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It’s Not Speedy Being Green: Why Seagate is Ditching the “Low-Power” HDD Market
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By eliminating “green” hard drives from its Barracuda lineup, Seagate anticipates more than just productivity benefits for users. There are also business benefits for customers as well as Seagate’s reseller channel.

First off, there are qualification issues. In practically every vertical market, systems must be rigorously tested for compatibility with a wide range of hardware components, software, and system configurations. Generally, the more important the application, the more stringent and thorough the testing. A single system configuration can cost tens of thousands of dollars to qualify, and having to cope with both green and 7200 RPM drives means double the qualification costs. The solution integrator and/or provider must obviously pass these extra costs on to buyers.

Moreover, extra SKUs means higher inventory carrying costs for everyone in the distribution channel. There are capital costs not only in the cost of extra inventory but  also the loss associated with not being able to leverage the money tied up in that extra inventory. There are inventory service costs: added shelf space, more warehouse handling, more recordkeeping, more inventory insurance, and any taxes levied on that extra inventory. Not least of all, consider the inventory risk costs that arise from obsolescence (no small item once people learn about the negative value proposition in green hard drives) and shrinkage from various forms of inventory loss.

In short, there are many reasons why sales partners and customers alike will welcome the end of “green” hard drive options. Smart OEMs have already embarked on this reduction.

“If you look at the PCs that major OEMs sell to their corporate customers,” says Seagate’s Burks, “they don’t ever ship 5400 RPM drives. Because for their customers, they’re measuring the overall performance of their systems, and they know that the 7200 is a better situation. We’re just trying to get that same common sense into the rest of the market.”

No doubt, many people will welcome this change, but keep the bigger picture in mind. The core idea of “going green” hasn’t gone away. Energy savings are still important in all areas of computing. Emphasizing performance and total efficiency is simply a better way of being green than focusing solely on watts.

Additionally, consider the manufacturing side of computing environmentalism. Seventy percent of the materials used in Seagate drives are recyclable. All Seagate drives are halogen-free, and compliant with the European Union’s 2007 Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances (REACH). By continuing to push the boundaries of per-drive capacity, Seagate is also helping to reduce the total amount of manufacturing necessary for a given storage capacity. Why use the resources needed for three 1TB drives when a single 3TB drive will serve just as well?

Rethink your green storage. What you find could significantly benefit your productivity and cost savings in the years to come.