Pure Storage & SK hynix to develop energy-efficient QLC flash
Pure Storage has entered into a partnership with SK Hynix to provide QLC flash storage products targeting hyperscale data centres with high-capacity and energy efficiency requirements.
The collaboration aims to address the increasing challenges hyperscalers face around achieving high storage density while maintaining performance and managing power consumption. The companies plan to combine Pure Storage's data storage platform with SK hynix's QLC NAND technology, aiming to support exascale, data-intensive workloads with speed and reliability.
Modern data centres are experiencing rapid growth in storage needs due to the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data applications. This growth has brought new requirements for rapid data access, high durability, and sustainable power usage. Traditional storage solutions, such as hard disk drives, have struggled to meet these needs due to inherent limitations in scalability and efficiency.
The planned products, developed by integrating Pure Storage's DirectFlash Module with SK hynix's QLC NAND flash memory, are specifically designed to meet the demands of hyperscaler environments. These solutions are expected to deliver sustained high performance, lower latency, and reliability for large-scale applications.
The companies have highlighted several benefits that the new products will offer. These include increased energy efficiency, which helps customers overcome power and cooling challenges in large data centres and thereby reduces operating costs and carbon footprints. The combined solution is also expected to provide more scalable and rack-dense systems compared to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), resulting in improved total cost of ownership and the ability to meet growing storage requirements.
Bill Cerreta, General Manager, Hyperscale, Pure Storage, commented, "This collaboration with SK hynix is an exciting step in our mission to deliver superior all-flash storage technology to hyperscalers. By combining SK hynix's advanced QLC products with Pure Storage's host-based flash management architecture, we can deliver an optimised solution for the hyperscale production environment and AI infrastructure. Pure Storage can further elevate performance, scalability, reliability, and energy efficiency, addressing the unique demands facing today's data-centric industries."
Sam Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Sales and Marketing at SK hynix, said, "Hyperscalers are constantly searching for data storage technology that doesn't limit their potential innovation, but propels it to unforeseen levels. SK hynix's NAND technology, combined with Pure Storage's robust platform, presents a formidable option for data centre operators focused on maximizing performance, efficiency, and scalability. Together, we are empowering hyperscale environments to tackle burgeoning data volumes with cutting-edge, sustainable storage solutions."
Pure Storage and SK hynix anticipate that their combined approach will provide hyperscalers with opportunities to handle increasing volumes of data more effectively, while managing power usage and total costs. This strategy aligns with growing concerns about the environmental impact of large data centres, as well as the industry trend of transitioning to all-flash storage architectures for critical workloads.
The collaboration is set to provide hyperscale data centre operators with new options for addressing infrastructure challenges posed by the AI era, particularly the need for fast, scalable, and energy-conscious storage platforms. Both companies have signalled a commitment to meeting customer demands for enhanced scalability and sustainability as storage expectations continue to evolve.
