Predicting the Future of Flash

As the popularity of flash memory continues to grow at an exponential rate, industry experts are predicting significant changes in the market over the next 12 months.

Most technology providers now offer flash storage solutions, with the market for flash being very much a catch up game. Only 18 months ago, flash vendors were limited to a handful, including HP, IBM and EMC. Many of their competitors have since been playing catch up, acquiring smaller flash vendors, such as NetApp’s acquisition of SolidFire.

Head of Enterprise Platforms at SCC, Charlie Cornish said: “With significant discrepancies in pricing across the market, we’re predicting significant price changes over the next 12 months as providers are forced to match each other and compete in an increasingly saturated market.”

The popularity of flash is not expected to decline any time soon, as it is proving much more efficient than legacy storage. Aside from the benefits of having no moving parts, flash offers a longevity that is hard to match, as well as providing quicker access to data and notable cost reductions.

Many users are turning to flash to avoid having to prioritise their data into different tiers. It’s not uncommon for organisations to need equal access to all of their data at any given time, making flash a simple choice for them.

Charlie Cornish added: “It is possible that within the next three years, flash will become the industry standard, with legacy memory fading out much in the same way that LCD monitors replaced the old, bulky CRP screens in the early 2000’s.”

To learn more about flash, or to find out how it can be used in your organisation, contact SCC’s flash experts today by emailing [email protected]