SAN JOSE, Calif.—It has been over a dozen years since computer data centers began switching over from tape to spinning hard disk structures (HHD). Right now, many companies are switching again, to Solid State Disk (SSD) technology. This is a type of hard drive without moving parts, that high-tech giants think will achieve the energy efficiency needed to reduce energy demand in the computer industry.
Making breakthroughs in hard drive efficiency has been difficult because of the high prices, but there is huge potential. The benefits to using these systems are great, such as a lower environmental toll, increased efficiency, decreased wait times, less heat production, and less cooling required. More of the energy required to run the machines can go into the computing process, and less into simply maintaining the system.
South Korea-based company, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. (SSI), just released their latest SSD products in Seoul, Korea on Oct. 30. On November 1, in San Jose, California, SSI held the 2012 Chief Information Officer (CIO) forum. Based on the attendees at the forum, it’s evident that SSI is working closely with the major global companies in the semiconductor industry.
Companies involved in the data center “ecosystem” like Microsoft, Qualcomm, server providers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), flash providers, end user storage providers, Facebook, and other software companies joined the SSD conversation. These major players came together to share ideas and enhance connections in the computer industry. For Samsung, the lawsuits by Apple over smartphone patent infringements have not changed their ambition of being a global leader in the technology field.
San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed was also present at the event to show his support for efficient and green technology. During the forum, major companies from the computing industry shared future expectations and strategies that would help the whole industry grow as one entity. Other experts also discussed how to improve energy efficiency, the IT environment, and SSD-related developments.
In 2007, there were only 16,700 data centers using SSD, but by 2016, the number is foreseen to grow to 18 million. “Virtualization and clean technology is the definite future trend, and SSD can facilitate achieving this goal,” said Joseph Unsworth, research vice president with the Gartner Technology and Service Provider Research group.
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