SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 60
Storage Goes
Commodity
(That’s good for IoT!)
David Friend, CEO
BlueArchive, Inc.
Thing
What’s holding it back?
• Still too expensive, especially long-term storage.
 Tape, paper storage are still cheaper.
• Too many sizes
 Nearline, Coldline, Glacier, Infrequent Access, Reduced
Redundancy, etc.
• No standard API for IoT devices to talk to
 S3 API almost a standard, but Google & Microsoft still fighting it
out.
Otherwise, pretty darned close.
My prediction (in fact, my mission):
Object Storage becomes a commodity
for IoT.
Like electricity, one size fits all.
Standard API.
Object
Storage
Gas comes from hundreds of suppliers.
It’s all interchangeable and comes with a
standard interface.
What makes a commodity a commodity?
Standards:
Standard size.
Standard voltage.
Standard Octane.
Standard API
In storage, the S3 API is almost
a de facto standard
“The Internet of
Things”
Bandwidth is already a
commodity.
Storage
Bad news: Big entrenched incumbents
Good news:
1) “The dog will eat the dog food.”
2) Large markets
3) Vulnerable to massive disruption
Why would anyone want to be in a
commodity business?
Disruptive price or performance
1900 2000
Something disruptive
happens
wikipedia
May 2, 2014
U.S. Steel removed
from S&P 500 index due to
its declining market
capitalization.
RIP
From 1899 to 1981, AT&T was the world’s
largest phone company.
1977 ad for
AT&T Long
distance. 21
cents per minute
after 11PM.
1988. Pipsqueak MCI
goes right at AT&T
11 years after attack by MCI AT&T
finally decides to compete!
1984 market share: 90%
1999 market share: 40%.
1999 Market Cap: $149B
2005 AT&T was acquired
by SBC for $14B
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Market Value ($ Billions)
Verizon
SBC
Bell
South
AT&T
Qwest
Don’t worry about what your
competitors can’t do, focus on
what they won’t do.
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
IBM APPL
Market Cap ($ Billions)
While we’re beating up on IBM…
Made for good
PR, too.
What does it take to win?
This is Blue Archive’s strategy in a nutshell.
Why do you need “Glacier,” “Nearline,”
or “Infrequent Access,” etc. when hot
storage costs less?
Let’s make it like electricity. A
Simple. Interchangeable.
A commodity!
They have 86 different cloud services
Their mission is “Your data center in our cloud”
We only do storage. It’s separate.
Why this is important to you?
Every day 600 billion
emails are sent, requiring
2,445 petabytes of
storage annually
©BlueArchive, Inc. CONFIDENTIAL 48
265 million surveillance
cameras produce 29,700
petabytes annually.
©BlueArchive, Inc. CONFIDENTIAL 49
Genomics data is doubling
every seven months! Est.
40,000 petabytes a year
within 5 years.
©BlueArchive, Inc. CONFIDENTIAL 50
The Large
Hadron
Collider.
14 million
pictures per
second.
Expected
to produce
1 exabyte
of data per
day!
The total volume of
data generated by
IoT will reach 600
Zettabytes per year
by 2020.
54
Commoditized Storage for IoT - MIT Connected Things
Conference 2017
Source: Cisco
By 2020, storage will
exceed 35 Zettabytes
(35 million
petabytes). That’s
50x the amount
stored in 2010.
©BlueArchive, Inc. CONFIDENTIAL 55
Source: IDC
Summary
1. Simplification: One size fits all. You won’t need silly
artificial flavors.
2. Standardization: One API will become a de facto standard.
No vendor lock-in.
3. Speed: One speed will be fast enough for nearly
everything. You won’t need slow.
4. Safety: 11x9s, encryption at rest, hardened networks
standard
So coming soon to an airport near you.
Visit our web site after April 10.
Thanks!

More Related Content

Similar to David Friend, CEO, BlueArchive

Future of cloud up presentation m_dawson
Future of cloud up presentation m_dawsonFuture of cloud up presentation m_dawson
Future of cloud up presentation m_dawson
Khazret Sapenov
 
Intro to Joyent's Manta Object Storage Service
Intro to Joyent's Manta Object Storage ServiceIntro to Joyent's Manta Object Storage Service
Intro to Joyent's Manta Object Storage Service
Rod Boothby
 

Similar to David Friend, CEO, BlueArchive (20)

TBuntel WebDU 2011 Preso
TBuntel WebDU 2011 PresoTBuntel WebDU 2011 Preso
TBuntel WebDU 2011 Preso
 
Frontier Technology: Demystifying 5 Myths of Cloud Storage
Frontier Technology: Demystifying 5 Myths of Cloud StorageFrontier Technology: Demystifying 5 Myths of Cloud Storage
Frontier Technology: Demystifying 5 Myths of Cloud Storage
 
Future of cloud up presentation m_dawson
Future of cloud up presentation m_dawsonFuture of cloud up presentation m_dawson
Future of cloud up presentation m_dawson
 
The business case for hybrid clouds and mini pods
The business case for hybrid clouds and mini podsThe business case for hybrid clouds and mini pods
The business case for hybrid clouds and mini pods
 
Big Data and the Cloud a Best Friend Story
Big Data and the Cloud a Best Friend StoryBig Data and the Cloud a Best Friend Story
Big Data and the Cloud a Best Friend Story
 
Future of Data Storage in the Cloud
Future of Data Storage in the CloudFuture of Data Storage in the Cloud
Future of Data Storage in the Cloud
 
Red Hat Storage Day LA - Performance and Sizing Software Defined Storage
Red Hat Storage Day LA - Performance and Sizing Software Defined Storage Red Hat Storage Day LA - Performance and Sizing Software Defined Storage
Red Hat Storage Day LA - Performance and Sizing Software Defined Storage
 
Big Data Expo 2015 - Clusterpoint The Future of Big Data
Big Data Expo 2015 - Clusterpoint The Future of Big DataBig Data Expo 2015 - Clusterpoint The Future of Big Data
Big Data Expo 2015 - Clusterpoint The Future of Big Data
 
NEW LAUNCH! Introducing AWS Snowball Edge and AWS Snowmobile
NEW LAUNCH! Introducing AWS Snowball Edge and AWS SnowmobileNEW LAUNCH! Introducing AWS Snowball Edge and AWS Snowmobile
NEW LAUNCH! Introducing AWS Snowball Edge and AWS Snowmobile
 
BTLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and CoreBluetooth
BTLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and CoreBluetooth BTLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and CoreBluetooth
BTLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and CoreBluetooth
 
IT Press Tour #19 Slides OpenIO June 2016
IT Press Tour #19 Slides OpenIO June 2016IT Press Tour #19 Slides OpenIO June 2016
IT Press Tour #19 Slides OpenIO June 2016
 
Intro to Joyent's Manta Object Storage Service
Intro to Joyent's Manta Object Storage ServiceIntro to Joyent's Manta Object Storage Service
Intro to Joyent's Manta Object Storage Service
 
Turning Business Drivers into Business
Turning Business Drivers into BusinessTurning Business Drivers into Business
Turning Business Drivers into Business
 
Industrial IoT Era Memory Cards in Edge Computing
Industrial IoT Era Memory Cards in Edge ComputingIndustrial IoT Era Memory Cards in Edge Computing
Industrial IoT Era Memory Cards in Edge Computing
 
IoT Slam Keynote: Harnessing the Flood of Data with Heterogeneous Computing a...
IoT Slam Keynote: Harnessing the Flood of Data with Heterogeneous Computing a...IoT Slam Keynote: Harnessing the Flood of Data with Heterogeneous Computing a...
IoT Slam Keynote: Harnessing the Flood of Data with Heterogeneous Computing a...
 
The IoT Battlefield 2018
The IoT Battlefield 2018The IoT Battlefield 2018
The IoT Battlefield 2018
 
Technology in Libraries: What's Next (09/2013)
Technology in Libraries: What's Next (09/2013)Technology in Libraries: What's Next (09/2013)
Technology in Libraries: What's Next (09/2013)
 
AiLIbrary White paper05
AiLIbrary White paper05AiLIbrary White paper05
AiLIbrary White paper05
 
IIoT : Old Wine in a New Bottle?
IIoT : Old Wine in a New Bottle?IIoT : Old Wine in a New Bottle?
IIoT : Old Wine in a New Bottle?
 
Keynote: Your Future With Cloud Computing - Dr. Werner Vogels - AWS Summit 2...
Keynote: Your Future With Cloud Computing - Dr. Werner Vogels  - AWS Summit 2...Keynote: Your Future With Cloud Computing - Dr. Werner Vogels  - AWS Summit 2...
Keynote: Your Future With Cloud Computing - Dr. Werner Vogels - AWS Summit 2...
 

More from MIT Enterprise Forum Cambridge

More from MIT Enterprise Forum Cambridge (20)

Make yourself financing ready - may 19 2020
Make yourself financing ready - may 19 2020Make yourself financing ready - may 19 2020
Make yourself financing ready - may 19 2020
 
Cleantech Startups: Navigating the Mass Cleantech Landscape
Cleantech Startups: Navigating the Mass Cleantech LandscapeCleantech Startups: Navigating the Mass Cleantech Landscape
Cleantech Startups: Navigating the Mass Cleantech Landscape
 
Cleantech Startups: Navigating the Massachusetts Cleantech Landscape
Cleantech Startups: Navigating the Massachusetts Cleantech LandscapeCleantech Startups: Navigating the Massachusetts Cleantech Landscape
Cleantech Startups: Navigating the Massachusetts Cleantech Landscape
 
​Generating Sales with Facebook Advertising
​Generating Sales with Facebook Advertising​Generating Sales with Facebook Advertising
​Generating Sales with Facebook Advertising
 
Get Smart on Bookkeeping and Taxes for Startups
Get Smart on Bookkeeping and Taxes for StartupsGet Smart on Bookkeeping and Taxes for Startups
Get Smart on Bookkeeping and Taxes for Startups
 
MITEF Launch Smart Clinic AR/VR - Bernard Francois, Preview Labs
MITEF Launch Smart Clinic AR/VR - Bernard Francois, Preview LabsMITEF Launch Smart Clinic AR/VR - Bernard Francois, Preview Labs
MITEF Launch Smart Clinic AR/VR - Bernard Francois, Preview Labs
 
Cannabis Technology
Cannabis TechnologyCannabis Technology
Cannabis Technology
 
Emerging Applications of Blockchain for Supply Chains
Emerging Applications of Blockchain for Supply ChainsEmerging Applications of Blockchain for Supply Chains
Emerging Applications of Blockchain for Supply Chains
 
Gavin Bauman, Technical Evangelist, Microsoft presentation
Gavin Bauman, Technical Evangelist, Microsoft presentationGavin Bauman, Technical Evangelist, Microsoft presentation
Gavin Bauman, Technical Evangelist, Microsoft presentation
 
Eric Janszen, CEO and Co-Founder, Virzoom
Eric Janszen, CEO and Co-Founder, VirzoomEric Janszen, CEO and Co-Founder, Virzoom
Eric Janszen, CEO and Co-Founder, Virzoom
 
Neil Gupta, a VR/AR enthusiast and a key organizer of the Boston AR and VR Me...
Neil Gupta, a VR/AR enthusiast and a key organizer of the Boston AR and VR Me...Neil Gupta, a VR/AR enthusiast and a key organizer of the Boston AR and VR Me...
Neil Gupta, a VR/AR enthusiast and a key organizer of the Boston AR and VR Me...
 
Josh Weaver, Senior Engineer, Google VR, presentation
Josh Weaver,  Senior Engineer, Google VR, presentationJosh Weaver,  Senior Engineer, Google VR, presentation
Josh Weaver, Senior Engineer, Google VR, presentation
 
Justin Lutz, Lead Innovation Technologist, Primacy, presentation
Justin Lutz, Lead Innovation Technologist,  Primacy, presentationJustin Lutz, Lead Innovation Technologist,  Primacy, presentation
Justin Lutz, Lead Innovation Technologist, Primacy, presentation
 
Sarah Downey, Principal, Accomplice VC Presentation
Sarah Downey, Principal, Accomplice VC PresentationSarah Downey, Principal, Accomplice VC Presentation
Sarah Downey, Principal, Accomplice VC Presentation
 
Connected Health: Emerging Technologies Poised to Make our Lives Better
Connected Health: Emerging Technologies Poised to Make our Lives Better  Connected Health: Emerging Technologies Poised to Make our Lives Better
Connected Health: Emerging Technologies Poised to Make our Lives Better
 
Mac Devine, VP & CTO, Emerging Technology & Advanced Innovation, IBM Cloud Di...
Mac Devine, VP & CTO, Emerging Technology & Advanced Innovation, IBM Cloud Di...Mac Devine, VP & CTO, Emerging Technology & Advanced Innovation, IBM Cloud Di...
Mac Devine, VP & CTO, Emerging Technology & Advanced Innovation, IBM Cloud Di...
 
Connected Retail: Running the Store with IoT
Connected Retail: Running the Store with IoTConnected Retail: Running the Store with IoT
Connected Retail: Running the Store with IoT
 
Harel Kodesh, Vice President, Predix and CTO, GE Digital
Harel Kodesh, Vice President, Predix and CTO, GE DigitalHarel Kodesh, Vice President, Predix and CTO, GE Digital
Harel Kodesh, Vice President, Predix and CTO, GE Digital
 
Intro to keynote David Friend, CEO, BlueArchive
Intro to keynote David Friend, CEO, BlueArchiveIntro to keynote David Friend, CEO, BlueArchive
Intro to keynote David Friend, CEO, BlueArchive
 
IoT Analytics: Using Analytics to Generate High Value from IoT in the Real World
IoT Analytics: Using Analytics to Generate High Value from IoT in the Real WorldIoT Analytics: Using Analytics to Generate High Value from IoT in the Real World
IoT Analytics: Using Analytics to Generate High Value from IoT in the Real World
 

Recently uploaded

FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
dollysharma2066
 
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
amitlee9823
 
Al Mizhar Dubai Escorts +971561403006 Escorts Service In Al Mizhar
Al Mizhar Dubai Escorts +971561403006 Escorts Service In Al MizharAl Mizhar Dubai Escorts +971561403006 Escorts Service In Al Mizhar
Al Mizhar Dubai Escorts +971561403006 Escorts Service In Al Mizhar
allensay1
 
The Abortion pills for sale in Qatar@Doha [+27737758557] []Deira Dubai Kuwait
The Abortion pills for sale in Qatar@Doha [+27737758557] []Deira Dubai KuwaitThe Abortion pills for sale in Qatar@Doha [+27737758557] []Deira Dubai Kuwait
The Abortion pills for sale in Qatar@Doha [+27737758557] []Deira Dubai Kuwait
daisycvs
 
Call Girls Jp Nagar Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Girl Service Bang...
Call Girls Jp Nagar Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Girl Service Bang...Call Girls Jp Nagar Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Girl Service Bang...
Call Girls Jp Nagar Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Girl Service Bang...
amitlee9823
 
Quick Doctor In Kuwait +2773`7758`557 Kuwait Doha Qatar Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharj...
Quick Doctor In Kuwait +2773`7758`557 Kuwait Doha Qatar Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharj...Quick Doctor In Kuwait +2773`7758`557 Kuwait Doha Qatar Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharj...
Quick Doctor In Kuwait +2773`7758`557 Kuwait Doha Qatar Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharj...
daisycvs
 
Chandigarh Escorts Service 📞8868886958📞 Just📲 Call Nihal Chandigarh Call Girl...
Chandigarh Escorts Service 📞8868886958📞 Just📲 Call Nihal Chandigarh Call Girl...Chandigarh Escorts Service 📞8868886958📞 Just📲 Call Nihal Chandigarh Call Girl...
Chandigarh Escorts Service 📞8868886958📞 Just📲 Call Nihal Chandigarh Call Girl...
Sheetaleventcompany
 
Russian Call Girls In Rajiv Chowk Gurgaon ❤️8448577510 ⊹Best Escorts Service ...
Russian Call Girls In Rajiv Chowk Gurgaon ❤️8448577510 ⊹Best Escorts Service ...Russian Call Girls In Rajiv Chowk Gurgaon ❤️8448577510 ⊹Best Escorts Service ...
Russian Call Girls In Rajiv Chowk Gurgaon ❤️8448577510 ⊹Best Escorts Service ...
lizamodels9
 

Recently uploaded (20)

The Path to Product Excellence: Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Enhancing Commun...
The Path to Product Excellence: Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Enhancing Commun...The Path to Product Excellence: Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Enhancing Commun...
The Path to Product Excellence: Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Enhancing Commun...
 
Falcon Invoice Discounting: Empowering Your Business Growth
Falcon Invoice Discounting: Empowering Your Business GrowthFalcon Invoice Discounting: Empowering Your Business Growth
Falcon Invoice Discounting: Empowering Your Business Growth
 
Falcon's Invoice Discounting: Your Path to Prosperity
Falcon's Invoice Discounting: Your Path to ProsperityFalcon's Invoice Discounting: Your Path to Prosperity
Falcon's Invoice Discounting: Your Path to Prosperity
 
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
FULL ENJOY Call Girls In Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi Contact Us 8377877756
 
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
Call Girls Kengeri Satellite Town Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Gir...
 
PHX May 2024 Corporate Presentation Final
PHX May 2024 Corporate Presentation FinalPHX May 2024 Corporate Presentation Final
PHX May 2024 Corporate Presentation Final
 
Al Mizhar Dubai Escorts +971561403006 Escorts Service In Al Mizhar
Al Mizhar Dubai Escorts +971561403006 Escorts Service In Al MizharAl Mizhar Dubai Escorts +971561403006 Escorts Service In Al Mizhar
Al Mizhar Dubai Escorts +971561403006 Escorts Service In Al Mizhar
 
The Abortion pills for sale in Qatar@Doha [+27737758557] []Deira Dubai Kuwait
The Abortion pills for sale in Qatar@Doha [+27737758557] []Deira Dubai KuwaitThe Abortion pills for sale in Qatar@Doha [+27737758557] []Deira Dubai Kuwait
The Abortion pills for sale in Qatar@Doha [+27737758557] []Deira Dubai Kuwait
 
👉Chandigarh Call Girls 👉9878799926👉Just Call👉Chandigarh Call Girl In Chandiga...
👉Chandigarh Call Girls 👉9878799926👉Just Call👉Chandigarh Call Girl In Chandiga...👉Chandigarh Call Girls 👉9878799926👉Just Call👉Chandigarh Call Girl In Chandiga...
👉Chandigarh Call Girls 👉9878799926👉Just Call👉Chandigarh Call Girl In Chandiga...
 
Call Girls Jp Nagar Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Girl Service Bang...
Call Girls Jp Nagar Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Girl Service Bang...Call Girls Jp Nagar Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Girl Service Bang...
Call Girls Jp Nagar Just Call 👗 7737669865 👗 Top Class Call Girl Service Bang...
 
Falcon Invoice Discounting platform in india
Falcon Invoice Discounting platform in indiaFalcon Invoice Discounting platform in india
Falcon Invoice Discounting platform in india
 
Quick Doctor In Kuwait +2773`7758`557 Kuwait Doha Qatar Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharj...
Quick Doctor In Kuwait +2773`7758`557 Kuwait Doha Qatar Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharj...Quick Doctor In Kuwait +2773`7758`557 Kuwait Doha Qatar Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharj...
Quick Doctor In Kuwait +2773`7758`557 Kuwait Doha Qatar Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharj...
 
Call Girls Service In Old Town Dubai ((0551707352)) Old Town Dubai Call Girl ...
Call Girls Service In Old Town Dubai ((0551707352)) Old Town Dubai Call Girl ...Call Girls Service In Old Town Dubai ((0551707352)) Old Town Dubai Call Girl ...
Call Girls Service In Old Town Dubai ((0551707352)) Old Town Dubai Call Girl ...
 
(Anamika) VIP Call Girls Napur Call Now 8617697112 Napur Escorts 24x7
(Anamika) VIP Call Girls Napur Call Now 8617697112 Napur Escorts 24x7(Anamika) VIP Call Girls Napur Call Now 8617697112 Napur Escorts 24x7
(Anamika) VIP Call Girls Napur Call Now 8617697112 Napur Escorts 24x7
 
Marel Q1 2024 Investor Presentation from May 8, 2024
Marel Q1 2024 Investor Presentation from May 8, 2024Marel Q1 2024 Investor Presentation from May 8, 2024
Marel Q1 2024 Investor Presentation from May 8, 2024
 
Dr. Admir Softic_ presentation_Green Club_ENG.pdf
Dr. Admir Softic_ presentation_Green Club_ENG.pdfDr. Admir Softic_ presentation_Green Club_ENG.pdf
Dr. Admir Softic_ presentation_Green Club_ENG.pdf
 
Chandigarh Escorts Service 📞8868886958📞 Just📲 Call Nihal Chandigarh Call Girl...
Chandigarh Escorts Service 📞8868886958📞 Just📲 Call Nihal Chandigarh Call Girl...Chandigarh Escorts Service 📞8868886958📞 Just📲 Call Nihal Chandigarh Call Girl...
Chandigarh Escorts Service 📞8868886958📞 Just📲 Call Nihal Chandigarh Call Girl...
 
Falcon Invoice Discounting: Unlock Your Business Potential
Falcon Invoice Discounting: Unlock Your Business PotentialFalcon Invoice Discounting: Unlock Your Business Potential
Falcon Invoice Discounting: Unlock Your Business Potential
 
Call Girls Zirakpur👧 Book Now📱7837612180 📞👉Call Girl Service In Zirakpur No A...
Call Girls Zirakpur👧 Book Now📱7837612180 📞👉Call Girl Service In Zirakpur No A...Call Girls Zirakpur👧 Book Now📱7837612180 📞👉Call Girl Service In Zirakpur No A...
Call Girls Zirakpur👧 Book Now📱7837612180 📞👉Call Girl Service In Zirakpur No A...
 
Russian Call Girls In Rajiv Chowk Gurgaon ❤️8448577510 ⊹Best Escorts Service ...
Russian Call Girls In Rajiv Chowk Gurgaon ❤️8448577510 ⊹Best Escorts Service ...Russian Call Girls In Rajiv Chowk Gurgaon ❤️8448577510 ⊹Best Escorts Service ...
Russian Call Girls In Rajiv Chowk Gurgaon ❤️8448577510 ⊹Best Escorts Service ...
 

David Friend, CEO, BlueArchive

Editor's Notes

  1. Good morning. My name is David Friend and I’m the ceo of BlueArchive. I’m here today to talk to you about the commoditization of cloud storage and why this is so important to the Internet of Things.
  2. All these connected devices have something in common: they all consume power and they all produce data. We all know where the power comes from, but what about the data? Where will it all get stored?
  3. Power has become highly standardized. The voltage is always 115 volts, plus or minus 6 volts. 60 Hz. The interface is always the same. It’s a commodity.
  4. Many companies make electricity using a variety of technologies. It doesn’t matter to the user because the product is a standardized commodity.
  5. Cloud storage is on the way to becoming a commodity too, and there will be great benefits to the user when it does.
  6. There’s one kind of object storage that already is a commodity.
  7. Self-storage warehouses are everywhere and they are all pretty much interchangeable. They compete on price, cleanliness, and accessibility.
  8. Natural gas is another example of a commodity.
  9. Dozens of companies produce gas from thousands of wells. By the time it gets to your home or office, it’s all the same. Except for edge cases, it solves almost everybody’s heating and cooking problems adequately.
  10. Gasoline is another example.
  11. There are many suppliers, but gas is gas, and the only thing that really matters is price. The product is standardized. Regular is always 87 octane.
  12. Standardization is a crucial element of commodities, even when the standard makes you scratch your head. For example, a 2x4 is always 1 ½ by 3 ½. Go figure.
  13. With the Internet of things, we need two commodities to support the entire vision.
  14. Bandwidth is already highly commoditized. Storage will get there soon.
  15. Storage will get there,.
  16. Commodity businesses tend to be large and stable. But when new technologies come along that dramatically alter either price or performance, incumbents are suddenly at a disadvantage.
  17. For over half a century, US steel monopolized the steel industry. At one time it was the largest corporation in the world. With their massive investment in infrastructure, nobody could touch them.
  18. Then in 1968 a little company called NUCOR invented the mini-mill. It was far more efficient and nimble than the big US Steel plants .
  19. NUCOR learned how to make commodities like sheet steel far cheaper than US Steel could with their huge lumbering infrastructure. US Steel’s infrastructure suddenly became a liability, a ball and chain that they couldn’t shake. Today NUCOR is the largest steel producer in the United States.
  20. RIP
  21. When I was growing up, long distance was expensive.
  22. Same product, half the price. Then, using the new technology of microwave links along train rights-of-way, MCI cut the cost of long distance in half and eliminated the complicated time-of-day-based pricing. Copycats soon emerged.
  23. But AT&T refused to respond. When faced with the choice of losing market share to MCI or seeing their long distance business cut in half overnight by a price cut, they always chose to sit tight. The their huge investment in a land-line infrastructure suddenly became a huge liability.
  24. The lesson from MCI was this:
  25. In the early 1980s, the IBM PC was heading toward a near monopoly.
  26. Then Apple came along with the Mac which offered far superior performance with its graphic interface.
  27. Today IBM is completely out of the PC market and upstart Apple is worth more than 5x IBM.
  28. Oracle bought their way into the server business and went right after IBM with an ad campaign that I greatly admire, because it worked for over 10 years.
  29. Amazon AWS has over 80 different cloud services in addition to storage. We only do the storage. Our belief is that the storage is separable from all the other tightly integrated services. Like the engine in your car vs. the gas tank.
  30. Most of AWS’s web services have to work together as a tightly integrated system.
  31. But storage is like the gas tank in your car. You could replace it with a 55 gallon oil drum and the engine wouldn’t know the difference.
  32. Because storage is getting to be a big problem!
  33. Just Tesla has already stored 1.3 billion driving miles worth of data
  34. And declining prices only accelerates the growth of stored data.
  35. It gets to be like cleaning out the attic. There not enough benefit to getting rid of stuff you don’t need. So it just accumulates.
  36. So the next wave of storage will be commodity storage. Stay tuned.