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2024 data storage conference lineup spotlights AI, memory
The 2024 storage conference calendar featured several high-profile events. Vendors released product updates at these shows while experts discussed top storage trends.
The 2024 data storage conference calendar was loaded.
Top shows ran throughout the year and featured heavyweight sponsor organizations such as Dell and HPE. As is the case throughout the tech industry, AI was a theme that ran through the storage conference lineup this year. Memory technologies and the edge were among the other major topics.
Conferences were generally back to being in person following the pandemic, although many have a virtual element, such as on-demand video for people who couldn't attend. This list is presented in chronological order.
MemCon, March 26-27, Mountain View, Calif.
MemCon returned for its second year. Topics for 2024 included AI and machine learning, Compute Express Link, new memory architectures, and systems infrastructure and architecture. Speakers were from companies including AMD, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix and Samsung Electronics. MemCon has announced it will return in 2025.
Dell Technologies World, May 20-23, Las Vegas
Dell Technologies World is a mainstay on the data storage conference calendar. This year's conference had a major focus on AI, with several AI-focused product launches, including a generative AI assistant in Apex AIOps. Dell also revamped its PowerStore storage array line. Other main topics featured the edge, the modern data center, the modern workplace, and as-a-service and multi-cloud. Storage-specific sessions covered file storage, Kubernetes, multi-cloud and unstructured data, among other topics. Dell has announced that its show will return May 19-22, 2025.
HPE Discover, June 17-20, Las Vegas
HPE Discover spotlighted three major areas for the 2024 show: edge, hybrid cloud and AI. HPE announced several launches at the conference, including a partnership with Nvidia that adds generative AI capabilities to the GreenLake platform. Sessions included a keynote by HPE CEO Antonio Neri and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, which is available on demand. Atmosphere, the HPE Aruba Networking user event, ran concurrently with Discover and shone a spotlight on the edge. HPE has announced the 2025 Discover show will run the week of June 23, 2025.
Pure//Accelerate, June 18-21, Las Vegas
Pure//Accelerate ran in the same week and location as HPE Discover, and it had a similar focus. All-flash vendor Pure Storage emphasized AI, launching AI-focused features such as a copilot for data management and data protection. Speakers included Pure Storage's CEO Charles Giancarlo and founder John Colgrove. Video highlights are available online.
FMS: The Future of Memory and Storage, Aug. 6-8, Santa Clara, Calif.
FMS: The Future of Memory and Storage, previously known as Flash Memory Summit, featured a new look and broader focus, according to the event's website. Tracks included AI and machine learning applications, business strategies and memory markets, DRAM, UCIe and chiplets, and SSD technology. Keynotes featured representatives from such companies as Kioxia, Samsung, SK Hynix and Western Digital. The 2025 show is scheduled for Aug. 5-7.
SNIA Developer Conference, Sept. 16-18, Santa Clara, Calif.
The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) Developer Conference returned under a slightly different name. Speakers were from HPE, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and Samsung, among other vendors. Sessions, which are available online, covered topics such as the role of storage in AI computing, future architectural changes to storage and memory, storage management and DNA storage. SNIA has announced the show will return Sept. 15-17, 2025.
But wait, there's more
Here are other 2024 conferences that ran throughout the year:
- Red Hat Summit, May 6-9, Denver.
- SNIA Compute, Memory and Storage Summit, May 21-22, virtual.
- Nutanix .NEXT, May 21-23, Barcelona, Spain.
- VMware Explore, Aug. 26-29, Las Vegas.
- Nasuni CloudBound, Sept. 5, virtual.
- NetApp Insight, Sept. 23-25, Las Vegas.
- KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America, Nov. 12-15, Salt Lake City.
- SC24, Nov. 17-22, Atlanta.
- AWS re:Invent, Dec. 2-6, Las Vegas.
Paul Crocetti is an executive editor at TechTarget Editorial. Since 2015, he has worked on TechTarget's Storage, Data Backup and Disaster Recovery sites.
