3. Flash Storage Sales To Bloom

The storage industry in 2017 will see the majority of storage capacity sold in all-flash storage solutions, and not on disk. This is due to the continuing downward spiral of flash storage media costs combined with drops in overall costs connected to operating flash storage versus disk storage, including lower power and cooling costs and fewer support issues.

Watch for storage capacity to be big news in 2017, with 32-TB and 64-TB drives coming to market in 3.25-inch form factors, and more 2.5-inch form factor flash drives breaking the 20-TB mark.

Solution providers, on whom much if not the majority of storage sales depend, have started adjusting their sales strategies accordingly. Already, a handful are selling only all-flash storage solutions, and it's an easy bet to assume a half or more of such companies will convert to all-flash sales in 2017.