Cookies help us display personalized product recommendations and ensure you have great shopping experience.

By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    big data analytics in transporation
    Turning Data Into Decisions: How Analytics Improves Transportation Strategy
    3 Min Read
    sales and data analytics
    How Data Analytics Improves Lead Management and Sales Results
    9 Min Read
    data analytics and truck accident claims
    How Data Analytics Reduces Truck Accidents and Speeds Up Claims
    7 Min Read
    predictive analytics for interior designers
    Interior Designers Boost Profits with Predictive Analytics
    8 Min Read
    image fx (67)
    Improving LinkedIn Ad Strategies with Data Analytics
    9 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Much Longer Until Flash Storage is the Only Storage?
Share
Notification
Font ResizerAa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Uncategorized > How Much Longer Until Flash Storage is the Only Storage?
Uncategorized

How Much Longer Until Flash Storage is the Only Storage?

MIKE20
MIKE20
7 Min Read
SHARE

In terms of trends, few are as clear and popular as flash storage. While other technology trends might be more visible among the general public (think the explosion of mobile devices), the rise of flash storage among enterprises of all sizes has the potential to make just as big of an impact in the world, even if it happens beneath the surface. There’s little question that the trend is growing and looks to continue over the next few years, but the real question revolves around flash storage and the other mainstream storage option: hard disk drives (HDD).

In terms of trends, few are as clear and popular as flash storage. While other technology trends might be more visible among the general public (think the explosion of mobile devices), the rise of flash storage among enterprises of all sizes has the potential to make just as big of an impact in the world, even if it happens beneath the surface. There’s little question that the trend is growing and looks to continue over the next few years, but the real question revolves around flash storage and the other mainstream storage option: hard disk drives (HDD). While HDD remains more widely used, flash storage is quickly gaining ground. The question then becomes, how long do we have to wait before flash storage not only overtakes hard drives but becomes the only game in town? A careful analysis reveals some intriguing answers and possibilities for the future, but one that emphasizes a number of obstacles that still need to be overcome.

First, it’s important to look at why flash storage has become so popular in the first place. One of the main selling points of flash storage or solid-state drives (SSD) is its speed. Compared to hard drives, flash storage has much faster processing power. This is achieved by storing data on rewritable memory cells, which doesn’t require moving parts like hard disk drives and their rotating disks (this also means flash storage is more durable). Increased speed and better performance means apps and programs can launch more quickly. The capabilities of flash storage have become sorely needed in the business world since companies are now dealing with large amounts of information in the form of big data. To properly process and analyze big data, more businesses are turning to flash, which has sped up its adoption.

While it’s clear that flash array storage features a number of advantages in comparison to HDD, these advantages don’t automatically mean it is destined to be the sole storage option in the future. For such a reality to come about, solutions to a number of flash storage problems need to be found. The biggest concern and largest drawback to flash storage is the price tag. Hard drives have been around a long time, which is part of the reason the cost to manufacture them is so low. Flash storage is a more recent technology, and the price to use it can be a major barrier limiting the number of companies that would otherwise gladly adopt it. A cheap hard drive can be purchased for around $0.03 per GB. Flash storage is much more expensive at roughly $0.80 per GB. While that not seem like much, keep in mind that’s about 27 times more expensive. For businesses being run on a tight budget, hard drives seem to be the more practical solution.

More Read

Online Privacy Changes Imminent from Washington
Social Media Roundup for January 13
Claiborne Community
Location Matters
Cisco Launches WebEx Mail

Beyond the price, flash storage may also suffer from performance problems down the line. While it’s true that flash storage is faster than HDD, it also has a more limited lifespan. Flash cells can only be rewritten so many times, so the more times a business uses it, the more performance will suffer. New technology has the potential to increase that lifespan, but it’s still a concern that enterprises will have to deal with in some fashion. Another problem is that many applications and systems that have been in use for years were designed with hard drives in mind. Apps and operating systems are starting to be created with SSD as the primary storage option, but more changes to existing programs need to happen before flash storage becomes the dominant storage solution.

So getting back to the original question, when will flash storage be the new king of storage options? Or is such a future even likely? Experts differ on what will happen within the next few years. Some believe that it will be a full decade before flash storage is more widely used than hard drives. Others have said that looking at hard drives and flash storage as competitors is the wrong perspective to have. They say the future lies with not one or the other but rather both used in tandem through hybrid systems. The idea would be to use flash storage for active data that is used frequently, while hard drives would be used for bulk storage and archive purposes. There are also experts who say discussion over which storage option will win out is pointless because within the next decade, better storage technologies like memristors, phase-change memory, and even atomic memory will become more mainstream. However the topic is approached, current advantages featured in flash storage make it an easy choice for enterprises with the resources to use it. For now, the trend of more flash looks like it will continue its impressive growth.

TAGGED:flash storage
Share This Article
Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn
Share

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

big data analytics in transporation
Turning Data Into Decisions: How Analytics Improves Transportation Strategy
Analytics Big Data Exclusive
AI and fund manager software
AI And The Acceleration Of Information Flows From Fund Managers To Investors
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive
sales and data analytics
How Data Analytics Improves Lead Management and Sales Results
Analytics Big Data Exclusive
ai in marketing
How AI and Smart Platforms Improve Email Marketing
Artificial Intelligence Exclusive Marketing

Stay Connected

1.2kFollowersLike
33.7kFollowersFollow
222FollowersPin

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

ai chatbot
The Art of Conversation: Enhancing Chatbots with Advanced AI Prompts
Chatbots
AI and chatbots
Chatbots and SEO: How Can Chatbots Improve Your SEO Ranking?
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Exclusive

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-25 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?