Company Aligns Growing Portfolio of
Enterprise-Class SSDs and HDDs to Support Key Workloads Within the
AI Data Cycle
Fueling the next wave of AI innovation, Western Digital (NASDAQ:
WDC) today introduced a six-stage AI Data Cycle framework that
defines the optimal storage mix for AI workloads at scale. This
framework will help customers plan and develop advanced storage
infrastructures to maximize their AI investments, improve
efficiency, and reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) of their
AI workflows.
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the full release here:
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The AI Data Cycle: A self-perpetuating
cycle of increased data generation and consumption is increasing
the need for scalable, efficient and secure data storage solutions
that can keep up with the rapid advancements in AI technology
(Graphic: Business Wire)
AI models operate in a continuous loop of data consumption and
generation – processing text, images, audio and video among other
data types while simultaneously producing new unique data. As AI
technologies become more advanced, data storage systems must
deliver the capacity and performance to support the computational
loads and speeds required for large, sophisticated models while
managing immense volumes of data. Western Digital has strategically
aligned its Flash and HDD product and technology roadmaps to the
storage requirements of each critical stage of the cycle, and today
introduced a new industry-leading, high-performance PCIe® Gen5 SSD
to support AI training and inference; a high-capacity 64TB* SSD for
fast AI data lakes; and the world’s highest capacity ePMR, UltraSMR
32TB* HDD for cost-effective storage at scale.
Watch: AI Data Cycle Video
“There’s no doubt that Generative AI is the next
transformational technology, and storage is a critical enabler. The
implications for storage are expected to be significant as the role
of storage, and access to data, influences the speed, efficiency
and accuracy of AI Models, especially as larger and higher-quality
data sets become more prevalent,” said Ed Burns, Research Director
at IDC. “As a leader in Flash and HDD, Western Digital has an
opportunity to benefit in this growing AI landscape with its strong
market position and broad portfolio, which meets a variety of needs
within the different AI data cycle stages.”
“Data is the fuel of AI. As AI technologies become embedded
across virtually every industry sector, storage has become an
increasingly important and dynamic component of the AI technology
stack,” said Rob Soderbery, executive vice president and general
manager of Western Digital’s Flash Business Unit. “The new AI Data
Cycle framework will equip our customers to build a storage
infrastructure that impacts the performance, scalability, and the
deployment of AI applications, underscoring our commitment to
deliver unparalleled value to our customers.”
Growing Suite of Enterprise AI Storage Solutions for Compute-
and Storage-Intensive Workloads
The new Ultrastar DC SN861 SSD is Western Digital’s first
enterprise-class PCIe Gen 5.0 solution with industry-leading random
read performance and projected best-in-class power efficiency for
AI workloads. With capacities up to 16TB, it delivers up to 3x
random read performance increase versus the previous generation
with ultra-low latency and incredible responsiveness for large
language model (LLM) training, inferencing and AI service
deployment. In addition, the low power profile delivers higher
IOPS/Watt, reducing overall TCO. The increased PCIe Gen5 bandwidth
addresses the growing needs of the AI market for high-speed
accelerated computing combined with low latency to serve
compute-intensive environments of AI. Built for mission-critical
workloads, the Ultrastar DC SN861 provides a rich feature set,
including NVMe® 2.0 and OCP 2.0 support, 1 and 3 DWPD, and a 5-year
limited warranty1. The Ultrastar DC SN861 E1.S is now sampling. The
U.2 will begin sampling this month and will begin volume shipments
in CQ3’24. More details on E1.S and E3.S form factors will follow
later this year.
Complementing the Ultrastar DC SN861 is the expanded Ultrastar
DC SN655 enterprise-class SSD range designed for storage-intensive
applications. The new options for the U.3 SSD will reach up to
64TB, driving higher performance and capacity for AI data
preparation and faster, larger data lakes. These new DC SN655
variants are now sampling. More details about the drives will be
released later this year when volume shipments begin.
Western Digital is also now sampling the industry’s
highest-capacity, 32TB ePMR enterprise-class HDD to select
customers. Designed for massive data storage in hyperscale cloud
and enterprise data centers, the new Ultrastar DC HC690
high-capacity UltraSMR HDD will play a vital role in AI workflows
where large-scale data storage and low TCO are paramount.
Leveraging proven designs from generations of highly successful
products, the new 32TB drive delivers unbeaten capacity with
seamless qualification and integration for rapid deployment, while
maintaining superior dependability and reliability. More details
about the drive will be available later this summer.
“Each stage of the AI Data Cycle is unique with different
infrastructure and compute requirements. By understanding the
dynamic interplay between AI and data storage, Western Digital is
delivering solutions that not only offer higher capacities but are
also tailored to support the extreme performance and endurance of
next-generation AI workloads,” said Soderbery. “With our growing
portfolio, long-term roadmap and constant innovation, our goal is
to help customers unlock the transformative capabilities of
AI.”
For more information about the AI Data Cycle and Western
Digital’s AI storage portfolio, please visit: Data Storage for
AI.
About Western Digital
Western Digital is on a mission to unlock the potential of data
by harnessing the possibility to use it. With Flash and HDD
franchises, underpinned by advancements in memory technologies, we
create breakthrough innovations and powerful data storage solutions
that enable the world to actualize its aspirations. Core to our
values, we recognize the urgency to combat climate change and have
committed to ambitious carbon reduction goals approved by the
Science Based Targets initiative. Learn more about Western Digital
and the Western Digital®, SanDisk® and WD® brands at
www.westerndigital.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of federal securities laws, including statements
regarding expectations for: AI-driven uses and demand for data
storage products; the role of our products in the continuing
development and growth of artificial intelligence; the performance,
value, capabilities, availability and market position of our
products; and market opportunities. These forward-looking
statements are based on management’s current expectations and are
subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the
forward-looking statements.
Key risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied in the
forward-looking statements include: volatility in global economic
conditions; operational, financial and legal challenges and
difficulties inherent in implementing a separation of our HDD and
Flash businesses; the final approval of the separation by our board
of directors; inflation; increase in interest rates and economic
recession; future responses to and effects of global health crises;
the impact of business and market conditions; macroeconomic
conditions for the NAND and hard disk drive markets; the impact of
the announced separation transaction, including with respect to
customer and supplier relationships, regulatory and contractual
restrictions, stock price volatility and the diversion of
management’s attention from ongoing business operations and
opportunities; the impact of competitive products and pricing; our
development and introduction of products based on new technologies
and expansion into new data storage markets; risks associated with
cost saving initiatives, restructurings, acquisitions,
divestitures, mergers, joint ventures and our strategic
relationships; difficulties or delays in manufacturing or other
supply chain disruptions; hiring and retention of key employees;
our level of debt and other financial obligations; changes to our
relationships with key customers; compromise, damage or
interruption from cybersecurity incidents or other data system
security risks; actions by competitors; international conflict;
terrorist activities; risks associated with compliance with
changing legal and regulatory requirements and the outcome of legal
proceedings; and other risks and uncertainties listed in our
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”),
including our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on
August 22, 2023 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with
the SEC on November 7, 2023 and February 12, 2024, to which your
attention is directed. You should not place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof,
and we undertake no obligation to update or revise these
forward-looking statements to reflect new information or events,
except as required by law.
* One terabyte (TB) is equal to one trillion bytes. Actual user
capacity may vary depending on the operating environment. 1 5 years
or Max Endurance (TBW) limit, whichever occurs first. See
support.WesternDigital.com for regional specific warranty
details.
© 2024 Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights
reserved. Western Digital, the Western Digital design, the Western
Digital logo and Ultrastar are registered trademarks or trademarks
of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or
other countries. The NVMe word mark is a trademark of NVM Express,
Inc. PCIe is a registered trademark and/or service mark of PCI-SIG
in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are
the property of their respective owners. Product specifications are
subject to change without notice. Pictures shown may vary from
actual products. Not all products will be available in all regions
of the world.
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