Apple's upcoming iCloud service is expected to build on the company's iTunes success and introduce millions of music-lovers to a new way to store and access their collections. However, a report from IHS iSuppli considers the downside to the company's plans: a marked decline in demand for NAND flash memory storage in the years to come.
Dee Nguyen, a memory analyst at IHS, described the potential decline as discussed in a report titled "Will iCloud Bring an End to Local NAND Storage?" - admitting the downgrade may not be apparent until 2015.
In 2011, Apple remains the biggest NAND buyer on the market claims Nguyen, with more than 28 percent of all NAND memory scooped up for use in their various iDevices - a number she says will actually grow slightly over the next few years. But what happens when everything customers purchase is stored on remotely-accessed servers and not on the devices themselves?
"If storage consumption decreased by 100 gigabytes per user - calculated at a rate of four megabytes per song at Apple's stated cap of 25,000 songs of free storage - the combined effect from Apple’s huge database of users could make a serious dent on NAND flash demand throughout the industry," wrote Nguyen.
IHS adds that while other cloud-based services are also available, none have the same range of content or massive consumer base as Apple.
However, the research firm speculates that recent cyber attacks may give pause to those eager to hop on the cloud, simultaneously extending the interest and need for flash memory. If enough customers are weary of storing their information and purchases on outside servers, the cloud could suffer, says IHS.
All things considered, are you pro-Cloud? Or are you content with good old flash memory storage solutions? Let us know in the comment section.
