Western Digital Launches Enterprise-class "WD Se" HDD Series for Bulk Storage Environments
These 3.5-inch drives ship in 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB capacities, each one with a 7,200 RPM spindle speed, 64MB cache, SATA 6Gbps interface, and utilizing Advanced Format 4K sector technology. The drives are built for the rigors of 24x7x365 operation and backed by 5-year warranties. Each one has a multi-axis shock sensor, a motor shaft that's secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and to stabilize platters (WD dubs this StableTrac), dynamic fly height technology (read-write head's fly height is adjusted in real-time for optimum reliability), dual-actuator technology, and a few other features. On top of it all, every single drive is put through extended burn-in testing with thermal cycling to ensure reliable operation, Western Digital says.
We expect to see more drive makers concentrate on serving cloud providers and bulk storage environments. Citing a Digital Universe study, Western Digital says the total amount of data generated in the year 2020 is expected to be around 40,000 exabytes. It's a mind-boggling number, though hardly surprising with the proliferation of mobile and technological advancements that have led to consumers being able to record HD video and shoot high-resolution photos from their phones and other mobile devices.