Samsung and Western Digital Begin Far-reaching Collaboration to Drive Standardization of Next-generation Storage Technologies for Broader Ecosystem Support and Customer Adoption
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Western Digital (Nasdaq: WDC) today announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a unique collaboration to standardize and drive broad adoption of next-generation data placement, processing and fabrics (D2PF) storage technologies. The companies will initially focus on aligning their efforts and creating a vigorous ecosystem for Zoned Storage solutions. These steps will enable the industry to focus on countless applications that ultimately create greater value for customers.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220330005385/en/
Samsung ZNS SSD (Graphic: Business Wire)
This marks the first time that both Samsung and Western Digital have come together as technology leaders to create widespread alignment and stimulate awareness for important storage technologies. Focusing on enterprise and cloud applications, the partnership is expected to spur a range of collaborations around technology standardization and software development for D2PF technologies like Zoned Storage. With this collaboration, end-users can have confidence that these emerging storage technologies will have support from multiple device vendors as well as from vertically integrated hardware and software companies.
“Storage is the essential foundation for how people and businesses consume and use data. To enable today’s needs and tomorrow’s next big ideas, we must innovate, collaborate and keep pace as an industry in bringing new standards and architectures to life,” said Rob Soderbery, EVP and GM, Flash Business Unit at Western Digital. “In order for a technology ecosystem to be successful, overall frameworks and general solution models must come together so they do not suffer from fragmentation, which delays adoption and adds unnecessary complexity for software stack developers.”
Soderbery added, “For years Western Digital has been laying the foundation for the Zoned Storage ecosystem by contributing to the Linux kernel and open-source software community. We are excited to bring these contributions to this joint initiative with Samsung in facilitating wider adoption of Zoned Storage for users and application developers.”
“This collaboration is a testament to our relentless effort to exceed customers’ needs now and in the future, and holds special meaning in how we anticipate it will actively grow into a larger basis of engagement for Zoned Storage standardization,” said Jinman Han, Corporate EVP, Head of Memory Sales & Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Our collaborative efforts will embrace hardware and software ecosystems to ensure that as many customers as possible can reap the benefits of this highly important technology."
The two companies have already kickstarted an initiative around Zoned Storage devices, including ZNS (Zoned Namespaces) SSDs and SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) HDDs. Through organizations such as SNIA (Storage Networking Industry Association) and the Linux Foundation, Samsung and Western Digital will define high-level models and frameworks for next-generation Zoned Storage technologies. With a commitment to enable open and scalable data center architectures, they have founded the Zoned Storage TWG (Technical Work Group), which was approved by SNIA in December 2021. The group is already defining and specifying common use cases for Zoned Storage devices, as well as host/device architecture and programming models.
In addition, this collaboration is expected to serve as a starting point to expand zone-based (e.g. ZNS, SMR) device interfaces, as well as future-generation, high-capacity storage devices with enhanced data placement and processing technologies. At a later stage, these initiatives will be expanded to include other emerging D2PF technologies such as computational storage and storage fabrics including NVMe™ over Fabrics (NVMe-oF).
###
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at news.samsung.com.
About Western Digital
Western Digital creates environments for data to thrive. As a leader in data infrastructure, the company is driving the innovation needed to help customers capture, preserve, access and transform an ever-increasing diversity of data. Everywhere data lives, from advanced data centers to mobile sensors to personal devices, our industry-leading solutions deliver the possibilities of data. Western Digital data-centric solutions are comprised of the Western Digital®, SanDisk® and WD® brands.
For more information about Zoned Storage, please visit ZonedStorage.io.
©2022 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Western Digital and the Western Digital logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the US and/or other countries. The NVMe word mark is a trademark of NVM Express, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.
###
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220330005385/en/
Contact information
Media Inquiries:
John Lucas
for Samsung Semiconductor, Inc.
j.lucas@partner.Samsung.com
Erin Hartin
for Western Digital
1-303-601-8035
Erin.Hartin@wdc.com
Ujeong Jahnke
Samsung Semiconductor Europe GmbH
Tel. +49(0)89-45578-1000
Email: sseg.comm@samsung.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
CSG Xponent Sweeps Up Top-Tier Analyst, Industry Recognition for Customer Journey Management, Analytics10.12.2025 15:30:00 EET | Press release
CSG® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today announced that its flagship customer engagement platform, CSG Xponent, has earned multiple honors for journey management, customer analytics and personalization. This third-party recognition underscores the strength of CSG Xponent as a full-service engagement platform – one that seamlessly combines in-depth journey analytics with real-time orchestration. In the past month alone, CSG Xponent has been named: A Leader in QKS Group’s SPARK Matrix™: Customer Journey Management, 2025. Winner for “Best Personalisation and User Experience Solution” in the FinTech Futures 2025 Banking Tech Awards. A Core Performing provider in CMP Research’s Prism for Customer Analytics. “CSG Xponent moves beyond broad segmentation to pinpoint each customer’s journey state, whether stalled, at-risk or ready to convert, and then quantifies the financial impact of each intervention,” said Tanuj Paulose, Analyst, QKS Group. “By unifying analytics, real-time orchestration, identity and omn
AI Power Surge and Energy Transition Push Global Project Finance into a New Era10.12.2025 15:30:00 EET | Press release
Global project finance is entering a transformative era, driven by soaring demand for energy capacity, accelerated digitalization and large-scale infrastructure upgrades, reshaping investment priorities worldwide. These insights come from new research commissioned by CSC, based on responses from 200 project finance professionals, revealing a market shifting toward more complex, capital-intensive projects and a greater reliance on private capital. CSC’s latest report, Project Finance at an Inflection Point: Adapting to New Realities1, reveals a sector that is rapidly expanding in both scale and complexity driven by capital increasingly targeting long-term, strategically critical assets. Infrastructure emerged as the strongest area for future growth, identified by 70% of respondents, followed by renewables (48%), and technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) with 43%. Within renewables, wind tops expectations at 50%, while renewable natural gas and green hydrogen each stand at 41%,
Slate Asset Management Announces Partner and Managing Director Promotions10.12.2025 15:00:00 EET | Press release
Slate Asset Management (“Slate”), a global alternative investment platform focused on essential real estate and infrastructure, today announced three senior leadership promotions, effective January 1, 2026. Molly Mahoney has been elevated to Partner, and John Murray and Sayed M. Alaali have been promoted to Managing Directors. “Molly, John, and Sayed have demonstrated outstanding dedication, skill, and leadership over the years and each has contributed meaningfully to Slate’s reputation as a proven investor and a trusted partner to leading global institutions,” said Brady Welch, Co-Founding Partner at Slate. “We are very pleased to welcome them to the highest ranks of our firm’s leadership.” Blair Welch, Co-Founding Partner at Slate, added: “In a year of significant growth, these individuals have consistently delivered exceptional outcomes for Slate’s clients, partners, and communities. They are unwavering in their commitment to excellence, integrity, and teamwork, and we look forward
Kingswood Capital Management Enters Into a Definitive Agreement to Acquire Safran Passenger Innovations10.12.2025 15:00:00 EET | Press release
Kingswood Capital Management, LP (together with its affiliates, “Kingswood”) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Safran Passenger Innovations (“SPI” or the “Company”) from Safran, an international high-tech company operating in the aviation, defense, and space markets. SPI is a leading global provider of in-flight entertainment and connectivity solutions for airlines and airplane manufacturers worldwide. Matt Smith will continue to serve as SPI’s CEO, and the entire SPI leadership team will remain in place. The transaction is expected to close early next year, subject to customary legal and regulatory requirements. Headquartered in Brea, California, SPI created and designed an award-winning in-flight entertainment and connectivity platform known as RAVE, recognized for its intuitive design, reliability, and innovative approach. Kingswood’s acquisition of SPI is driven by a shared vision of positioning the company to deliver transformative, next-ge
Armis Partners with KODE Labs and IntelliBuild to Streamline Security Operations Across the Building Management Lifecycle10.12.2025 15:00:00 EET | Press release
Armis, the cyber exposure management & security company, today announced a strategic partnership with KODE Labs and IntelliBuild to help organizations unify cybersecurity, operational intelligence and governance for building lifecycle management. The joint offering combines Armis’ continuous asset intelligence with KODE Labs’ performance trends and analytics, which are then operationalized by IntelliBuild’s governance and reporting. By translating accurate, verified intelligence into accountable action, organizations can streamline the operations of building management systems – from thermostats, lighting and badge readers to elevator controllers and security cameras – and proactively strengthen their cyber defenses. “To achieve real security in the new age of connected environments, you must have comprehensive, real-time protection across the entire attack surface,” said Nadir Izrael, CTO and Co-Founder at Armis. “This integration addresses the growing complexity, risk and fragmentati
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom