Week 6 Tech Round-Up – 32TB Seagate HAMR, OpenWrt 24.10, Samsung PCIe 5.0 SSD, and More!

The storage and networking industry continues to push the boundaries of technology, with major announcements this past week. From ultra-high-capacity hard drives and SSD advancements to new NAS accessories and software updates, here are the biggest stories from Week 6.

Big Tech Integrates Clean Energy with Data Centers

The growing demand for computing power, especially with AI-driven applications, has pushed major technology firms to invest in renewable energy sources. Google has announced a $20 billion partnership to build data centers powered by clean energy sources like solar and wind, combined with battery storage. These developments aim to address power reliability concerns while helping achieve net-zero carbon goals. The U.S. Department of Energy has highlighted the increasing strain on power grids, as the demand for data centers is expected to double in the next five years.

Seagate to Launch 32TB HAMR Hard Drives

Seagate is on the verge of releasing its first 32TB hard drive featuring Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology. The Exos M series, based on the Mozaic 3 Plus HAMR platform, will significantly increase storage density with 3TB per platter. Designed primarily for enterprise environments and cloud providers, these drives are expected to ship within weeks. Meanwhile, competitors like Western Digital and Toshiba are also progressing with their own high-capacity storage solutions.

Advancements in DNA-Based Data Storage

Researchers have developed a breakthrough chemical reaction that enables DNA storage to function like a binary system, significantly improving the stability and efficiency of the technology. With the ability to store 10 million hours of HD video per gram, DNA storage could revolutionize the future of data preservation. While the technology shows promise in reducing power consumption and improving long-term data durability, cost and scalability challenges still need to be addressed before it becomes widely available.

Samsung to Release PCIe 5.0 SSD (Potential 9100 Pro)

Samsung is finally preparing to enter the PCIe 5.0 SSD market with a high-performance drive expected to compete with existing solutions. While details remain scarce, the company has hinted at a successor to the Samsung 990 Pro, possibly named the 9100 Pro. Samsung has already introduced PCIe 5.0 SSDs for OEMs, with speeds reaching up to 14.5GB/s read and 13GB/s write. This next-generation SSD will likely target AI workloads, gaming, and data-intensive applications.

NAND Flash Market to Grow by $26.4B (2025-2029)

Market research forecasts a $26.4 billion expansion in the NAND flash sector over the next five years. Factors such as AI advancements, 5G expansion, and increasing enterprise storage demands are driving this growth. Companies are heavily investing in higher-capacity NAND and 3D stacking technologies to improve storage efficiency and performance while reducing costs.

OpenWrt 24.10.0 – First Stable Release

OpenWrt, the popular open-source router firmware, has launched its 24.10.0 stable release. This update introduces major enhancements, including Linux kernel 6.6, improved support for WiFi 6 and initial WiFi 7 compatibility, TLS 1.3 integration, and expanded device support. Additionally, the update brings a revamped package management system, better security options, and multipath TCP support for larger flash storage devices.

DSM 7.2.2-72806 Update 3 Released

Synology has rolled out an important DSM update, addressing a security vulnerability exposed during the PWN2OWN 2024 event. The flaw allowed man-in-the-middle attacks on administrator authentication. While DSM 7.2 has received a fix, DSM 7.1 users are still waiting for an update. Other improvements include LDAP server certificate verification, but some limitations remain, such as incompatibility with C2 Identity Edge Server.

Nakivo Reports 25% Revenue Growth in Q4 2024

Backup and disaster recovery provider Nakivo has reported a strong 25% revenue increase in Q4 2024. The company’s growth is attributed to expanding its cloud-native backup solutions, ransomware protection, and enhanced monitoring capabilities. Their focus on enterprise backup strategies has allowed them to capture a growing share of the data protection market.

Weebit Nano Reports Progress on ReRAM Commercialization

Weebit Nano has announced a major step toward the commercialization of its resistive RAM (ReRAM) technology. The company signed a manufacturing deal with a leading foundry partner and successfully raised $50 million to scale production. ReRAM offers advantages like low power consumption, high endurance, and fast read/write speeds, making it a promising alternative to traditional NAND flash storage.

Koi Computers Partners with Graid Technology

Koi Computers has teamed up with Graid Technology to integrate SupremeRAID controllers into their high-performance computing systems. SupremeRAID offloads RAID processing from the CPU, significantly improving performance for data-intensive applications such as AI workloads, financial services, and healthcare.

QNAP Launches QDA-UMP4A Adapter

QNAP has unveiled the QDA-UMP4A, an adapter that allows M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs to be installed in a 2.5-inch U.2 SSD slot. This upgrade enhances NAS flexibility by expanding storage options while maintaining cost-effectiveness. The adapter supports hot-swappable SSDs and includes a heatsink for thermal management.

QNAP Introduces Configure-to-Order (CTO) NAS Service

QNAP now offers a Configure-to-Order (CTO) service, enabling users to customize NAS configurations with their preferred RAM, storage, and network options. The service is designed to streamline deployment for business, creative, and home users by delivering pre-configured and pre-tested NAS units optimized for their specific workflows.

AAEON Releases GENE-MTH6 SBC with Meteor Lake CPU

AAEON has launched the GENE-MTH6, a powerful single-board computer (SBC) featuring Intel Core Ultra processors and up to 96GB of DDR5 memory. The board integrates Intel Arc Graphics and an AI-capable NPU, making it ideal for smart city applications, AI-powered surveillance, and industrial automation. It also features multiple I/O ports, including dual 2.5GbE LAN and PCIe Gen 4 storage expansion.

Verbatim to Continue Recordable Blu-ray Disc Production

Following Sony’s exit from the recordable Blu-ray disc market, Verbatim has reaffirmed its commitment to optical media. At CES 2025, the company showcased new 4K-capable Blu-ray burners with Ultra HD playback support. Despite the growing dominance of cloud storage and streaming, Verbatim believes optical media remains essential for archival storage and specialized applications.

That wraps up this week’s major storage and networking updates! Stay tuned for more insights into the latest NAS, storage, and enterprise computing trends next week.