During Pure Storage’s Accelerate event in Las Vegas this week, we had the opportunity to speak with CEO Charlie Giancarlo. He shared insights on the importance of storage write speed for AI workloads, Pure’s goal of making corporate data easily accessible in the right place, his prediction of the decline of HDDs, and why competitors cannot replicate Pure’s high-capacity flash modules.
Giancarlo emphasized the significance of write speed in AI workloads, especially for checkpointing purposes. He highlighted the need for consistent write speeds and explained how Pure’s FlashBlade product can deliver the required throughput for large environments.
In addition to performance, Giancarlo discussed the AI inference market and Pure’s efforts to provide integrated solutions for various industries. He explained the benefits of having data accessible on the arrays where it is processed, without the need for data migration.
Regarding the shift away from HDD storage, Giancarlo expressed confidence in Pure’s high-density storage arrays replacing traditional disk-based storage. He mentioned ongoing discussions with hyperscalers and the potential for a significant design win in the near future.
When asked about potential competition in high-capacity flash modules, Giancarlo acknowledged that others could replicate Pure’s DirectFlash Module hardware, but emphasized the complexity of the software that operates these modules. He explained how Pure’s software allows for efficient utilization of flash technology, compared to traditional SSDs that emulate mechanical hard disks.
Looking ahead, Giancarlo remains optimistic about the transition to flash storage and believes that the supply chain can accommodate the increasing demand. He highlighted Pure’s unique approach to flash technology and the importance of innovative software solutions in driving performance and efficiency.