Will HRD Save the HD?

There are no more doubts new that it is only a matter of time before all HDs get replaced by SSD. Current HD are limited by the mechanical factor, and not by its magnetic system that has proven to be reliable and efficient to offer large storage capacity units. In other words, the heads and discs of HDs are the limiting factors, for both transfer speed performance and access time.
A new technology, known as Hard Rectangular Drive (HRD) and developed by DataSlide, might give HDs the way to compete with SSD on the long term.

If the magnetic storage principle is preserved, it is now rectangular and obviously does not spin anymore. Another layer containing several heads (64) is placed just above. By using a piezo-electric-driven oscillating rectangular recording surface, the device offer astonishing performance levels:

• No spinning engine, so low power consumption and limited heat release (up to 60% less power drained than HDD).
• All heads operate in parallel
• Low latency, access time are strongly reduced as physical movement are limited
• Higher data density.
• 160,000 random IOPS with up to 500MB/s transfer speed

Last but not least, all technologies involved in HRD are already available and been validated, it could be the reason why Oracle's Embedded Global Business Unit already signed up an agreement with DataSlide.