Western Digital plans Flash unit spin-off by early 2025
Western Digital has announced its strategic plans as it moves towards the separation of its Flash business, with an anticipated completion by February 2025.
Irving Tan, CEO Designate of Western Digital, reiterated the company's commitment to hard disk drive (HDD) technology and its close partnerships with major hyperscalers, cloud service providers, and original equipment manufacturers. "The future holds tremendous opportunity, and Western Digital is well-positioned to be the leader in data storage as we meet our customers' storage needs today and into the future," Tan stated.
Western Digital has projected significant growth in HDD exabyte shipments due to increasing demands for data storage, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). Tan presented internal estimates suggesting a 23% annual growth rate in HDD exabyte shipments from 2024 to 2028. "We are not just advancing the future of HDD—we're unleashing the power and value of data for enterprise and cloud customers worldwide," added Tan.
The company is advancing its heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology, with testing currently being conducted in collaboration with two major hyperscale clients. Western Digital's developments in energy-assisted perpendicular magnetic recording (ePMR), conventional magnetic recording (CMR), and ultra-shingled magnetic recording (UltraSMR) are viewed as pivotal in ensuring scalable and cost-effective storage solutions.
With these technological advancements, Western Digital aims to support the exponential growth of global data, which, according to IDC, is expected to triple by 2028. The company also aims to remain a leader in providing scalable, efficient storage solutions that meet the evolving needs of enterprises and cloud service providers.
Tan also highlighted the value of Western Digital's extensive expertise and intellectual property in various fields, such as physics, material sciences, and manufacturing. This expertise is harnessed to explore new growth opportunities in servo-mechanics, magnetics, and systems design.
