, including vendors, suppliers, and
cloud service providers.
"Sustainability cannot be solved in isolation. A
holistic approach spanning infrastructure, life
cycle management, and industry-wide
accountability could ensure that the growth of
AI and data centre operations does not come
at the expense of the environment," said
Jason Feist.
1. Seagate Technology's Decarbonising Data
report is based on a commissioned global
study conducted by independent research
firm Dynata, with fieldwork by global
communications consultancy Current
Global. Interviews were conducted with
experts in the field of data storage and
infrastructure, and a multi-market online
survey was conducted with 330 data
center professionals responding across 11
markets, including Australia, China,
France, Germany, India, Japan, North
America, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan,
and the United Kingdom.
More info:
https://www.seagate.com/resources/decarbo
nizing-data-report/
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CASE STUDY: Timrå STUDY:
IK
Timrå IK is a successful and professional
ice hockey team based in Timrå located
close to Sundsvall in Sweden. The town
is as renowned for its engrained passion for
ice hockey as it is for the dense, deep and
beautiful forests that encircle the conurbation.
The ice hockey team competes in the
Swedish Hockey League (SHL) - one of the
SWEDISH ICE HOCKEY
TEAM,TIMRÅ IK, SECURES
DIGITAL OPERATIONS WITH
HORNETSECURITY
SOLUTION GIVES TIMRA'S MICROSOFT 365 ENVIRONMENT TOTAL
PROTECTION AND ARCHIVING CAPABILITIES
top leagues in Europe - and is ranked
amongst the top six for the 2024-2025
season, with strong aspirations of winning the
championship this season. With 70 back
office staff supporting up to 500 players
across various levels of Timrå teams and
playing team members span in age from five
years to senior levels, Timrå IK recognised the
need for robust IT security to protect their
growing digital presence. Partnering with
Strimma IT, Timrå IK implemented
Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Protection to fully
safeguard their Microsoft 365 environment
and enhance operational efficiency.
THE CHALLENGE
Before implementing Hornetsecurity, Timrå IK
relied on Microsoft Defender for many years
for their email security internally and
externally. However, they faced several
persistent challenges:
Email Threats: A significant volume of
phishing, spam, and malware emails
infiltrated Timrå's system daily, creating
risks. The IT team knew that just one
errant click could bring their entire IT
down through ransomware or malware
infection.
Operational Disruption: With errant
emails circulating internally, staff were
22 STORAGE May/June 2025
@STMagAndAwards
www.storagemagazine.co.uk
MAGAZINE
CASE CASE STUDY: Timrå IK
"We recommend all companies have a look at Hornetsecurity's
cyber security product. We're even encouraging other teams in
the Swedish Hockey League to explore this solution."
- Jonas Larsson, Administrative Manager, Timrå IK
spending too much time chasing and
ringfencing, increasing the likelihood of
missing critical communications.
Compliance Needs: Faced with a rising
volume, managing email security and
regulatory compliance was becoming an
increasingly time-consuming process.
Their trusted advisor and local IT support
company, Strimma IT, quickly highlighted that
to combat these risks, a
comprehensive and userfriendly
third party
cybersecurity solution was
needed - and fast - before a critical
own goal occurred that would stretch cyber
resiliency to the limits.
THE SOLUTION
With the recommendation of Strimma IT,
Timrå IK evaluated Hornetsecurity's 365 Total
Protection, a solution totally focused to meet
the demands of Microsoft 365 users. After a
detailed presentation and overview from
Strimma IT, the team decided to give it a try,
and the results were immediate and
impressive. Key highlights the team
immediately liked included:
Advanced Threat Protection: as it
proactively blocked phishing,
ransomware, and spam.
Spam and Malware Filtering: as it
significantly reduces unwanted emails,
ensuring cleaner inboxes.
Email Archiving and Compliance: as it
provides tools for efficient email search,
recovery, and regulatory compliance.
User-Friendly Management: as it
simplifies IT workflows and empowers
administrators with an intuitive control
panel.
Strimma IT facilitated a seamless migration,
ensuring minimal disruption to operations
and providing ongoing support.
THE RESULTS
The implementation of Hornetsecurity's 365
Total Protection delivered measurable benefits
for Timrå IK:
Enhanced Security: Daily email threats
were drastically minimised, stopping
malicious emails before they reached
team members' inboxes.
Improved Efficiency: Cleaner mailboxes
reduced distractions, enabling staff to
focus on core sports-related digital tasks.
Operational Reliability: Emails that
previously disrupted internal workflows
were no longer an issue.
Ease of Use: The solution's easy to use
control panel plus Strimma IT's support
made managing the new system simple
and straightforward.
Jonas Larsson, Administrative Manager, Timrå
IK, commented: "Under the previous system, it
was a matter of time before something went
seriously wrong. The user mailboxes are much
cleaner now, minimising the risk of missing
something important. Initially, it required some
effort, but everything runs smoothly now."
"We recommend all companies have a look
at Hornetsecurity's cyber security product.
We're even encouraging other teams in the
Swedish Hockey League to explore this
solution, again with Strimma IT also as their
trusted partner."
CONCLUSION
Timrå IK's adoption of Hornetsecurity's 365
Total Protection highlights the importance of
robust email security in today's sports
industry. With a safer, more efficient digital
environment behind them, the team can
concentrate on their mission: excelling on
the ice and engaging with fans. Their
proactive approach to a secure M365
environment sets a benchmark for other SHL
teams and beyond.
More info: www.hornetsecurity.com
www.storagemagazine.co.uk
@STMagAndAwards May/June 2025
STORAGE
MAGAZINE
23
EVENT:
EVENT: STORAGE AWARDS 2025
CATCH 22
THE STORAGE AWARDS REACHES ITS 22ND YEAR IN 2025 - SEE BELOW FOR ALL THE FINALISTS
We say it every year, but it
nonetheless remains absolutely
true: the Storage Awards simply
cannot happen without the readers'
nominations and votes. It exists to reflect the
brightest and best of the industry, and needs
your input to ensure that the right people
are picking up those much-coveted trophies
on the night. The event itself takes place on
Thursday June 5th at the Leonardo Royal
Hotel, London Tower Bridge.
As mentioned elsewhere in this issue,
this will be the last Storage Awards
process to take place under the
editorship of Dave Tyler, who is retiring
before June and will of course be sad to
miss the ceremony itself - but his
replacement Sharon Munday is no
stranger to the event, having been a
regular attendee in her role as
marcomms and PR representative for
several big names from across the sector.
Dave commented: "It will be quite
strange not to be in attendance at the
awards this year - it has been so
rewarding to watch as the event has
grown in prestige and of course in terms
of sheer numbers of votes and attendees
year on year throughout my time here.
Sharon, who attended many times over
the years as a guest, will be taking over
my hosting and presenting duties on the
night, and I have no doubt she'll be far
more entertaining than I ever was."
For her part, Sharon is clearly excited
about her new opportunity: "High heels,
long dress alert! It feels like for the past
twenty-odd years I've been attending the
Storage Awards as a guest - so it's
somewhat surreal (and incredibly special)
to now be part of the hosting team for
this year's event. The Awards night
always has a brilliant vibe, and it
remains one of my favourite annual
opportunities to catch up with industry
friends, old colleagues, and familiar
faces from across the storage world. I'm
really looking forward to another great
evening of celebration and new
connections - especially this year, in my
very fresh editor role. Please do come
and say hello!"
As we do every year, we need to thank
all of the sponsors who support the
Awards, who this year include: ExaGrid,
Epaton, NGS, Arcserve, Arctera,
Barracuda, Boston, CMS, Ctera, Exertis,
HPe, Hornetsecurity, Infinidat, Logicalis,
Nasuni, NexStor, Pure Storage, Storpool,
Titan, Ultra Support, Veritas, ZaveIT,
Cameo, CDS, Convergent, Gentronics,
Natrinsic, TMT, Tintri and Virtual Effect.
Apologies if we've forgotten anyone!
There are still some sponsorship
opportunities available at the time of writing,
and for anyone thinking of attending, see
the home page below for full details of how
to book a seat (or a table).
More info: www.storage-awards.com
THE STORRIES XXII
24 STORAGE May/June 2025
@STMagAndAwards
www.storagemagazine.co.uk
MAGAZINE
EVENT:
EVENT: STORAGE AWARDS 2025
STORAGE AWARDS 2025: FINALISTS
STORAGE INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Arcserve
Arctera
Boston
Cloudian
Cohesity & Veritas
CTERA
Dell EMC
Druva
ExaGrid
Hitachi Vantara
Hornetsecurity
IBM
Infinidat
Lenovo
Nasuni
Nexsan
Object First
PEAK:AIO
QNAP
Quantum
Seagate
Siemens
Solidigm
StorMagic
StorONE
Storware
StorPool
Supermicro
Tintri
VDURA
Veeam
Wasabi
ZaveIT
ONE TO WATCH - COMPANY
Archiware
Arctera
Assured Data Protection
Cohesity & Veritas
CTERA
EuroNAS
Hammerspace
Hitachi Vantara
Hornetsecurity
Infinidat
Isystems
Lightbits
Nasuni
Nexsan
Object First
Point Software
QNAP
Qualstar
Quest Software
Scale Computing
Seagate
Siemens
Solidigm
SoftIron
StorMagic
StorONE
Storpool
Storware
Tintri
Vast Data
Vawlt
VDURA
Wasabi
ZaveIT
ONE TO WATCH - CHANNEL
101 Data Solutions
Academia
Astralis Tech
Cameo
CDS
Climb Channel Solutions
Convergent Technology
ICT Reverse
Insurgo
M2M
N2S
Nexstor
Primesys
Procurri
Relltek
Trustmarque
Ultra Support
Xtravirt
IMMUTABLE STORAGE COMPANY OF THE
YEAR
Acronis
Arcserve
Amazon (AWS)
Cloudian
Cohesity & Veritas
ExaGrid
Hornetsecurity
HPe
IBM
Infinidat
NetApp
Nexsan
Object First
Pure Storage
QNAP
Qualstar
Quantum
Rubrik
Seagate
Synology
Tintri
Wasabi
STORAGE INDUSTRY CHAMPION -
COMMERCIAL
101 Data Solutions Brett Edgecombe
Arcserve Damian Linfield
Arctera
Michael Grey
Barracuda Giovanni Goduti
CDS
Ian Burton
Climb Channel Solutions Yvonne Prest
CMS Distribution Chris Watson
CTERA
Becky Cairns
Dell Technologies Adrian Hannam
Epaton
Tom Gibson
ExaGrid Graham Woods
Hitachi Vantara Paul Jassies
Object First Pete Hannah
Nexsan
Adrian Hedges
Nexstor
Matt Moss
Northamber Alexander Phillips
Nutanix
Stuart Heade
QNAP
Tom Jepps
Scale Computing Gary Lynch
Siemens Ciaran Flanagan
Supermicro Jonathan "Johnny" Ray
Tintri
Mark Walsh
Titan Data Solutions Jade Easton
Ultra Support Pete Hodson
Virtual Effect Jane Symons
STORAGE INDUSTRY CHAMPION -
TECHNICAL
Arcserve Carl Green
Arctera
Simon Jelley
Barracuda Charlie Smith
Climb Channel Solutions Gary Morris
Cloudian Neil Stobart
Epaton
Pete Aspinall
Exertis Enterprise Jason Daly
Hammerspace Mark Lucas
Nasuni
Chris Wales
Nexsan
Richard Hornsby
Pure Storage David Milne
QNAP
Craig Reid
Scale Computing Ian Smith
StorMagic Bruce Kornfeld
Titan Data Solutions Stefan Ferrari
Vast Data Ross Cooper-Smith
Wasabi
Neale "Nelly" Simpkins
STORAGE INDUSTRY CHAMPION -
MARKETING
Arctera
Chris Wilborg
Barracuda Rebecca Bailey
Boston
Miodrag Relic
Climb Channel Solutions Kyle King
ExaGrid Mary Domenichelli
FujiFilm
Sarah Taylor
Infinidat Eric Herzog
Nexstor
Catherine Osborne
ObjectFirst Anastasiia Stepanova
Open-E Mikolaj Paszko
QNAP
Mirium Brown
Quantum Tom Hassall
Seagate Cassie Newman
StorMagic Leigh Grainger
Storpool Kat Temelkova
Tintri
Ken Man
Titan Data Solutions Gavin Sutton
CHANNEL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Arrow ECS William "Billy" Bond
Assured Data Protection Ron Mackle
Barracuda Giovanni Goduti
Broadberry Data Systems Colin Broadberry
CDS
Chris Gegory
CDS
Ricky Patel
Climb Channel Solutions Gerard Bophy
CMS Distribution Frank Salmon
Cohesity & Veritas Toby Keen
DJ Sheppard Consulting - Darren Sheppard
Druva
Gareth Lush
Epaton
Jonathan Lassman
www.storagemagazine.co.uk
@STMagAndAwards May/June 2025
STORAGE
MAGAZINE
25
EVENT:
EVENT: STORAGE AWARDS 2025
ExaGrid Andy Walsky
Exertis Enterprise Calum Collington
Hammerspace Giada Ligato
Infinidat James Lewis
M2M
Patrick Mitchell
Nasuni
Kenz Mroue
Nexstor
Russ Sam
Quantum Robert 'Nobby' Clark
Seagate Andy Palmer
Siemens Joseph Rideout
SoftIron
Philip Crocker
Titan Data Solutions David Treadwell
AI DATA STORAGE INNOVATOR
OF THE YEAR
Amazon (AWS)
Arctera
Cloudian
CTERA
Dell Technologies
HPe
IBM
Infinidat
Microsoft Azure
NetApp
PEAK: AIO
Pure Storage
Seagate
Siemens
Solidigm
StorONE
Supermicro
VDURA
CYBER RESILIENT STORAGE COMPANY
OF THE YEAR
Acronis
Arcserve
Arctera
Assured Data Protection
Barracuda
Carbonite
Cloudian
CTERA
Cohesity & Veritas
Crashplan
Datto
Druva
Exagrid
Hornetsecurity
IBM
Infinidat
Nasuni
Object First
Pure Storage
Quantum
Redstor
Rubrik
Seagate
Synology
Zerto
RANSOMWARE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Acronis
AWS
Arcserve
Arctera
Asigra
Cohesity & Veritas
CTERA
Druva
ExaGrid
Hornetsecurity
IBM
Infinidat
Nasuni
NetApp
Object First
Open-E
Pure Storage
QNAP
Redstor
StorONE
Wasabi
Zerto
CLOUD BACKUP COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Acronis
Arcserve
Arctera
Barracuda
Carbonite
Cohesity & Veritas
Commvault
Crashplan
Datto
Druva
Hornetsecurity
IBM
QNAP
Quantum
Redstor
Relltek
Rubrik
Seagate
StorONE
Storpool
Veeam
Wasabi
Zerto
DATA PROTECTION COMPANY OF THE
YEAR
Acronis
Archiware
Arcserve
Arctera
Asigra
Barracuda
Carbonite
Cohesity & Veritas
Commvault
Crashplan
Datto
Druva
ExaGrid
Hornetsecurity
HPE
IBM
Infinidat
Kingston Technology
Nasuni
Nexsan
Object First
Open-E
Pure Storage
Quest Software
Redstor
Rubrik
Storware
Veeam
ZaveIT
Zerto
ENTERPRISE BACKUP HARDWARE VENDOR
OF THE YEAR
Arcserve
Boston
Cohesity & Veritas
CTERA
DDN
Dell EMC
Dell Technologies
ExaGrid
Hitachi Vantara
HPe
IBM
Infinidat
Lenovo
NetApp
Object First
Pure Storage
QNAP
Qualstar
Quantum
Rubrik
Scality
Seagate
Tintri
Vast Data
ENTERPRISE DATA STORAGE AND SERVICE
COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Cameo
CTERA
Exertis Enterprise
Insurgo
Kingston Technology
Nexstor
Park Place Technologies
Procurri
Razorblue
Relltek
Siemens
StorONE
Ultra Support
Wasabi
DATA MANAGEMENT & MONITORING
VENDOR OF THE YEAR
Arcitecta
Arctera
Atempo
Assured Data Protection
Blancco
Cirrus Data
Cohesity & Veritas
CTERA
Databricks
DataCore
DDN
Dell EMC
Hammerspace
Hitachi Vantara
26 STORAGE May/June 2025
@STMagAndAwards
www.storagemagazine.co.uk
MAGAZINE
EVENT:
EVENT: STORAGE AWARDS 2025
HPe
IBM
Infinidat
Komprise
NetApp
Open-E
Panzura
Park Place Technologies
Peer Software
Point Software
Quest Software
Solarwinds
StorMagic
Storpool
Vast Data
ZaveIT
OBJECT STORAGE VENDOR OF THE YEAR
Amazon (AWS)
Cloudian
CTERA
DataCore
DDN
Dell EMC
Exagrid
Hitachi
HPe
IBM
Microsoft (Azure)
Nasuni
NetApp
Object First
Panzura
Pure Storage
QNAP
Quantum
Scality
Seagate
Spectra Logic
Tintri
Vast Data
Vawlt
VDURA
Wasabi
HYPER-CONVERGENCE VENDOR
OF THE YEAR
Boston
Commvault
DataCore
Dell Technologies
Hitachi Vantara
HPe
IBM
Lenovo
NetApp
Nutanix
Open-E
Peer Software
Scale Computing
Starwind
StorMagic
Storpool
Supermicro
Synology
Tintri
'AS A SERVICE' PLATFORM OF THE YEAR
Acronis
Amazon (AWS)
Arcserve
Arctera
Arrow ECS
Asigra
Assured Data Protection
Barracuda
Carbonite
Cohesity & Veritas
Commvault
Crashplan
Datto
Druva
Hornetsecurity
HPe
Infinidat
Microsoft (Azure)
Nexstor
Nutanix
Seagate
Siemens
Storpool
Titan Data Solutions
Vawlt
Veeam
Wasabi
ZaveIT
FLASH STORAGE VENDOR OF THE YEAR
Accelstor
DDN
Dell EMC
Dell Technologies
Hitachi Vantara
HPe
IBM
Infinidat
Infortrend
Kingston Technology
Lenovo
NetApp
Nexsan
Pure Storage
QNAP
Quantum
Seagate
Tintri
Toshiba
Vast Data
VDURA
PERFORMANCE STORAGE VENDOR
OF THE YEAR
Boston
CTERA
Dell EMC
Dell Technologies
Hitachi Vantara
HPe
IBM
Infinidat
Lenovo
Nasuni
NetApp
Nexsan
Pure Storage
QNAP
Quantum
Scality
Seagate
SoftIron
Solidigm
StorONE
Tintri
Toshiba
Vast Data
VDURA
CLOUD ENABLER OF THE YEAR
Acronis
Arcserve
Arctera
Arrow ECS
Barracuda
Carbonite
Cloudian
Cohesity & Veritas
Crashplan
CTERA
Databricks
DataCore
Hammerspace
Hornetsecurity
IBM
Infinigate
Nasuni
NetApp
Panzura
Peer Software
QNAP
Storpool
Vawlt
Wasabi
SOFTWARE DEFINED STORAGE (SDS)
VENDOR OF THE YEAR
Arctera
Cohesity & Veritas
CTERA
DataCore
Dell Technologies
Hammerspace
IBM
Infinidat
NetApp
Open-E
Panzura
Peer Software
Scale Computing
Seagate
SoftIron
Starwind
StorMagic
Storpool
Vawlt
STORAGE OPTIMISATION COMPANY OF
THE YEAR
Accelstor
Arctera
Cirrus Data
Cloudian
Cohesity & Veritas
28 STORAGE May/June 2025
@STMagAndAwards
www.storagemagazine.co.uk
MAGAZINE
EVENT: STORAGE EVENT:
AWARDS 2025
DataCore
ExaGrid
Hammerspace
HPe
IBM
Infinidat
Komprise
Lightbits
Nasuni
NetApp
Pure Storage
Quantum
Seagate
Storpool
Tintri
Toshiba
VDURA
ELECTRONIC DATA WAREHOUSING
COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Arcitecta
Climb Channel Solutions
Cloudian
Databricks
Dell EMC
Hitachi Vantara
HPe
Nasuni
Natrinsic
NetApp
Quantum
Scality
Supermicro
Vast Data
CAPACITY STORAGE VENDOR OF THE YEAR
Boston
Cloudian
Cohesity & Veritas
DDN
Dell EMC
Dell Technologies
Exagrid
Hitachi Vantara
HPe
IBM
Infinidat
Infortrend
Isystems
Lenovo
NetApp
Nexsan
Pure Storage
QNAP
Qualstar
Quantum
Scality
Seagate
Supermicro
Toshiba
Tintri
Vast Data
CHANNEL PARTNER PROGRAMME
Arcserve
Barracuda
Boston
Cohesity & Veritas
DataCore
Exagrid
HPe
Infinidat
Lenovo
Nexsan
Object First
Quantum
Schneider
Seagate
StorMagic
MULTI-VENDOR SERVICE PROVIDER
OF THE YEAR
Cameo
CDS
Evernex
Insurgo
Natrinsic
Nexstor
Park Place Technologies
Procurri
Razorblue
Relltek
Stortrec
Ultra Support
STORAGE BROKER OF THE YEAR
Astralis Tech
Cameo
CDS
Gentronics
ICT Reverse
N2S
Procurri
Ultratec
SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
Astralis Tech
AWS
Cameo
CDS
Evernex
Gentronics
HPe
IBM
ICT Reverse
Infinidat
Insurgo
N2S
NetApp
Park Place Technologies
Procurri
Relltek
Schneider
Seagate
Siemens
Stortrec
Ultra Support
Ultratec
DATA DESTRUCTION COMPANY
OF THE YEAR
Astralis Tech
Blancco
Cameo
CDS
Evernex
Gentronics
ICT Reverse
N2S
Park Place Technologies
Procurri
Relltek
Ultratec
CYBER SECURITY STORAGE RESELLER
OF THE YEAR
Central Technology
ITEC
Logicalis
MTI
Nexstor
NGS
Primesys
Proact IT
Softcat
Telefonica Tech
TruStack
SPECIALIST STORAGE RESELLER OF THE YEAR
101 Data Solutions
CCK Tech
Cognitive Network Solutions
CSI (Computer Systems Integration)
Cristie Data (Iomart)
Datek Solutions
DSI
Epaton
Logicalis
Nexstor
Primesys
Proact IT
Techvertu
Virtual Effect
ENTERPRISE STORAGE RESELLER
OF THE YEAR
Academia
Boxxe
Bytes
CCS Media
CDW
Centerprise
Computacentre
Convergent Technology
Coolspirit
Epaton
European Electronique
Insight
MTI
Nexstor
Softcat
Trustmarque
Viadex
MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDER (MSP)
OF THE YEAR
Air IT
ANS Group
Assured Data Protection
Centerprise
Datastore365
entrust IT
Kascade
Meridian IT
www.storagemagazine.co.uk @STMagAndAwards May/June 2025
STORAGE
MAGAZINE
29
EVENT:
EVENT: STORAGE AWARDS 2025
Nexstor
Node4
OVHcloud
Viadex
Xtravirt
Zen Internet
SPECIALIST STORAGE DISTRIBUTOR
OF THE YEAR
Arrow ECS
CMS Distribution
Ethos Technology
Exclusive Networks
Exertis Enterprise
M2M
Titan Data Solutions
ENTERPRISE STORAGE DISTRIBUTOR
OF THE YEAR
Arrow ECS
Climb Channel Solutions
CMS Distribution
Exertis Enterprise
Infinigate
Ingram Micro
Northamber
Nuvius
TD Synnex
Titan Data Solutions
Westcoast
EDITOR'S CHOICE - PRODUCT
EDITOR'S CHOICE - COMPANY
STORAGE SOLUTION OF THE YEAR - PUBLIC
SECTOR
STORAGE SOLUTION OF THE YEAR -
CORPORATE
(Note: The Editor's Choice and Solution of the
Year Award winners are selected by the editor
of Storage magazine and our panel of
industry experts respectively, and are not open
to public vote).
CLOUD PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Acronis
Cyber Protect Cloud
Amazon (AWS) S3
Arcserve Cloud Direct
Arctera
Insight
Asigra
SaaSBACKUP
Barracuda Cloud-to-Cloud Backup
Cirrus Data Migrate Cloud
Cohesity & Veritas Alta SaaS
Commvault Metallic
CTERA
Edge-to-Cloud File Services
Databricks Lakehouse
Druva
Phoenix
Hornetsecurity 365 Total Protection
HPE
Greenlake
IBM
Cloud Platform
Infinidat InfuzeOS Cloud edition
Nasuni
Nasuni File Data Platform
Nutanix
Cloud Platform
Pure Storage Cloud Block Store
Seagate Lyve Cloud
Siemens Xcelerator
Snowflake Horizon
Spectra Logic
Storetec Services
StorPool
Vawlt
Veeam
Virtuozzo
Wasabi
ZaveIT
Vail
MDI Cloud
StorPool Storage
Dynamic Storage Platform
Cloud Platform
Hybrid Cloud
Cloud Sync Manager
ZaveIT Platform
STORAGE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Arctera
Backup Exec
Arcserve N-Series Storage Appliance
Barracuda Barracuda Backup
Boston
Igloo Series
Cloudian Hyperbalance
Cohesity & Veritas Gaia
CTERA
Insight Service
DataCore Single Node Swarm
Dell Technologies Powerstore 3200q
ExaGrid Tiered Backup Storage
Hornetsecurity 365 Total Backup
HPe
Alletra Storage MP X10000
IBM Storage Flashsystem 5300
Infinidat InfiniBox G4 Family
Kingston Technology DC3000ME Data Center
SSD
Nasuni
Nasuni IQ
NetApp
ASA A-Series
Nexsan
Unity NV6000
Object First Ootbi
Open-E Open-E JovianDSS Up31
Panzura Symphony
Pure Storage Flashblade//Exa
QNAP
TS-h2490FU
Quantum Scalar I7 Raptor
Scality
Artesca Appliance
Seagate Corvault
SoftIron
HyperDrive
Spectra Logic Cube
StorMagic SvHCI 2.0
StorPool StorPool Storage
Tintri
VMstore CSI
Vast Data Data Platform
VDURA
V5000
Veeam
Backup & Replication
V12.3
CLOUD COMPANY OF THE YEAR
AWS
Acronis
Asigra
Arcserve
Arctera
Barracuda
Carbonite
Cloudian
Cohesity & Veritas
Commvault
Crashplan
CTERA
DataCore
Datto
Druva
Hitachi Vantara
Hornetsecurity
HPe
IBM
Infinigate
Microsoft Azure
Nasuni
NetApp
Nexstor
Pure Storage
Rubrik
Scality
Seagate
Siemens
StorPool
Vawlt
Veeam
Virtuozzo
Wasabi
STORAGE COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Acronis
Arcserve
Arctera
Barracuda
Boston
Cloudian
Cohesity & Veritas
Commvault
CTERA
DataCore
Dell EMC
Dell Technologies
Druva
ExaGrid
Hornetsecurity
HPe
IBM
Infinidat
Nasuni
Nexsan
Object First
Open-E
Pure Storage
QNAP
Quantum
Seagate
SoftIron
StorMagic
StorPool
Tintri
Toshiba
Ultra Support
Veeam
More info: www.storage-awards.com
THE STORRIES XXII
30 STORAGE May/June 2025
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MAGAZINE
OPINION: DIALOGUE
IS THE STORAGE INDUSTRY PREPARED FOR
THE AI TSUNAMI?
STORAGE MAGAZINE OPENS THE DIALOGUE WITH INFINIDAT AND TOSHIBA, ON READINESS
FOR THE EXPLOSION OF AI DATA
"Artificial intelligence is transforming enterprise
operations and storage infrastructures must evolve
quickly to meet new and unprecedented data
processing demands."
- Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is
dramatically reshaping how data is
generated, processed, and stored. In
2024, the global volume of data created,
captured, copied, and consumed reached
a staggering 147 zettabytes - an
astronomical leap from just 2 zettabytes in
2010 (according to IDC's Global
DataSphere Forecast).
A significant portion of this explosive
growth in data is being driven by AI
deployments. And we're not just talking
autonomous vehicles and smart city
analytics here. We are referring to everyday
AI business applications that are increasing
organisational productivity across
departments, generating (and relying on)
colossal datasets in doing so. This
exponential data surge presents a profound
challenge: Are storage vendors rising to the
challenge of vastly increasing data sets as a
result of AI?
VENDOR APPROACHES TO
HANDLING AI DATASETS
Storage Magazine asks two leading storage
suppliers with different perspectives -
Infinidat and Toshiba - for their responses
and insight:
INFINIDAT'S TAKE ON AI: REDEFINING
STORAGE FOR A NEW ERA
Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat, responds first
on the AI data processing challenge:
"Artificial intelligence is transforming
enterprise operations and storage
infrastructures must evolve quickly to meet
new and unprecedented data processing
demands. The impact of agentic AI can
already be felt, bringing with it a new wave
of data-intensive workloads requiring highperformance,
scalable, and cost-effective
storage architectures."
Herzog highlighted the limitations of
traditional storage solutions in handling the
rapid processing speeds and massive
datasets that AI demands. Beyond just
capacity, accuracy becomes a key
consideration, particularly with the rise of
GenAI applications where inaccurate
responses - often referred to as "AI
hallucinations" - can disrupt business
operations.
To address this, Infinidat have introduced its
Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
architecture, designed to improve both the
accuracy and relevancy of AI models.
Herzog notes that RAG merges data from
multiple sources, including unstructured and
structured data, as well as non-Infinidat NFSbased
storage arrays or hybrid multi-cloud
configurations. This enables organisations to
deploy AI applications on existing
infrastructures while benefiting from
Infinidat's high performance, low latency, and
Neural Cache technology.
When integrated into a GenAI framework,
RAG extends AI models such as Large
Language Models (LLMs) or Small Language
Models (SLMs) by enhancing them with upto-date,
real-world information. This
advancement eliminates the need for
continual re-training - an often costly and
time-consuming process.
Herzog believes that by enhancing the
accuracy of AI-driven insights and supporting
seamless hybrid cloud integration, Infinidat is
setting the stage for the next generation of
enterprise AI solutions.
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MAGAZINE
OPINION: DIALOGUE
"With the emergence of AI/ML, we see a fundamental
shift in 'reasons' to store data, especially in areas like
video surveillance and research."
- Rainer W. Kaese, Senior Manager, HDD Business Development at Toshiba Electronics Europe
TOSHIBA'S TAKE ON AI: SCALING FOR
THE DATA DELUGE
Rainer W. Kaese, Senior Manager, HDD
Business Development at Toshiba Electronics
Europe describes more specific AI usage
and AI development cases:
"With the emergence of AI/ML, we see a
fundamental shift in 'reasons' to store data,
especially in areas like video surveillance
and research." Kaese continues. "AI/ML
models rely on being fed enormous
amounts of data (text, images, and videos)
for training and analysis, which enables
them to develop their intelligence. So, with
this continuous, high-resolution recording of
'everything just in case', the amount of data
to be stored is skyrocketing to levels never
experienced before."
Kaese highlights that the storage industry
must support this unprecedented data
volume by providing large petabyte-scale
storage systems with high write speeds to
absorb data at the rate it's created and offer
high read performance to deliver it to GPUbased
AI/ML servers efficiently.
Kaese points out that to meet this demand,
Toshiba has been advancing its HDD
technologies, with 24TB now the major
capacity, realised through Microwave-Assisted
Magnetic Recording (MAMR) with the
company pushing towards 40-50TB capacities
through Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording
(HAMR). These advancements are being
designed with sustainability in mind; even as
individual HDD power consumption remains
steady, the power consumption per terabyte
(W/TB) has been significantly reduced.
Kaese believes that Toshiba's focus on highcapacity,
energy-efficient storage will be
critical to supporting the growing demands of
AI and machine learning applications.
HARMONISING INNOVATION
Both Toshiba and Infinidat are setting bold
paths for the storage industry's response to
the AI data tsunami, albeit with different
strategies. Toshiba's commitment to everexpanding
HDD capacities supports longterm
data retention at scale; while Infinidat
is focused on high-performance, low-latency
storage optimised for AI-driven processing.
Its RAG architecture enables seamless
integration of unstructured and structured
data into GenAI models, allowing
enterprises to deploy sophisticated AI
applications on existing infrastructure
without sacrificing speed or accuracy.
Together, these strategies illustrate a
balanced approach to mass storage
capability and instantaneous data retrieval,
both of which are critical to meeting the
demands of AI and ML applications.
STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE TO
ACCOMMODATE AI:
As AI adoption continues to accelerate
and permeate across departments,
storage solutions must not only expand in
capacity but also improve in efficiency,
speed, and reliability. Key techniques to
generically minimise the storage impact
of AI-generated datasets include
minimising redundant data through data
compression and de-duplication;
reducing latency with edge processing of
data generated through AI; energy
efficient storage solutions and enabling AI
workload peaks to be served at scale
through Software-Defined Storage (SDS).
Each of these technologies will be
addressed in future dialogues.
LOOKING AHEAD
The AI data tsunami is not a future
challenge - it is unfolding now, pushing the
boundaries of traditional storage
infrastructures. In response, the storage
industry must continue to innovate at
breakneck speed to keep pace.
The path forward will demand not just
incremental improvements, but transformative
shifts in how storage is both conceptualised
and delivered. In our upcoming roundtable
dialogue sessions, we will continue to explore
how industry leaders are evolving to meet this
unprecedented demand, examining their
approaches to scalability, sustainability, and
technological innovation.
Stay tuned for deeper insights and expert
commentary on navigating the AI data storm
in the next issues of Storage Magazine. ST
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STORAGE
MAGAZINE
33
MANAGEMENT: BACKUP
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE IN
DATA BACKUP
BILL ANDREWS, EXAGRID PRESIDENT AND CEO, DISCUSSES WHY
BACKUP STORAGE MISTAKES PERPETUALLY HAUNT IT TEAMS
Data backup has become a high
priority in order to ensure that
data can be recovered: from
deleted user files to ransomware attacks,
a site disaster, or the need to restore
historical data for financial and regulatory
audits and legal discovery.
Backups need to be fast so they are
completed during non-production hours
and restores need to be fast to keep users
productive and operations running.
IT staff spend a lot of time and research
choosing a backup application such as
Veeam, Commvault, NetBackup, Rubrik,
Cohesity, HYCU, and others. But they
spend little to no time thinking through
the impact of their choice of backup
storage. Most assume they can simply
take some primary storage or an inline
deduplication appliance and use that as a
backup storage target. The backup
storage target is crucial to meeting all
backup requirements.
INGEST PERFORMANCE
The faster the ingestion performance, the
shorter the backup window. Standard
primary storage, even SSD, is optimised
for database transactional files or
individual NAS files, but not for large
backup jobs. Inline deduplication
appliances are the slowest as they
deduplicate data on the way to the
storage, which is compute-intensive. It is
not uncommon for inline deduplication to
be 1/3rd the speed of standard storage,
even with software that runs on the media
server to help.
RESTORE PERFORMANCE
The key to fast restore performance is to
have the backup data in its native format
ready to restore. Most primary storage is
fast for restores. However, if you use an
inline deduplication appliance, the
restores are painfully slow as all the data
is stored in a deduplicated format that
needs to be rehydrated for each request.
FIXED-LENGTH BACKUP WINDOW
True scale-out storage is required to keep
a backup window fixed length (meaning
the backup window does not grow as the
data grows). For backups, avoid any
storage that does not bring full resources
with storage-memory, process,
networking, with storage (compute with
capacity).
SECURITY
Both primary storage behind the backup
application and inline deduplication
appliances are network-facing and are
not fully secure. Look for solutions that
have a tiered air gap solution as well as
immutability.
DISASTER RECOVERY
If you use standard primary storage behind
a backup application, you are relying on the
backup application to do the replication.
Ensure that you fully understand how WANefficient
the replication is. For inline
deduplication appliances, the replication is
highly WAN-efficient but at the expense of
slow backups, slow restores, and scalability.
COST
The cost of backup storage is dependent on
retention (how many copies of data you
keep). The longer the retention, the more
standard primary storage behind the backup
application will cost. Deduplication
appliances reduce the storage footprint and
cost but with a trade-off of slow ingest
performance, slow restore performance, and
no scalability.
AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION
The alternative is using Tiered Backup
Storage that has a front-end disk cache to
write and restore to without the impact of
inline data deduplication, a scale-out
architecture, and a tiered air gap repository
where deduplicated data is stored, reducing
storage footprint for cost savings. This
approach results in fast backups, fast
restores, a fixed-length backup window as
data grows, and a strong ransomware
recovery story.
More info: www.exagrid.com
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MAGAZINE
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