KIOXIA Redefines Hyperscale Digital Storage with Software-Enabled Flash Technology

Innovation Provides Granular Control of Flash Storage for Hyperscale Environments

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 28, 2020 – KIOXIA America, Inc. (formerly Toshiba Memory America, Inc.) today announced the introduction of Software-Enabled Flash™ (SEF), a new technology that combines software flexibility, host control and flash native semantics into a flash native API and purpose-built controller. Targeted to data center directors, architects and developers, SEF technology makes flash easier to manage, more timely to deploy and more predictable in nature – putting the power in programmers’ hands.

With hyperscale computing redefining storage and virtualization, the race is on to orchestrate digital storage for cloud applications in a way that drives greater efficiency at scale. Effectively and efficiently utilizing flash for stable, predictable latency in ever-changing cloud workloads through direct host management of flash will quickly be critical to realizing these much-needed efficiencies.

Past efforts to provide a market solution for hyperscalers have not been widely adopted, as these attempts have all been extensions of the HDD paradigm. Taking a completely different approach, KIOXIA designed SEF to free developers from narrowly defined “drive” behaviors by fundamentally changing the relationship between solid-state storage and the host in cloud environments. SEF bypasses legacy HDD storage paradigms to unlock true host control and enable the use of flash at its natural speed.  

Additionally, SEF enables architects to maximize the benefits of their investments in solid state storage, including the unprecedented ability to freely and flexibly define storage behaviors between the host and the flash. The API abstracts generational differences, eliminating the need for developers to modify code with each new version of flash.

“As the inventor of flash memory, KIOXIA is perfectly positioned to introduce this game-changing approach to deploying flash at scale,” noted Eric Ries, SVP, Memory Storage Strategy Division (MSSD), KIOXIA America, Inc. “Our customers have been pushing for the ability to drive operational efficiency in the data center programmatically, and SEF technology will meet this need by placing access and control of flash directly in the hands of hyperscale programmers.”

SEF hardware is compliant with PCIe® standards, enabling a large ecosystem and accelerating open innovation across multiple products. For more information, please visit www.kioxia.com and www.SoftwareEnabledFlash.com.

About KIOXIA America, Inc.
KIOXIA America, Inc. (formerly Toshiba Memory America, Inc.) is the U.S.-based subsidiary of KIOXIA Corporation, a leading worldwide supplier of flash memory and solid state drives (SSDs). From the invention of flash memory to today’s breakthrough BiCS FLASH™ 3D technology, KIOXIA continues to pioneer cutting-edge memory solutions and services that enrich people's lives and expand society's horizons. The company's innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, SSDs, automotive, and data centers. For more information, please visit KIOXIA.com.

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  • Information in this press release, including product pricing and specifications, content of services, and contact information is current and believed to be accurate on the date of the announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice. Technical and application information contained here is subject to the most recent applicable KIOXIA product specifications.