22 TB hard drives from WD

Issue 5 2022 News & Events

When it comes to data, everything is growing, quantity, size, format, resolution, use cases, applications, value and more. As people and businesses look for solutions to effectively and efficiently store their data in the zettabyte era, Western Digital HDDs continue to play a critical role in delivering massive capacity, performance and reliability.

Western Digital is now shipping new 22 TB[1] HDDs targeting three key segments: WD Gold HDDs for IT/data centre channel customers, WD Red Pro for network attached storage (NAS), and WD Purple Pro for smart video/surveillance. These new drives are loaded with industry-firsts, including OptiNAND technology, energy-assisted PMR (ePMR), triple-stage actuator (TSA) and HelioSeal, to deliver the industry’s highest areal density at 2.2 TB per platter, delivering 22 TB CMR HDDs for its customers.

Said Ravi Pendekanti, senior vice president of product management and marketing, HDD Business Unit at Western Digital. “From the cloud to the edge, Western Digital’s hard drives play a vital role in storing, protecting, capturing and analysing data that’s shaping nearly every aspect of our digital lives.”

WD Gold enterprise-class HDDs

Cloud and enterprise data centre architects continue to squeeze every drop of investment out of their IT infrastructure. The economics of storing every bit matters, and factors like capacity, density, energy use, sustainability and more all play a critical role in helping to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO). Moving to the industry’s highest available CMR HDD capacity can help. Western Digital’s new, enterprise-class, 22 TB WD Gold CMR HDD with OptiNAND technology gives users the ability to lower TCO by increasing storage in the same footprint or by reducing racks, which can help reduce costs, such as adding more racks, network, power, cooling, cabling, etc.

Unique to Western Digital is its OptiNAND-enabled ArmorCache technology that combines the performance of write cache enabled mode with the data protection of write cache disabled mode without having to compromise by choosing between the two. With a full portfolio of solutions ranging from 1 TB to 22 TB[2], these reliable WD Gold HDDs are ideal for demanding storage environments, providing up to 2.5 M hours MTBF[2], vibration protection technology and a low power draw thanks to HelioSeal technology (for 12 TB and above).

WD Red Pro HDDs support all major NAS systems

Work from home has accelerated, and many small office/home office workers or SMBs are struggling to keep up with rapidly growing amounts of data. The new 22 TB WD Red Pro CMR HDD with OptiNAND technology is ideal for those who have high-capacity storage needs, or for those who have reached the maximum capacity on their existing network-attached storage (NAS) system.

Engineered specifically for NAS systems with up to 24 bays, WD Red Pro HDDs are optimised for multi-user environments and are designed to handle high-intensity workloads in 24/7 environments. WD Red Pro HDDs are ideal for storing, protecting, archiving, and sharing massive amounts of data with many users and can handle multiple data-hungry applications such as file sync and sharing, backup/archive, multimedia repository and private cloud storage. The WD Red Pro family comes in capacities ranging from 2 to 22 TB.

WD Purple Pro HDDs for advanced AI-enabled video surveillance

Smart video surveillance is on the rise, bringing increased storage requirements along with it. For example, high-resolution cameras are capturing multiple video, picture and metadata streams per camera; AI and video analytics are placing new demands on quantity, quality and retention of video data; and deep-learning solutions are needing more video to train AI algorithms, all while video-surveillance-as-a-service (VSaaS) customers are needing purpose-built storage to efficiently manage this data at scale.

The 22 TB WD Purple Pro CMR HDD with OptiNAND technology delivers big capacity to address these trends, in a purpose-built enterprise-class drive supporting video analytics servers, and AI and deep-learning systems. The drive features Western Digital’s exclusive AllFrame AI technology that supports 32 AI streams for deep-learning analytics within the system while helping to reduce dropped frames. WD Purple Pro drives are optimised to handle up to 64 single-stream HD cameras[3] as well as many of the latest smart cameras that transmit multiple streams. It offers high reliability with a MTBF of up to 2.5 million hours for advanced smart video solutions that operate in 24/7 environments. The WD Purple Pro HDD family now comes in 8-22 TB capacities.

Find out more at www.westerndigital.com

[1]One terabyte (TB) is equal to one trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may vary depending on the operating environment.

[2]MTBF and AFR specifications are based on a sample population and are estimated by statistical measurements and acceleration algorithms under typical operating conditions.

[3]Single stream per camera @ 3.2Mbps (1080p, H.265, 25 fps). Results may vary depending on camera resolution, file format, frames per second, software, system settings, video quality, and other factors.




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Gallagher Security strengthens KwaZulu-Natal presence
Gallagher News & Events Integrated Solutions
Gallagher Security has reinforced its commitment to the KwaZulu-Natal region with its Command the Future event. The full-day event welcomed over 100 channel partners, end users, and consultants, marking Gallagher’s third major event in Durban.

Read more...
Rise in malicious insider threat reports
News & Events Information Security
Mimecast Study finds 46% of SA organisations report a rise in malicious insider threat reports over the past year: reveals disconnect between security awareness and technical controls as AI-powered attacks accelerate.

Read more...
Centurion raises the bar at HomeSec Expo
Centurion Systems News & Events Access Control & Identity Management Residential Estate (Industry) Smart Home Automation Commercial (Industry)
Centurion Systems unveiled its latest product lines at HomeSec Expo 2026, introducing SMART+, a simpler way for installers and end users to manage their Centurion installations - as well as a few new products.

Read more...
Duxbury SA Milesight distributor
Duxbury Networking News & Events Surveillance
Duxbury Networking has been appointed the exclusive distributor of Milesight surveillance solutions in South Africa, expanding its surveillance portfolio with a platform designed to deliver AI-driven analytics, rapid deployment, and open integration for modern security environments.

Read more...
New campaign exploiting Google Tasks notifications
News & Events Information Security
New phishing scheme abuses legitimate Google Tasks notifications to trick corporate users into revealing corporate login credentials, which can then be used to gain unauthorised access to company systems, steal data, or launch further attacks.

Read more...
SMARTpod talks about HomeSec Expo 2026
SMART Security Solutions Technews Publishing News & Events Residential Estate (Industry) Videos
SMARTpod, the podcast from SMART Security Solutions, finds out more about the upcoming HomeSec Expo happening at Gallagher Estate on 4 & 5 March 2026.

Read more...
“This Is Theft!” SASA slams Mafoko Security
News & Events Security Services & Risk Management Associations
The Security Association of South Africa (SASA) has issued a stark warning that the long-running Mafoko Security Patrols scandal is no longer an isolated case of employer misconduct, but evidence of a systemic failure in South Africa’s regulatory and governance structures.

Read more...
Coordinated efforts lead to successful crime response
News & Events Surveillance Integrated Solutions
A synchronised operation involving Vumacam’s control room operators, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), and 24/7 Drone Force, resulted in the successful identification and apprehension of a suspect linked to a reported theft case.

Read more...
2025 Global OSPAs winners
News & Events
Bringing together the very best of the global security industry, the second Global Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) was streamed live to a worldwide audience on 05 February 2026.

Read more...
New commercial and technical appointments at Veeam
News & Events Infrastructure
Veeam Software has announced two senior appointments in its South African business as it continues to invest in local market growth and partner and customer engagement.

Read more...










While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.