The IT Nerd

Other World Computing today announced the release of OWC SoftRAID 8.5, the latest update to its powerful RAID management software for macOS and Windows. Packed with dozens of enhancements, OWC SoftRAID 8.5 delivers dramatic increases in reliability, functionality, and performance – ensuring next-level data protection, functionality, and system stability for everyone from video editors to IT administrators, novices to power users.

OWC SoftRAID Mac 8.5: Enhanced Resilience and Performance

The new OWC SoftRAID 8.5 driver, included with Apple’s macOS 15.4 update, introduces significant improvements for RAID 4/5 volumes, particularly when dealing with failing HDDs and SSDs. The driver now proactively marks a disk as failed upon detecting the first read or write error, ensuring uninterrupted performance by leveraging RAID redundancy to reconstruct data dynamically.

Other key enhancements include:

• Improved Disk Failure Handling – Prevents read/write errors when a drive in a RAID 4/5 volume fails.
• Better Handling of Disconnected Disks – Ensures stability even when multiple disks or enclosures are disconnected while volumes remain mounted.
• Enhanced OWC SoftRAID Tool for Administrators – The command-line tool has been refined with expanded functionality, allowing more OWC SoftRAID tasks to be executed from a Terminal window or via scripting.

OWC SoftRAID Windows 8.5: Expanded RAID Functionality and Stability Updates

OWC SoftRAID 8.5 for Windows introduces a range of new features and critical fixes, further aligning it with the power and flexibility of OWC SoftRAID for Mac.

Key enhancements include:

• New Cross-Platform Support – Now supports mounting, reading, and writing non-RAID volumes created on OWC SoftRAID for Mac.
• Enhanced RAID 1+0 Management – Users can now change primary disks and remove member disks from RAID 4/5/1+0 (10) volumes.
• Diagnostics Tool Upgrade – Improved troubleshooting capabilities with the latest diagnostic enhancements.
• Optimized TRIM Handling – Increased efficiency for RAID 4/5 SSD volumes.
• Event Log Improvements – More detailed logging for system events.
• Added Compatibility – Supports Window Volume Shadow Copy Service, which allows users and apps to create backup copies of files or entire volumes.
• Enhanced System Stability and RAID Management – Introduced key updates to improve volume validation, ensure seamless automatic rebuilds, and strengthen RAID 1+0 handling, delivering a highly reliable and resilient experience.

OWC SoftRAID 8.5 is now generally available (GA) as a free update for existing users with an active OWC SoftRAID subscription. New users can purchase OWC SoftRAID from the OWC Software store: https://software.owc.com.

For additional details and to download OWC SoftRAID 8.5, please visit http://go.owc.com/softraid.

 Other World Computing today announced the general availability (GA) launch of the OWC Jellyfish B24 and OWC Jellyfish S24, two powerful new additions to its award-winning shared storage lineup. Designed to meet the evolving needs of media teams, the OWC Jellyfish B24 delivers a cost-effective, high-capacity solution for seamless collaboration and nearline backup, while the OWC Jellyfish S24 offers a full SSD production server with lightning-fast performance for demanding video workflows. With scalable expansion options and rock-solid reliability, these new OWC Jellyfish solutions give video editors, post-production teams, and content creators the tools they need to work faster, collaborate more easily, and keep their projects moving – without storage ever slowing them down.

Video editors, post-production teams, and content creators are constantly juggling massive file sizes, complex collaborations, and the need for seamless access to their media – all while making sure their work is safely backed up. But as video resolutions continue to climb to 4K, 8K, and beyond, many storage solutions just can’t keep up, creating frustrating bottlenecks that slow down the creative process. The OWC Jellyfish B24 and S24 are built to solve these problems, delivering high-performance, scalable shared storage that keeps workflows smooth, file transfers fast, and backups reliable. Whether a team needs affordable nearline storage – with plenty of capacity, or lightning-fast SSDs – for real-time editing, these solutions ensure creatives can focus on what they do best – telling great stories – without storage getting in the way.

About the OWC Jellyfish B24

The OWC Jellyfish B24 is an adapted version of the powerful OWC Jellyfish R24, designed as a cost-effective collaboration solution for smaller teams using workflows that don’t need high throughput but require large storage capacities. The OWC Jellyfish B24 can also be used as a fully expandable nearline backup server for any OWC Jellyfish to ensure that your media are always safe and immediately available in case anything happens to your online production system.

The B24 has four dedicated SAS ports to which you can connect B24-E expansions via a mini-SAS cable, included with every expansion chassis. If the drives in the B24-E have the same capacity per drive as the drives in the B24, you can easily merge the media pools into a single pool using OWC Jellyfish Manager. This will increase the aggregate performance of the system. Adding four B24-E expansion chassis to a B24 head unit, storage capacity for a full-blown B24 configuration can go up to 2.8 Petabytes.

About the OWC Jellyfish S24

The OWC Jellyfish S24 is a high-performance Full SSD production server for media teams who need the responsiveness of full flash while still being able to easily expand their storage in the future. The SSDs in the S24 are the powerful OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSDs. The S24 can be combined with an OWC Jellyfish S24-E SSD expansion chassis for up to 736TB of fast SSD storage.

The OWC Jellyfish S24 easily scales both in performance and in storage capacity. Add an OWC Jellyfish S24-E expansion for up to 736TB of powerful Full Flash shared storage. If the drives in the S24-E have the same capacity per drive as the drives in the S24, you can easily merge the media pools into a single pool using OWC Jellyfish Manager. This will also increase the aggregate performance for the system.

 Other World Computing today announced it will showcase its unrivaled catalog of memory cards and readers, storage and connectivity solutions – including the first-ever Thunderbolt 5 solutions, featuring the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub and OWC Envoy Ultra at WPPi 2025, a premier conference for contemporary portrait, wedding, fashion, headshots, branding, event photography professionals, and more, taking place March 16-20 at The Rio Hotel Las Vegas.

Visitors to OWC Booth #230 will have the opportunity to see firsthand the game-changing storage and connectivity solutions that professional photographers and videographers trust to capture, store, and safeguard their most critical work. From the first-ever Thunderbolt 5 solutions to the fastest, toughest portable SSDs and high-performance memory cards, OWC is bringing the ultimate workflow-enhancing tools that professionals and prosumers simply can’t afford to miss, such as: 

Memory Cards and Card Readers:

• OWC Atlas Pro, CFexpress 4.0 Type A – High-performance, highest-quality memory card for ingesting up to 2x faster with your Sony Alpha and FX cameras.

• OWC Atlas Ultra, CFexpress Type B – High-performance, highest-quality memory cards for the most demanding video recording uses of professional filmmakers and continuous burst mode shooting by advanced photographers.

• OWC Atlas Pro, CFexpress Type B – Cost-effective, highest-quality memory cards for the most demanding needs of professional photographers and the most common use cases of professional filmmakers.

• OWC Atlas Ultra, SDXC UHS-II V90 – High-performance, highest-quality memory cards for advanced photography and video recording at maximum camera settings.

• OWC Atlas Pro, SDXC UHS-II V60 – Cost-effective, highest quality memory cards for most common photo and up to 4K video capture uses.

• OWC Memory Card Readers – Designed for the most advanced use cases of professional photographers and videographers.

Portable SSDs:

• OWC Envoy Pro Elektron – The fastest, toughest mini-sized SSD available – it’s crushproof, dust-proof, and waterproof for transferring gigabytes of data in seconds.

• OWC Express 1M2 – Ultra-fast, compatible, and reliable portable USB4 NVMe SSD – build your own or choose ready-to-run solutions.

Desktop Storage:

• OWC Gemini – The only drive you need to organize your digital life – features dual drives and seven ports, taking you from notebook to workstation in seconds.

• OWC ThunderBay 4 – Performance and capacity perfection for individual to studio content creators.

In addition, WPPi 2025 attendees can discover OWC’s state-of-the-art connectivity and lightning-fast storage solutions, including the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub and OWC Envoy Ultra.

• OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub – Explore a new world filled with workflow possibilities and state-of-the-art performance with the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub. It’s the perfect compact connectivity solution to solve the big problem of not having enough Thunderbolt 5 ports. Now you can turn a single cable connection from your machine into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port. With up to 80Gb/s of bi-directional data speed – up to 2x faster than Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 – and up to 120Gb/s for higher display bandwidth needs, you will redefine your productivity.

• OWC Envoy Ultra – The first and fastest Thunderbolt 5 Portable SSD, built like a tank for go-anywhere ruggedness. Bus-powered with a built-in cable for ultra convenience. Jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, revolutionary real-world speed over 6000MB/s. Envoy Ultra gives you the best of everything in the palm of your hand with reliability you can count on from the proven global leader of Thunderbolt innovations.

For further information about WPPi 2025, please visit: https://wppiexpo.com/. 

Other World Computing and ARCHIWARE, a leading provider of data management software, today announced a strategic partnership to deliver seamless shared storage, cloning, backup, and archiving for collaborative workflows. Under the terms of the partnership agreement, the ARCHIWARE P5 platform will now be natively integrated with the OWC’s Jellyfish Shared Storage for Video Production to enhance collaboration capabilities, ensure data protection, and future-proof asset management.

With the new Jellyfish Manager 3.0, using ARCHIWARE P5 with Jellyfish storage products to protect production data is now easier than ever. Users can install, activate, and launch ARCHIWARE P5 directly within the Jellyfish Manager interface with just a few clicks – no additional P5 server is required. Running natively on all Jellyfish NAS solutions, P5 can be enabled simply by toggling a switch in the Jellyfish Manager. Once activated, users can seamlessly access and manage ARCHIWARE P5 without ever leaving the Jellyfish Manager UI, ensuring a streamlined and efficient workflow.

The Perfect Fit to Keep Your Media Safe and On Hand in A Collaborative Workflow

• P5 Synchronize clones data from Jellyfish to secondary online storage and creates an identical file system for high availability. If needed, file access is instantaneous without restore.
• P5 Backup creates security copies of files and projects on disk, LTO or Cloud storage so they can be restored in case of accidental deletion, file corruption, or technical failure. At least one of these periodic security copies can and should be kept offsite, so data is safe even in case of natural disaster.
• P5 Archive comes in when long-term storage and preservation are required. Archived media and projects are comprised in the P5 Archive catalog, including previews for visual browsing. User-definable metadata fields and extensive search features make it incredibly easy to find relevant media and restore it quickly and easily with just one click.
• The flexible Archive with the P5 Data Mover add-on to P5 Archive: everything archived can be migrated or replicated to a different storage anytime. This way, the Archive can adapt to changing policies, requirements or price points and stays flexible and future-proof. Like P5 Backup, P5 Archive is compatible with numerous cloud services such as Amazon S3, Glacier, Microsoft Azure, Backblaze, and Wasabi. If you prefer a local Archive, you may choose virtually any disk or LTO tape storage on the market.

Jellyfish High-Performance Shared Storage for Modern Post-Production

• Purpose-built for creative professionals, by post-production professionals, Jellyfish delivers turn-key high-speed production storage optimized for film, television, corporate communication, live events, broadcasting, government, and education.
• Scalable and versatile shared storage for any workflow – offering HDD, SSD, and all-flash configurations in both desktop and rack-mounted systems. From compact solutions for small teams to petabyte-scale Full Flash and Hybrid options for enterprise and mission-critical applications, Jellyfish adapts to evolving workflow needs.

Want to learn more? Please join this live webinar:

Webinar: Effortless Video Storage and Backup: Jellyfish Manager 3.0 and ARCHIWARE P5 Integration Made Simple

About: With OWC Jellyfish, you don’t need to be an IT expert in order to use shared storage for your video projects. With ARCHIWARE P5, professional backup, archive, and replication are also simplified. P5 and Jellyfish come together in the latest Jellyfish Manager 3.0 release, where P5 is integrated and enabled with a single click. In this webinar, OWC’s Luke Marchant and ARCHIWARE’s David Fox run through the joint solution, showing how to access P5 and explaining some simple archive and replication workflows. Register now for what promises to be a highly informative 40 minutes.

When: 

Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 2:00 PM – 2:40 PM Central European Time (CET)

Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8008420929092270941

Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 1:00 PM – 1:40 PM Eastern Standard Time

Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6959993711078798679

 Other World Computing (OWC) today announced the general availability (GA) launch of the OWC Dock Ejector 2.0, the ultimate solution for efficiently and safely ejecting all connected devices, including SoftRAID and AppleRAID volumes. This updated version works with all docks, including non-OWC docks and hubs, expanding compatibility and drive protection to all Mac and PC users.

The newly enhanced OWC Dock Ejector takes the tedium and risk out of un-docking devices individually. By ensuring all data has been written before any disk is unmounted, you can safely eject your dock without worrying about losing or fragmenting files.

New in OWC Dock Ejector 2.0:

1.)  Streamlined install process (new for Mac) – OWC is the first to ship software that enables high-power Thunderbolt dock ports without requiring reduced macOS security settings.

• OWC Dock Ejector 2.0 eliminates the need for Recovery Mode and simplifies the process compared to competing docks, which require users to boot into Recovery Mode, lower Mac security settings, reboot multiple times, and install system extensions. With OWC Dock Ejector 2.0, simply install the software, approve the system extension, and you’re done!

2.)  Enhanced Volume Mounting (new for Mac) – OWC Dock Ejector 2.0 simplifies volume management like never before. If you unmount a volume, you can easily remount it without the hassle of unplugging cables or using Apple’s Disk Utility application.

OWC Dock Ejector 2.0 Features and Benefits:

●     Data Security – Avoid data corruption by safely ejecting all connected drives with a single click.

●     Easy Connection Management – Optimized for seamless disconnection of storage devices and peripherals.

●     Security First – No need to compromise your macOS security settings.

●     Timesaving – Skip the tedious recovery mode process required by other docks.

●     User-Friendly – Designed for simplicity without sacrificing functionality.

OWC Dock Ejector 2.0 is now generally available (GA) and is FREE.

Visit https://www.owc.com/solutions/dock-ejector to learn more and start optimizing your workflow.

 Other World Computing and Hedge, a pioneer in media and entertainment software solutions, today announced a strategic partnership. Under terms of the agreement, every OWC Archive Pro purchase will now include a license for Hedge’s acclaimed Canister software for streamlined Linear Tape-Open (LTO) backups – a $399 value at no additional cost.

The alignment between OWC and Hedge addresses several critical challenges faced by professionals managing large volumes of data. As the demand for higher-resolution media and stringent compliance grows, organizations grapple with the complexity of securely backing up, archiving, and retrieving vast datasets. OWC Archive Pro, paired with Hedge Canister, simplifies this process with drag-and-drop functionality, automatic cataloging, and cross-platform compatibility, ensuring data preservation is fast, efficient, and reliable. This solution also mitigates risks associated with data sprawl, compliance failures, and operational inefficiencies, empowering users to focus on creative and business goals without compromising data protection.

The OWC Archive Pro Thunderbolt archiving solution for M&E pros, corporations, government branches, and small businesses seeking to preserve critical data, offers: 

• A 577% ROI with up to 55% lower costs vs HDD storage
• Up to 18TB native and up to 45TB compressed storage capacity per tape cartridge
• Built-in IBM LTO-7, LTO-8, or LTO-9 drive options
• Up to 30-year tape longevity
• LTFS compatibility – archive files/folders with drag and drop ease
• Up to 300MB/s native, up to 750MB/s compressed transfer rates for fast tape creation 
• Easy drag, drop, and retrieval of files with the included Hedge Canister archiving app

The Hedge Canister app, featuring an easy setup, driver assistance, and true drag-and-drop UI makes working with tape a breeze, offers: 

• A canister filled to the brim with technology to ensure tapes are taxed as little as possible
• A canister that is at home on Windows just as well as on macOS – because all Hedge apps are crafted specifically for each OS, they make the most of what each OS has to offer
• Queuing – while transfers are running, keep queuing up new files and folders to be archived
• A Canister’s spanning engine that keeps track of your files across multiple tapes
• The all-new Library Manager — the only true drag-and-drop UI in the world for working with tape libraries

OWC will showcase the OWC Archive Pro featuring the Hedge Canister archiving app as well as an array of additional groundbreaking products at the following live media events: 

• Pepcom’s Digital Experience! @ CES 2025: Monday, January 6, 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm at Caesars Palace, in the Octavius Ballroom 
• ShowStoppers @ CES 2025: Tuesday, January 7, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, in the Grand Ballroom
• Everything Tech Event @ CES 2025: Wednesday, January 8, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm at Caesars Palace, in Milano 1 & 2

 Other World Computing today announced its latest innovations: the OWC ThunderBlade X12, a game-changing professional-grade RAID solution – the next step in OWC’s TB5 solutions; and the OWC USB4 40Gb/s Active Optical Cable, for long-distance connectivity without compromising speed or reliability. OWC also announced the general availability (GA) of the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub, redefining workflow efficiency with its unparalleled connectivity. 

OWC ThunderBlade X12

The OWC ThunderBlade X12 is the answer to Motion Picture Professionals and DITs looking for a production shuttle RAID capable of offering large amounts of storage at blazingly fast sustained speeds in a portable solution. To be more specific, the biggest problem this product solves is the need for a RAID solution compatible with RAID 5 that offers large amounts of storage at blazingly fast sustained speeds to streamline ingestion and backup times on set while also having a small footprint so that can be used as a shuttle drive. Beyond that, it’s also considered a premium editing drive for video editors and VFX artists working with cutting-edge workflows such as multi-cam sequences at 4K and 6K, 8K and 12K RAW video, or stereoscopic 360 VR (Spatial Video). It’s the ultimate shuttle RAID for production use and the premium external editing drive for cutting-edge workflows.

OWC ThunderBlade X12 – Key Features/Functionality:

• Speeds up to 6,500MB/s – double the performance of its predecessor
• Capacities from 12TB to 96TB with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 configurations
• Premium build with dimmable LED lights and enhanced thermal stability
• Ideal for workflows involving 8K RAW, 16K video, or VR production

The OWC ThunderBlade X12 will be available in March.

OWC Active Optical Cable

The OWC Active Optical Cable is the fastest, most powerful, and most reliable solution for cost-effective long-distance connectivity of Thunderbolt 4/3 and USB4/3/2 devices. It provides up to 40Gb/s of stable bandwidth, up to 240W of power delivery, and up to 8K video resolution at up to 15 feet. Featuring universal USB-C connectivity and optical fiber technology, it eliminates the 2-meter distance limit of traditional copper-based Thunderbolt and USB4 cables so devices can be placed further away for noise reduction, provide more convenient access, be hidden for a more aesthetic work environment, or enable more efficient cable management in professional settings.

OWC Active Optical Cable – Key Features/Functionality:

• Longer distance connectivity enables optimal placement of USB4 and Thunderbolt 4/3 devices for a highly organized, convenient, quieter, and productive workspace
• Work and play faster with up to 40Gb/s of stable data transfer speed over long-distance
• Connect to millions of Thunderbolt 4/3 and USB4/3/2 USB-C equipped docks, displays, eGPUs, PCIe expansion, external SSDs, RAID storage, and accessories
• Lab-certified to safely deliver up to 240 watts (3M) or 60 watts (4.5M) to charge your devices quickly
• Supports high-resolution displays up to 8K, including DisplayPort over Thunderbolt, Apple Pro Display XDR, Apple Studio Display, LG Ultrafine, and any display plugged into a Thunderbolt dock or hub
• Braided nylon exterior over advanced internal fiber optical cable for highly durable and consistent signal reliability immune to EMI/RFI interference

The OWC USB4 40Gb/s Active Optical Cable is now available in two lengths:

• 3 meters (9.8 feet) for $98.99
• 4.5 meters (14.76 feet) for $129.99

OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub 

Now generally available (GA), the OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub is the perfect compact connectivity solution to solve the big problem of not having enough Thunderbolt 5 ports. Now you can turn a single cable connection from your machine into three Thunderbolt 5 ports and one USB-A port. With up to 80Gb/s of bi-directional data speed – up to 2x faster than Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 – and up to 120Gb/s for higher display bandwidth needs, you will redefine your productivity.

OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub – Key Features/Functionality:

• Adds more universally compatible Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports to a Mac, PC, or iPad Pro to greatly expand device connectivity possibilities and productivity
• Work and play faster with up to 80Gb/s of bi-directional data speed and up to 120Gb/s for higher display bandwidth needs
• No worries or confusion…connect to Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, or USB-C machine or device with 100% compatibility
• Delivers the best performance of devices with today’s computers and the best speed possible in the future with any Thunderbolt 5 Mac or PC
• Create three separate daisy chains of devices – even bus-powered – and remove devices from one chain without affecting the other chains
• Safely delivers up to 140 watts to charge the most power-hungry notebook computer
• Connect to the latest and future Thunderbolt, USB-C, and DisplayPort displays for incredible 4K, 5K, 6K, and up to three 8K displays
• Built-in OWC reliability and dependability for Mac and Windows
• Fanless aluminum enclosure for quiet and cool operation

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub is now generally available for $189.99

OWC will showcase these groundbreaking products and more at the following media events: 

• Pepcom’s Digital Experience! @ CES 2025: Monday, January 6, 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm at Caesars Palace, in the Octavius Ballroom 
• ShowStoppers @ CES 2025: Tuesday, January 7, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, in the Grand Ballroom
• Everything Tech Event @ CES 2025: Wednesday, January 8, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm at Caesars Palace, in Milano 1 & 2

Other World Computing today announced the appointment of Matt Dargis as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Reporting directly to OWC Founder and CEO Larry O’Connor, Dargis will leverage his extensive experience in sales leadership and global market strategy to spearhead OWC’s continued growth and market expansion, cementing the company’s position as a leader in workflow, performance, and collaboration innovations for Mac and PC users.

As CRO, Dargis will be responsible for driving OWC’s global revenue growth and expanding its market presence across both commercial and consumer channels. He will oversee the company’s sales and channel strategies, ensuring alignment with OWC’s mission to deliver the highest performance and most trusted technology solutions that provide the greatest value and ROI. Additionally, Dargis will focus on building and scaling high-performing teams, optimizing go-to-market initiatives, and enhancing customer experiences to meet and exceed evolving market demands.

With an entrepreneurial spirit backed by decades of experience and customer relationships, Dargis is a seasoned executive with more than 20 years of building and scaling tech businesses through his superior market knowledge, and exemplary team building and servant leadership style. Prior to joining OWC, Dargis served as Senior Vice President, US Sales at ACCO Brands and Vice President of North America Sales at Kensington where he rebuilt the North America sales team and created a new go-to-market strategy and three-year plan to double sales while improving the bottom line. Before that, he led Buffalo Americas, Inc. as Executive Vice President, COO, where he was responsible for building new sales and marketing teams and expanding internationally. Dargis has also served as Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing at ioSafe, Inc., and held senior sales and marketing positions with NETGEAR, Inc. and D-Link Systems, Inc. Dargis attended the v where he majored in Business Administration and minored in Computer Science.

As 2024 wraps up, we’ve seen tech trends like AI, data management, and performance tools evolve in exciting ways. Looking ahead to 2025, Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO of Other World Computing (OWC), has made some bold predictions about how businesses and creatives will approach these technologies in the future:

Prediction 1: The Return of On-Prem Data, Compute, and Backup to Improve Performance, Strengthen Security, and Control Costs 

On-premises data storage and computing will become increasingly essential as companies prioritize security, performance, and financial control. With rising costs and growing vulnerabilities in the cloud, organizations and individual operators are increasingly moving back to on-prem solutions as the primary strategy for secure data management. Storing confidential data locally not only cuts costs and improves access speed but also greatly reduces the risk of exposure to large-scale breaches, making it a safer choice over public cloud options. Local data storage, especially in the case of smaller businesses, is a far less attractive target for cyber-attacks, offering a crucial security layer that cloud solutions cannot match. While the cloud can still play a role as an add-on or tertiary backup for external data sharing or less critical uses, on-prem data and computing are now the must-have strategy, with the cloud as a “nice to have” or specific use application in the mix.

“The cost of cloud storage in particular has gone from nearly given away to becoming significantly expensive. The freebies that drew people in have been slowly but surely pulled away and with a growing cost to the storage. I have spoken to some in the service space that a decade ago got into the business of driving customers to cloud storage services who are now finding good business driving them back to on prem.”

“It’s not that these distributed storage providers do not offer value – but it’s all about the right services for the right need.”

“There’s no reason to depend on the cloud for all or even a majority of your data needs. It’s not cost-effective to do so vs. easy-to-deploy, faster, on-prem options. The cloud also  requires and costs you bandwidth, and also time.”

“If your confidential data is on the cloud, you obviously have a greater risk of being part of a massive, large-scale breach… It’s less of a risk to use the cloud for external data sharing but not for corporate infrastructure. Keeping your data local, as a smaller target, is often more secure.”

“The cloud for backup really should be tertiary, in my humble opinion, whereas having a good backup strategy locally is going to be more cost-effective and give you much greater accessibility. If something goes down locally and you need to recover, it’s faster and more convenient if you do so locally, rather than having to pull it off the cloud.”

Prediction 2: The Rise of On-Prem AI for Democratization and IP Protection 

Bringing AI capabilities on-premises allows more businesses, especially smaller ones that may not have the budget for extensive cloud-based AI, to benefit from powerful data processing and analysis tools.  Having AI on-site also plays a crucial role in protecting a company’s intellectual property (IP). When AI is run locally, sensitive and proprietary data – such as customer insights, unique algorithms, and business strategies – stays within the company’s secure environment, reducing the risk of exposure or leakage that can happen when data is sent to and processed in the cloud – i.e., avoiding “data bleed” where proprietary information could unintentionally enhance third-party models or be accessed intentionally by external entities.

“On-prem AI will democratize some of the AI learning and capabilities that smaller businesses and institutions will have access to. AI in the cloud is already really expensive.”

“Having on-prem AI means that your data and IP gets to stay on-prem… There’s not one bit of risk that there’s any bleed-over from the datasets you provide for AI, ultimately helping other systems and potentially competitors learn and benefit from your private data and knowledge. You also have an ongoing benefit, not a forever cost expenditure.”

Prediction 3: The Performance Gap Between Locally Operated Systems and Cloud-Dependent Solutions Will Continue to Expand 

Higher-performance desktop storage and local networking is going to create a larger gap versus network-dependent data needs. For those that benefit from higher performance at their working location – for editing, ingest, backup, you name it – the advent of Thunderbolt 5 and continued improvements in Thunderbolt 3/4 40Gb/s capabilities on the latest crop and future Mac and PC/Windows systems means local data and interface capabilities have never been better. 

“When you are able to operate locally with interface speeds, on plug and play cabling or networking, at up to 7000MB/s vs. a typical at best of 100MB/s (1/70th the speed), suddenly you’re feeling even more so the drag of remote cloud dependency vs. what you can do internally and now externally on your system.” 

“Complex data sets, high-resolution imagery, video – all of these things can be manipulated and processed more and more efficiently on a local level with the cloud being a good distribution vector for the final works versus the raw.”

“The sheer improvements of the last few years and the leapfrog/jump of this recently with Thunderbolt 5 gives all of us great options for how we get it done on-site and how we balance the benefits of cloud capabilities for share and distribution as needed. When it takes longer to upload and then download a large data set site to site versus duplicating to a fast drive and shipping it… and for a far lower cost…. It’s all about finding the best fit and using all the available technologies for the workflow a given user/company finds best for them.”