Storage Memory Tipping Point

The storage tipping point is upon us
Ambuj Goyal 2/27/2013 2:01 AM EST
www.eetimes.com/electronics-blogs/other/4407874/storage-tipping-point-upon-us

Keeping pace with the onslaught of Big Data requires a revolutionary approach to storage. It’s well known that the performance of computing has advanced at a much faster rate than the systems that store and retrieve the information they generate.


For many, this game of catch-up has existed since the first digital storage systems were introduced more than 50 years ago. At the time, the concern was no longer about the performance of computing, but about creating a digital storage system that could keep up with it.

Thus began the subsequent watershed moves from paper punch cards to magnetic tape and then hard disk drives—moments that revolutionized computing and ultimately the world in which we live.

Today we find ourselves at another critical technological juncture that once again is demanding a revolutionary approach to storage—an approach that will help it keep pace with not only computing, but with the information onslaught of Big Data.
To understand where the storage industry is headed, one need only look to the reason that computing has historically outpaced it. Unlike the storage industry, computing has continually leveraged and advanced semiconductor trends while storage systems have remained mechanical, with motorized wheels of tape or spinning disks. In fact, computing shifted from mechanical devices more than a hundred years ago, while digital storage, for the most part, remains tethered to technologies born out of the 1950’s.

Not any longer. We are at the tipping point of a new era of computer storage that will witness entire systems based on flash semiconductor memory to handle fast moving, operational data in real-time. Though flash has been utilized in a variety of capacities over the past 30 years and in hybrid storage systems over the past several years, complete flash systems will dominate the landscape in the coming months and years.

All-flash systems will not only provide exponential performance gains over mechanical and hybrid systems, they will help organizations dramatically lower data center energy consumption rates due to their inherent low power-consuming memory and lack of moving parts—no small feat. According to a 2011 study by Stanford University, data centers account for 2 percent of all the electricity consumed in the U.S.

Improved performance, reliability, and durability

To be sure, such systems will be the storage platform of choice to handle ever-growing and increasingly critical workloads such as credit card processing, stock exchange transactions, manufacturing and order processing systems. Even app stores on the web are starting to use flash-only storage.

Such attributes as improved performance, reliability, and durability make flash systems desirable today, but virtually mandatory for the future. That’s because the tsunami of Big Data shows no sign of receding. Researchers predict that the digital universe—all the digital information created around the world—will hit 8 zettabytes by 2015. That’s about all the data found in the U.S. Library of Congress times 800 million.

Today we find ourselves at a tipping point of computer storage, once again, where the challenges of computing are no longer at issue but, rather the storing and retrieving of the information they generate and share.

Through our acquisition of Texas Memory Systems last fall, we have systems that can store almost 24 terabytes of storage in a unit the size of a pizza box, and that provide access to data 100 times faster than mechanical storage. If we were to stack 42 such pizza boxes in a rack, it would provide 1 petabyte of storage, which is more storage than any single operational application requires.
The industry is moving rapidly in the direction of all-flash storage for operational information. Such systems will not only help organizations respond to, and exploit the challenges of Big Data today and tomorrow, but once again will change the future of computing and the possibly the world along with it.
Ambuj Goyal is general manager of IBM System Storage & Networking.

Japan Fading in Semiconductor Fabrication?

The article below discusses the fab materials market in Japan and states that Japan is maintaining its global position. I don't believe that Japan will be able to maintain its share.

The cause is the rising cost of new process technology. One of the casualties of the $10 Billion cost of developing new semiconductor technologies is Japan's semiconductor industry as is detailed in the March 2012 comment Are Japan's Fabs stuck above 28nm Process Technology?







Ron
http://www.maltiel-consulting.com/




Japan's semiconductor industry: Fabs, equipment, and materials


by Dan Tracy, senior director, SEMI Industry Research and Statistics

October 3, 2012 - Semiconductor manufacturers in Japan are either consolidating or closing fabs, and, in several cases, transitioning to a "fab-lite" strategy, all in a restructuring effort to meet the market challenges ahead. While device manufacturers are consolidating manufacturing operations and plan to outsource more wafer fabrication and package assembly to foundries and packaging subcontractors, a large installed fab capacity remains in Japan. Recent data for the year shows overall wafer area shipments into Japan's fabs being the same as shipments into Taiwan.

By 2014, the total installed fab capacity Japan should increase slightly from about 4.5 million to 4.6 million 200mm equivalent wafers per month. Installed 300mm fab capacity is expected to increase from about 760,000 to 840,000 300mm wafers per month -- representing, by region, the third largest 300mm fab manufacturing capacity base globally. Over the next several years, fab spending in the Japan market will be directed towards the production of NAND flash memory, power semiconductors, high-brightness LEDs, and CMOS image sensors.

Regional share forecasted for 2013 fab materials market. Total market size: $25.7 billion.

Overall equipment spending in Japan will likely range on the order of $4 billion per year. Expected NAND flash investments in 2013 could approach up to $2.5 billion. LED fab equipment spending is estimated to be $340 million next year. Finally, Sony is expected to invest about US$ 1 billion or more in its CMOS image sensor production.

Japanese equipment and material suppliers are leading players on the global semiconductor industry stage. It is estimated that Japan-headquartered equipment companies collectively capture about 35% share of the global semiconductor industry spending per annum. Like their North American and European counterparts, customers in the rest of the Asia Pacific region are the largest base for new equipment sales.

Chemical and other material suppliers in Japan are market leaders in the manufacturing of silicon wafers, III-V wafers, advanced chemicals, packaging resins, and packaging substrates. It is estimated that the Japanese material suppliers sales represent about 70% of the global semiconductor materials market, both fab and packaging.

Japanese suppliers showcase the latest products at SEMICON Japan 2012

Leading Japanese equipment and materials suppliers will exhibit at SEMICON Japan 2012 on December 5- 7, along with global key players, at the Makuhari Messe, Japan. Find the latest products and innovations this companies offer to customers globally that enable key technologies for the future including 450mm, EUV, TSV, power devices, and HB-LEDs to name a few. Also, the show will co-locate with a major photovoltaic show, PVJapan 2012 so you can connect to two major microelectronics industries in a single visit.

Android vs iPad Sales 48% to 52%

Similar to the history of  android phones vs. iPhone sales growth, Android tablets sales are approaching iPad sales. Android tablet sales are likely to surpass iPad sales this year.

A key reason for android tablet's strength is the multitude of products made by many vendors using the Android platform. The introduction of a new kindle fire by Amazon and other vendors updating their offering will propel this trend.

It is very tough for a single company to control the market with just one dedicated product line.

The article below discusses that the Android tablet is growing faster than iPad " In the year of 2012, Android holds a whopping 48% of all U.S. tablet sales, bringing Apple’s iPad into reach at just 52%"


Ron
http://www.maltiel-consulting.com/



Pew Research: Android Up to 48% of U.S. Tablet Sales, iPad Drops to Low of 52%
by: Tim-o-tato 10.02.12

A new study from the Pew Research Center has pegged Android at a spot in the tablet market that we didn’t think would come this early in the game. In the year of 2012, Android holds a whopping 48% of all U.S. tablet sales, bringing Apple’s iPad into reach at just 52%. Although, Amazon’s Kindle Fire accounts for a hefty 21% of Android’s tablet market success. And do keep in mind, these numbers do not reflect Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD sales yet.

The study also shows the world sales data, which differs quite a bit. According to the report, Apple still holds a commanding 61% of the world’s tablet market with Android coming in at a much lower 31%. But hey, things are looking up for Google’s Android. Once numbers are published reflecting the seemingly popular Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD tabs, these numbers are sure to change a wee bit.




14 Reasons for the Google Nexus 7 vs Nine Reasons for the Apple iPad 3 64GB
A detailed table is in the article.

An opposing view is at-
An iPad Lover’s Take On The Nexus 7
Mg Siegler Sunday, July 15th, 2012144

MG Siegler is a general partner at CrunchFund and a columnist for TechCrunch, where he has been writing since 2009. His focus is on Apple. Prior to TechCrunch, MG covered various technology beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, MG attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. He’s previously lived in Los Angeles where he worked in Hollywood and in... → Learn More

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