Monthly Archives: October 2018

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What are cloud desktops and how can they benefit my business?


Esther Kezia Thorpe

30 Oct, 2018

Cloud desktops – also known as virtual desktops, hosted desktops, or Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) – virtualise everything that loads when the user powers up a PC. It presents their whole computer, set up how they need it, on their preferred device.

Organisations usually purchase licenses for virtual desktops hosted by a vendor, and employees can log into their virtual desktop from a device of their choosing, making remote working a more viable option.

Although the principles of providing a desktop experience remotely are similar, there are differences between cloud desktops and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). VDI is served through on-premise servers, with the infrastructure and deployment managed by internal IT teams. VDI has much higher upfront costs as it requires an investment in the servers and storage needed, as well as ongoing maintenance and upgrade costs.

Once you’re getting the benefits of moving your files and applications in the cloud, you’re ready for cloud desktops. Learn more in this whitepaper.

Download now

By contrast, cloud desktops use a third-party provider to host in the cloud, meaning that no on-premise servers or costly infrastructure is needed.

Many cloud desktop providers have add-ons such as Microsoft Office licenses, antivirus and data storage which businesses can add or take away when necessary, and customise to their own needs.

Business benefits of cloud desktops

Like most cloud services, there is little or no on-premises infrastructure that a business has to invest in to get started with cloud desktops, and there’s no costly hardware to maintain. The as-a-service model also means that costs are usually on a subscription model, making them predictable and easier to manage.

Employees can be given secure access from anywhere on any device, but because the data and desktop are stored elsewhere, even if they lose their laptop, there’s nothing to steal from it, so there’s no security breach.

Cloud desktops make remote working much simpler, as setup just involves verification and login, without the need for additional hardware. A setup like this is particularly useful when there are interruptions to travel such as snow days or transport strikes, as workers can carry on as normal from home.

Collaboration and file sharing are another benefit to businesses. Cloud desktops are a step further than cloud file sharing applications, in that the entire interface is stored and delivered through the cloud rather than just files, but it brings the same collaboration benefits that many file-sharing services also deliver.

Having a centralised backup of files and data is another benefit of cloud desktops, making disaster recovery much faster through remote back-up. For business use, it’s important to choose a service that is strong on security and collaboration, and is designed for intensive business use.

Learn how to plan your journey to the cloud and get the business benefits, but at your own pace and with minimal risk, disruption and cost with this whitepaper.

Download now

Cloud desktops can be a challenge if applications are resource-intensive and internet connection is patchy. Many cloud desktops also have an option to run offline and work even if there’s no internet connection, but this may not meet the needs of every business.

Flexibility and scalability are two major benefits of cloud desktops, as they allow businesses, whether large or small, to grow at their own pace, adding and taking away licenses as they’re required. It’s also much more straightforward to roll out updates for software or add new applications, without having to worry about updates and security fixes on individual machines.

However, there are sometimes additional costs involved in cloud desktops, so finding a provider which offers a transparent pricing model is vital to avoid unwanted hidden charges.

Uncategorized

What are cloud desktops and how can they benefit my business?


Esther Kezia Thorpe

30 Oct, 2018

Cloud desktops – also known as virtual desktops, hosted desktops, or Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) – virtualise everything that loads when the user powers up a PC. It presents their whole computer, set up how they need it, on their preferred device.

Organisations usually purchase licenses for virtual desktops hosted by a vendor, and employees can log into their virtual desktop from a device of their choosing, making remote working a more viable option.

Although the principles of providing a desktop experience remotely are similar, there are differences between cloud desktops and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). VDI is served through on-premise servers, with the infrastructure and deployment managed by internal IT teams. VDI has much higher upfront costs as it requires an investment in the servers and storage needed, as well as ongoing maintenance and upgrade costs.

Once you’re getting the benefits of moving your files and applications in the cloud, you’re ready for cloud desktops. Learn more in this whitepaper.

Download now

By contrast, cloud desktops use a third-party provider to host in the cloud, meaning that no on-premise servers or costly infrastructure is needed.

Many cloud desktop providers have add-ons such as Microsoft Office licenses, antivirus and data storage which businesses can add or take away when necessary, and customise to their own needs.

Business benefits of cloud desktops

Like most cloud services, there is little or no on-premises infrastructure that a business has to invest in to get started with cloud desktops, and there’s no costly hardware to maintain. The as-a-service model also means that costs are usually on a subscription model, making them predictable and easier to manage.

Employees can be given secure access from anywhere on any device, but because the data and desktop are stored elsewhere, even if they lose their laptop, there’s nothing to steal from it, so there’s no security breach.

Cloud desktops make remote working much simpler, as setup just involves verification and login, without the need for additional hardware. A setup like this is particularly useful when there are interruptions to travel such as snow days or transport strikes, as workers can carry on as normal from home.

Collaboration and file sharing are another benefit to businesses. Cloud desktops are a step further than cloud file sharing applications, in that the entire interface is stored and delivered through the cloud rather than just files, but it brings the same collaboration benefits that many file-sharing services also deliver.

Having a centralised backup of files and data is another benefit of cloud desktops, making disaster recovery much faster through remote back-up. For business use, it’s important to choose a service that is strong on security and collaboration, and is designed for intensive business use.

Learn how to plan your journey to the cloud and get the business benefits, but at your own pace and with minimal risk, disruption and cost with this whitepaper.

Download now

Cloud desktops can be a challenge if applications are resource-intensive and internet connection is patchy. Many cloud desktops also have an option to run offline and work even if there’s no internet connection, but this may not meet the needs of every business.

Flexibility and scalability are two major benefits of cloud desktops, as they allow businesses, whether large or small, to grow at their own pace, adding and taking away licenses as they’re required. It’s also much more straightforward to roll out updates for software or add new applications, without having to worry about updates and security fixes on individual machines.

However, there are sometimes additional costs involved in cloud desktops, so finding a provider which offers a transparent pricing model is vital to avoid unwanted hidden charges.

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The key trends driving IT security-related revenues to $133.7 billion

Cybersecurity solutions demand has remained strong during 2018, as more CIOs and CTOs need to ensure that their digital transformation projects have a high degree of digital trust built-in. Data privacy-related legislation has also fuelled the market for expert professional services that are skilled in IT security compliance.

According to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), worldwide spending on security-related hardware, software, and services is forecast to reach $133.7 billion in 2022. Although spending growth is expected to gradually slow over the 2017-2022 forecast period, the market will still deliver a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9 percent.

As a result, security spending in 2022 is anticipated to be 45 percent greater than the $92.1 billion forecast for 2018.

IT security market development

"Privacy has grabbed the attention of Boards of Directors as regions look to implement privacy regulation and compliance standards similar to GDPR. Frankly, privacy is the new buzzword and the potential impact is very real. The result is that demand to comply with such standards will continue to buoy security spending for the foreseeable future," said Frank Dickson, vice president at IDC.

According to the IDC assessment, security-related services will be both the largest ($40.2 billion in 2018) and the fastest growing (11.9 percent CAGR) category of worldwide security spending.

Managed security services will be the largest segment within the services category, delivering nearly 50 percent of the category total in 2022. Integration services and consulting services will be responsible for most of the remainder.

Security software is the second-largest category with spending expected to total $34.4 billion in 2018. Endpoint security software will be the largest software segment throughout the forecast period, followed by identity and access management software and security and vulnerability management software.

The latter category will be the fastest growing software segment with a CAGR of 10.7 percent. Hardware spending will likely be led by unified threat management solutions, followed by internet firewall and content management.

IDC analysts believe that banking will be the industry making the largest investment in security solutions, growing from $10.5 billion in 2018 to $16 billion in 2022. Security-related services, led by managed security services, will account for more than half of the industry's spend throughout the forecast period.

The second and third largest industries, discrete manufacturing and federal or central government ($8.9 billion and $7.8 billion in 2018, respectively), will follow a similar pattern with services representing roughly half of each industry's total IT security spending.

The industries that will see the fastest growth in IT security spending will be telecommunications (13.1 percent CAGR), state or local government (12.3 percent CAGR), and the resource industry (11.8 percent CAGR).

The United States will be the largest geographic market for security solutions with total spending of $39.3 billion in 2018. The United Kingdom will be the second largest geographic market in 2018 at $6.1 billion, followed by China ($5.6 billion), Japan ($5.1 billion), and Germany ($4.6 billion).

The leading industries for security spending in the U.S. will be discrete manufacturing and the federal or central government. In the UK, banking and discrete manufacturing will deliver the largest security spending while telecommunications and banking will be the leading industries in China.

China will see the strongest IT security spending growth with a five-year CAGR of 26.6 percent. Malaysia and Singapore will be the second and third fastest growing regions with CAGRs of 21.1 percent and 18.2 percent, respectively.

Outlook for IT security applications growth

From a company size perspective, large and very large businesses will be responsible for nearly two thirds of all security-related spending in 2018. Large and medium businesses will see the strongest spending growth over the forecast, with CAGRs of 11.8 percent and 10 percent respectively.

However, very large businesses will grow nearly as fast with a five-year CAGR of 10.1 percent. Small businesses will also experience solid growth (8.9 percent CAGR) with spending expected to be more than $8 billion in 2018.

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’Are we there yet?’ Orienting the map to quantum computing

There is a lot of excitement about quantum computing these days. Quantum computing is a holistically new way to solve hard problems based on the principles of quantum physics. The theory has already shown the potential payoff from this new technology could be tremendous, by enabling new methods for drug discovery, material design, and artificial intelligence, just to name a few.

For high-end computing, quantum computing has great promise to change how high-performance computers and data centers of the future look and operate. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, we are especially interested in the potential for quantum computing to enable scientific discoveries and innovation using new types of quantum-accelerated supercomputers.

Expectations are continuing to grow as government and industry invest in the quantum frontier. Recently, marked increases in investment have come from targeted funding by governments in China, Australia, the European Union, and the United States, among many others, and collectively top more than 10-billion US dollars. In addition, commercial investments by IBM, Google, Intel, and a swarm of startup companies highlight a growing interest in transitioning these technologies to future computing services.

Quantum computing is expected to accelerate solutions to problems in data analytics, logistics, engineering, and software automation, and future quantum computing clouds could support the medical, financial, scientific, and defense business sectors, among other possibilities. A vibrant research community of universities and laboratories is ready to respond to the interest in translating these ideas into actual quantum computers.

But is the science of quantum computing ready for this transition from laboratory to finished product? Despite the increased attention provided by this new funding, is the field of quantum computing actually progressing toward more realizable products? Or have past decades of scientific inquiry simply generated hollow excitement?  Presently, there are only a few experimental demonstrations of quantum computing, and perhaps the “experimental” description captures these demonstrations best.

Today’s best-in-class quantum computing systems and devices are carried out in research laboratories. Most of these systems are first generation designs of new concepts for controlling quantum physics. Some commercial developments have occurred, but these systems demonstrate levels of performance that fail to justify long-term growth, manufacturability, or adoption. It is a pivotal point in the development of quantum computing, where many eyes are watching the road ahead … but are we even moving forward?

Please pardon our progress

In an effort to address the mounting need to track engineering progress, a new working group under the auspices of the IEEE Rebooting Computing Initiative has begun developing metrics and benchmarks that will help evaluate quantum computing devices and systems. The working group emerged from a recent IEEE Summit Meeting on Quantum Computing, held in Atlanta, Georgia in August 2018. A collection of IEEE and quantum computing stakeholders met to address the expanding role for IEEE in this new engineering discipline. Among many calls for action, the need to establish a framework that captured the challenges and diversity facing quantum computing was most prominent. The resulting working group began outlining an approach that would be able to monitor progress across a wide variety of quantum computing technologies and uses while also permitting the new discoveries and breakthroughs expected for such a rapidly growing field.

The IEEE working group recognizes that the framework for metrics and benchmarks must maintain a neutral perspective. Many different quantum technologies appear viable for continued exploratory research and development, and this development is likely to continue. Leading examples include superconducting electronics, trapped ions, and neutral atoms, but there is a host of other quantum physical phenomena under consideration. In addition, each of these technologies face multiple layers of integration complexity that must be monitored, from the low-level physical registers up to application performance.

The framework has been designed to capture the broadest definitions of quantum computing by detailing known use cases. This includes different models for how a quantum computer may operate as well as different applications, such as scientific simulation and unconstrained optimization. The working group anticipates extensions and refinements as new advances appear.

We expect metrics and benchmarks for quantum computing will enable better tracking of engineering progress for these early devices and systems. With support from the diversity of engineers, developers, and users, the IEEE has the resources and community necessary to evaluate, distribute, and curate metrics and benchmarks for the broader public. The IEEE community also contributes support for educational outreach, training, and workforce development, which will be vital for long-term adoption of this new technology.

Another critical piece in implementing this framework is to ensure a public-private partnership model, in which government and industrial laboratories cooperate with the broader research community on setting expectations and evaluating growth. Many researchers are contributing to the explosion in quantum computer science and engineering, and the transition of these ideas into products and services for the public needs to be traceable to sound science.

This public-private partnership benefits industry and government by building confidence and understanding of quantum computing technology. The recently announced Quantum Economic Development Consortium looks posed to play a new role in sharing information across this diverse group of industrial stakeholders.

Laying a foundation

A draft of the IEEE framework will be released during the International Conference on Rebooting Computing, November 7-9, 2018 in Tysons Corner, Virginia. The draft will be accompanied by a Request for Comments that calls on the public to provide feedback on the best metrics for tracking progress toward quantum computing devices and systems. Both documents are available on the Rebooting Computing website: https://rebootingcomputing.ieee.org/quantum

The long-term goal for the working group is to enable communication between stakeholders of quantum technology and the engineers that develop it. Much like the forecast established by the International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS), which tracked trends and capabilities of modern computing devices and turned these into challenges to the industry, we expect metrics and benchmarks of quantum computing devices and systems to do the same. While the framework is expected to support future forecasting, for now the community is exploring the best methods for measuring the path to success.

Additional contributions from Megan N. Lilly, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

https://www.cybersecuritycloudexpo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/cyber-security-world-series-1.pngInterested in hearing industry leaders discuss subjects like this and sharing their experiences and use-cases? Attend the Cyber Security & Cloud Expo World Series with upcoming events in Silicon Valley, London and Amsterdam to learn more.

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Microsoft explains why it still sells tech to the US military


Bobby Hellard

29 Oct, 2018

Microsoft has responded to criticism for its decision to continue selling technology to the US military, which has been opposed by its own employees.

Brad Smith, Redmond’s president and chief legal officer, also defended its bid for the $10 billion cloud computing contract with the Pentagon, calling it “an example of the kind of work we are committed to doing”.

The contract is being offered to one cloud computing specialist and has been widely criticised, both for seeking only one cloud provider and its ethical basis. 

Despite rival firms like Google removing its bid for the contract sighting its morality, Microsoft has reaffirmed its commitment to providing technology to the military. 

“Artificial intelligence, augmented reality and other technologies are raising new and profoundly important issues, including the ability of weapons to act autonomously,” he wrote. “As we have discussed these issues with governments, we’ve appreciated that no military in the world wants to wake up to discover that machines have started a war.

“But we can’t expect these new developments to be addressed wisely if the people in the tech sector who know the most about technology withdraw from the conversation.”

Part of this conversation took place during a Q&A session with Microsoft employees. Smith, along with CEO Satya Nadella, laid out the company’s three convictions for offering its services to the military.

Firstly, Microsoft said it believes in the strong defence of the United States and that it wants the people who defend it to have access to the nation’s best technology, including its own.

Secondly, Redmond said it appreciates the important ethical and policy issues that AI is creating for weapons and warfare. Adding that it will use its knowledge and voice as a corporate citizen to address these in a responsible way through the country’s civic and democratic processes.

Third, and most crucially given where some of its criticism has come from, Microsoft said it understood that some of its employees had different views.

“We don’t ask or expect everyone who works at Microsoft to support every position the company takes,” added Smith. “We also respect the fact that some employees work in, or may be citizens of other countries, and they may not want to work on certain projects.”

The tech giant stressed that it gives the US military access to the best technology because it wants those who serve the country to know it “has their backs” but at the moment it’s own employees don’t seem to have Microsoft’s back.

Uncategorized

Microsoft explains why it still sells tech to the US military


Bobby Hellard

29 Oct, 2018

Microsoft has responded to criticism for its decision to continue selling technology to the US military, which has been opposed by its own employees.

Brad Smith, Redmond’s president and chief legal officer, also defended its bid for the $10 billion cloud computing contract with the Pentagon, calling it “an example of the kind of work we are committed to doing”.

The contract is being offered to one cloud computing specialist and has been widely criticised, both for seeking only one cloud provider and its ethical basis. 

Despite rival firms like Google removing its bid for the contract sighting its morality, Microsoft has reaffirmed its commitment to providing technology to the military. 

“Artificial intelligence, augmented reality and other technologies are raising new and profoundly important issues, including the ability of weapons to act autonomously,” he wrote. “As we have discussed these issues with governments, we’ve appreciated that no military in the world wants to wake up to discover that machines have started a war.

“But we can’t expect these new developments to be addressed wisely if the people in the tech sector who know the most about technology withdraw from the conversation.”

Part of this conversation took place during a Q&A session with Microsoft employees. Smith, along with CEO Satya Nadella, laid out the company’s three convictions for offering its services to the military.

Firstly, Microsoft said it believes in the strong defence of the United States and that it wants the people who defend it to have access to the nation’s best technology, including its own.

Secondly, Redmond said it appreciates the important ethical and policy issues that AI is creating for weapons and warfare. Adding that it will use its knowledge and voice as a corporate citizen to address these in a responsible way through the country’s civic and democratic processes.

Third, and most crucially given where some of its criticism has come from, Microsoft said it understood that some of its employees had different views.

“We don’t ask or expect everyone who works at Microsoft to support every position the company takes,” added Smith. “We also respect the fact that some employees work in, or may be citizens of other countries, and they may not want to work on certain projects.”

The tech giant stressed that it gives the US military access to the best technology because it wants those who serve the country to know it “has their backs” but at the moment it’s own employees don’t seem to have Microsoft’s back.

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IBM snaps up Red Hat for $34 billion


Bobby Hellard

29 Oct, 2018

IBM and Red Hat have reached an agreement under which Big Blue will acquire open source cloud software provider Red Hat for approximately $34 billion.

In a joint statement, IBM chairman and CEO Ginni Rometty called the acquisition of Red Hat a “game-changer” for the cloud market.

According to Big Blue, the market is “proprietary” by nature and, as a result, often prevents data from being more portable, thus holds back business workloads from being placed on hybrid cloud systems.

By purchasing Red Hat, Rometty said that IBM could become the world’s number one hybrid cloud provider by helping businesses migrate to its cloud systems.

“Most companies today are only 20% along their cloud journey, renting compute power to cut costs,” said Rometty. “The next 80% is about unlocking real business value and driving growth.” 

“This is the next chapter of the cloud. It requires shifting business applications to hybrid cloud, extracting more data and optimising every part of the business, from supply chains to sales.”

The two companies have enjoyed a 20-year partnership, with IBM serving as an early supporter of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux and, more recently, with its work bringing Kubernetes to hybrid cloud customers.

Within the terms of the deal, IBM has said it will remain committed to Red Hat’s open source community and its developer ecosystem. The company will also sit as a distinct unit within Big Blue, keeping the independence and neutrality of Red Hat’s open source development heritage and CEO Jim Whitehurst and its current management team will also stay at the helm.

“Open source is the default choice for modern IT solutions and I’m incredibly proud of the role Red Hat has played in making that a reality in the enterprise,” said Whitehurst.

“Joining forces with IBM will provide us with a greater level of scale, resources and capabilities to accelerate the impact of open source as the basis for digital transformation and bring Red Hat to an even wider audience – all while preserving our unique culture and unwavering commitment to open source innovation.”

Uncategorized

IBM snaps up Red Hat for $34 billion


Bobby Hellard

29 Oct, 2018

IBM and Red Hat have reached an agreement under which Big Blue will acquire open source cloud software provider Red Hat for approximately $34 billion.

In a joint statement, IBM chairman and CEO Ginni Rometty called the acquisition of Red Hat a “game-changer” for the cloud market.

According to Big Blue, the market is “proprietary” by nature and, as a result, often prevents data from being more portable, thus holds back business workloads from being placed on hybrid cloud systems.

By purchasing Red Hat, Rometty said that IBM could become the world’s number one hybrid cloud provider by helping businesses migrate to its cloud systems.

“Most companies today are only 20% along their cloud journey, renting compute power to cut costs,” said Rometty. “The next 80% is about unlocking real business value and driving growth.” 

“This is the next chapter of the cloud. It requires shifting business applications to hybrid cloud, extracting more data and optimising every part of the business, from supply chains to sales.”

The two companies have enjoyed a 20-year partnership, with IBM serving as an early supporter of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux and, more recently, with its work bringing Kubernetes to hybrid cloud customers.

Within the terms of the deal, IBM has said it will remain committed to Red Hat’s open source community and its developer ecosystem. The company will also sit as a distinct unit within Big Blue, keeping the independence and neutrality of Red Hat’s open source development heritage and CEO Jim Whitehurst and its current management team will also stay at the helm.

“Open source is the default choice for modern IT solutions and I’m incredibly proud of the role Red Hat has played in making that a reality in the enterprise,” said Whitehurst.

“Joining forces with IBM will provide us with a greater level of scale, resources and capabilities to accelerate the impact of open source as the basis for digital transformation and bring Red Hat to an even wider audience – all while preserving our unique culture and unwavering commitment to open source innovation.”

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Western Digital reveals ‘world’s first’ 15TB SMR hard drive aimed at data centres


Clare Hopping

29 Oct, 2018

Western Digital has launched the world’s first 15TB SMR hard drive, designed for use with hyperscale cloud and data centre workloads.

The company suggested it could be used to power smart city data centres where huge amounts of data, such as video surveillance and legacy information, needs to be stored for regulatory compliance.

SMR (Shingle Magnetic Recording) hard drives are able to pack in higher storage capacities compared to a similar physical-sized HDD because the data can be stored on overlapping grooves. However, they’re not really suitable for reuse and as such is a perfect solution for the problem of storing data that needs to be kept for long periods of time.

The 15TB Ultrastar DC HC620 HDD drives can be combined together in a 4U60 HDD enclosure, offering a total capacity of up to 900TB. The company said this offers an extra 60TB per rack compared to its previous highest capacity HDD (14TB).

This presents significant financial savings where businesses are charged on a watts per terabyte basis, also meaning physical space is saved because fewer HDDs are required.

“With data continuing to grow at unprecedented rates, many hyperscale and cloud storage customers know that their workloads trend toward data that is written sequentially. In these instances, customers are optimizing their infrastructures with the lowest TCO and the maximum capacity,” said Eyal Bek, vice president of product marketing, Western Digital.

“By capitalizing on our highest-capacity SMR storage solutions, our customers’ investment can not only be fully leveraged today, but for subsequent generations of SMR areal density improvements for continued infrastructure optimization.”

Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC620 HDD is already available to select customers, with general availability announced as “later this quarter”.

Uncategorized

Western Digital reveals ‘world’s first’ 15TB SMR hard drive aimed at data centres


Clare Hopping

29 Oct, 2018

Western Digital has launched the world’s first 15TB SMR hard drive, designed for use with hyperscale cloud and data centre workloads.

The company suggested it could be used to power smart city data centres where huge amounts of data, such as video surveillance and legacy information, needs to be stored for regulatory compliance.

SMR (Shingle Magnetic Recording) hard drives are able to pack in higher storage capacities compared to a similar physical-sized HDD because the data can be stored on overlapping grooves. However, they’re not really suitable for reuse and as such is a perfect solution for the problem of storing data that needs to be kept for long periods of time.

The 15TB Ultrastar DC HC620 HDD drives can be combined together in a 4U60 HDD enclosure, offering a total capacity of up to 900TB. The company said this offers an extra 60TB per rack compared to its previous highest capacity HDD (14TB).

This presents significant financial savings where businesses are charged on a watts per terabyte basis, also meaning physical space is saved because fewer HDDs are required.

“With data continuing to grow at unprecedented rates, many hyperscale and cloud storage customers know that their workloads trend toward data that is written sequentially. In these instances, customers are optimizing their infrastructures with the lowest TCO and the maximum capacity,” said Eyal Bek, vice president of product marketing, Western Digital.

“By capitalizing on our highest-capacity SMR storage solutions, our customers’ investment can not only be fully leveraged today, but for subsequent generations of SMR areal density improvements for continued infrastructure optimization.”

Western Digital Ultrastar DC HC620 HDD is already available to select customers, with general availability announced as “later this quarter”.