Seagate Ships 30TB Drives to Meet Global Surge in Data Center AI Storage Demand

Seagate 30TB Exos and IronWolf Pro hard drives on tech display table

Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ: STX), a global leader in mass-capacity data storage, has introduced the global channel availability of up to 30TB Exos® M and IronWolf® Pro hard drives. Built on Seagate’s Mozaic 3+™ platform and powered by HAMR (heat-assisted magnetic recording) technology, these drives are designed for scalable, high-performance storage. Demand is rising rapidly due to the surge in AI deployments that now complement traditional enterprise infrastructure.

Having shipped over one million Mozaic hard drives, Seagate marks more than just a milestone, it underscores the strength and maturity of its next-generation storage technology. According to Melyssa Banda, SVP of Edge Storage and Services at Seagate, “Today, approximately 90% of the world’s data is stored in just 10 countries. However, data gravity is increasingly pulling networks to the edge as nearly 150 countries adopt data sovereignty requirements, and AI workloads continue to expand.”

She emphasized that on-prem, private, and sovereign data centers are leveraging AI to unlock value from proprietary data. Seagate’s new 30TB drives, therefore, arrive at the perfect time delivering the capacity, efficiency, and durability these workloads require.

Industry Voices Affirm Strategic Role of High-Capacity Drives in AI Growth

Experts agree that data infrastructure is undergoing a significant shift. Ed Burns, Research Director at IDC, noted that “hyperscalers and enterprise data centers are in the early stages of an all-out arms race to develop AI infrastructure.” While high-capacity HDDs may not offer low latency, they remain indispensable for storing vast foundational datasets essential for training large AI models.

Burns pointed out that organizations increasingly seek to improve data center density while reducing power usage and physical footprint. Seagate’s Exos 30TB drive, the highest-density HDD currently available, addresses this need. Moreover, Seagate’s HAMR product roadmap is positioned to accelerate storage growth, offering competitive advantages for enterprises focused on AI and big data.

Meanwhile, HPE predicts the on-prem AI market will grow at an impressive 90% CAGR, reaching $42 billion in three years. NVIDIA also highlights the significance of AI factories reimagined data centers that convert data into real-time intelligence. Clearly, as AI becomes core to business strategy, storage modernization becomes mission-critical.

On-Prem and Edge AI Drive Demand for Intelligent Storage Solutions

AI at the edge is no longer hypothetical, it’s already in motion. IDC reports that industries such as retail, manufacturing, and financial services are actively deploying AI for applications like video analytics, fraud detection, and predictive maintenance. This shift is also accelerating the adoption of disaggregated storage architectures that enable scalable, flexible performance.

The Seagate Exos M 30TB drive supports this evolution. It delivers high-capacity, energy-efficient storage that scales with operational needs while optimizing data placement and enabling real-time edge analytics.

Simultaneously, on-premise NAS systems are transforming into intelligent data hubs. These systems now handle complex workloads such as retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), image recognition, and edge inferencing. This transformation is fueled by the convergence of AI, IoT, and hybrid cloud environments. Consequently, high-integrity NAS solutions with low latency and high throughput are in high demand.

Market research suggests the NAS segment will grow at over 17% CAGR through 2034. Dhaval Panara of QNAP noted that their NAS systems support local AI workloads using Seagate’s IronWolf Pro 30TB drives, which ensure fast access and scalable architecture. Similarly, Evan Li of UGREEN emphasized the drives’ reliability and ability to support AI at the edge.

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Availability and Pricing

The Seagate Exos M 30TB and 28TB, as well as IronWolf Pro 30TB and 28TB, are now available via Seagate’s online store and authorized partners globally.