Storage Predictions for 2025, From Larry O’Connor at OWC
By Jennifer P
In this article by Larry O’Connor for LarryJordan.com, the founder and CEO of OWC shares his predictions for the evolution of data storage in 2025. O’Connor outlines three major trends that highlight a shift back to on-premises solutions, the democratization of AI through local implementation, and a growing performance gap between local and cloud-based systems. His insights emphasize the importance of tailoring storage strategies to meet security, performance, and cost-efficiency needs.
The first prediction focuses on the resurgence of on-premises data storage and computing as organizations increasingly prioritize security and cost control. O’Connor points out that rising cloud storage costs and vulnerabilities have driven businesses, especially smaller ones, to adopt local solutions as their primary data management strategy. On-prem data storage offers faster access speeds, reduced risks of cyberattacks, and a safeguard against large-scale data breaches. While the cloud can still serve as a secondary or tertiary backup option, O’Connor asserts that local storage is more reliable, accessible, and cost-effective for critical data needs. He warns that depending solely on the cloud for data management exposes businesses to bandwidth costs and slower recovery times in the event of disruptions.
In his second prediction, O’Connor highlights the benefits of on-premises AI for democratizing access and safeguarding intellectual property (IP). By running AI systems locally, businesses can avoid the high costs associated with cloud-based AI and prevent proprietary data from being exposed or unintentionally shared. On-prem AI empowers smaller organizations to leverage advanced data processing tools while maintaining full control over their sensitive information. This approach ensures that a company’s unique algorithms and customer insights remain secure, free from the risk of being inadvertently used to benefit competitors or third-party entities.
O’Connor’s third prediction centers on the widening performance gap between locally operated systems and cloud-dependent solutions. With advancements in Thunderbolt technology, such as Thunderbolt 5, local systems now offer unprecedented speeds of up to 7000MB/s, vastly outperforming cloud-based alternatives that typically max out at 100MB/s. This performance boost is particularly significant for tasks requiring the manipulation of complex data sets, high-resolution imagery, or video editing. O’Connor argues that local systems provide superior efficiency for these workflows, while the cloud remains useful primarily for sharing and distribution. He encourages users to adopt a hybrid approach, leveraging local systems for performance-intensive tasks and reserving cloud capabilities for collaborative needs.
Overall, O’Connor envisions a future where organizations increasingly embrace on-premises solutions for their cost, speed, and security benefits while strategically utilizing cloud services for supplementary purposes. His predictions suggest a paradigm shift in how businesses manage and secure their data in an increasingly digital landscape.
Read the full article by Larry O’Connor for LarryJordan.com HERE
Learn more about OWC HERE