Giving HDD Rare Earth Elements New Life
In a world where sustainability is top of mind, the question arises: “What happens to computer electronics devices when their lifecycle is done?” HDDs are no exception. HDDs are—and will continue to be—the foundational storage medium for hyperscale cloud data centers. IDC projects1 that global data generation will increase from 132.4 zettabytes (ZB) in 2023 […]
April 17, 2025 • 7 min read Data
Remembering Arif Shakeel, a Remarkable Leader in Western Digital’s Legacy
It is with great sadness but immense gratitude that I reflect upon the remarkable life of Arif Shakeel, who passed away on March 10th. Arif was not just a colleague of mine and of many at Western Digital, but a great leader, mentor, and friend as well. After joining in 1985, Arif spent more than […]
March 21, 2025 • 2 min read People
The Future of HDDs Begins Now
Today marks a new milestone for Western Digital – with our company separation now complete, we are once again fully focused on our pioneering hard disk drive (HDD) business. Our rich history of delivering top-notch HDD innovation has defined us for decades, and I am excited for us to further deepen our commitment to delivering […]
February 22, 2025 • 4 min read Technology
Put It Everywhere: How HPC Powers Digital Life
Walls lined with imposing obelisks, thrumming with energy. Spinning disks and whirring tapes, writing and rewriting the results of countless calculations. Tiny green lights, signaling and flickering amid a snarling nest of cables. While they’ve come a long way since, these were the hallmarks of the earliest supercomputers, dating back to the 1960s. Today, supercomputers […]
November 26, 2024 • 7 min read Technology
10 Questions with a Firmware Engineer
Chaitra Srinivasan is a principal firmware engineer for enterprise SSD products in Western Digital’s flash business unit. She is a creative thinker and passionate writer who loves diving into books and spending time in nature. Being a mom to her 1-year-old son has allowed her to see life through new, colorful lenses. Her biggest dream […]
November 19, 2024 • 3 min read People
Nimisha Morkonda Gnanasekaran: A Trailblazing Data Scientist
Nimisha Morkonda Gnanasekaran knew she wanted to be a data scientist at a young age. She was fascinated by artificial intelligence (AI) long before it became the hottest buzzword in technology. She grew up in southern India, in a small town with a mountainous landscape much like her current home in Colorado. Her mother, whom […]
November 12, 2024 • 7 min read People
Chasing Waves: How Data Predicts Surf Spots
In the blue-black morning, long before tourists swallow the shores whole, you’ll find the early rising surfers: the dawn patrol. They’re searching for the ever-elusive “spot,” the perfect mix of wind, swell, and waves. For these grizzled vets, spotting great waves is easy enough, but predicting where they’ll be is the tricky part. In the […]
November 7, 2024 • 9 min read Data
What’s Your Create: Trevor Godinho
The best photographs remove the barriers between viewer and subject. Composition, aperture, shutter speed, lighting, film stock, editing software—it all melts away, leaving nothing behind but a compelling work of art. Trevor Godinho understands that better than most. “My sessions are 98% talking, and maybe I take a couple of photos. I’m technically sound, yes, […]
October 29, 2024 • 7 min read People
10 Questions with a Data Scientist
Laszlo Lenart is a data scientist in operations research and advanced analytics at Western Digital. He loves spending time with his wife and three kids and enjoys continuous learning, DIY projects around the house, watching basketball, traveling, and exploring new places. What does a data scientist at the Advanced Analytics Office do? I build data-driven […]
October 22, 2024 • 3 min read People
Innovating to 11: Western Digital Increases HDD Capacity, Not Size
As data centers and enterprises continue to face increased demands on their storage infrastructures, innovations in HDD technology consistently strive to deliver the capacity gains required to meet those demands, such as those currently propelled by the AI Data Cycle. AI systems process and generate vast amounts of data that must be stored efficiently. HDDs […]
October 15, 2024 • 7 min read Products