Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals
Case studies in technology hardware, storage & peripherals.
Apple — Who Pays for Openness?
On 25 January 2024, Apple announced major changes to iOS, Safari and the App Store in the European Union. Among them: iPhone users would be able to install apps from alternative marketplaces, and developers could use payment providers other than Apple’s in-app purchase system. Apple also announced new EU commercial terms for developers who wanted those capabilities. Read case
Dell Technologies — Allocating Scarce Components
Assume a hypothetical Dell operating committee must set rules for next-quarter allocation of scarce memory and other constrained components. The rules will apply across AI servers, traditional servers and networking, and storage, and will govern how customer readiness, order commitment, credit exposure, and supplier commitments affect priority. Read case
Everpure: Funding the Next Growth Vectors
On September 23, Everpure set out a broader growth plan for the years ahead. Management described four vectors: Core and Core AI; Modern Data Software; Scale AI; and Hyperscale Solutions. The company said the newer vectors were expected to contribute about 20% of revenue by fiscal 2030 and offered a preliminary fiscal 2028 outlook. Read case
Hewlett Packard Enterprise: How much AI demand should supply chain commit to?
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) had just reported record quarterly revenue and record AI-systems revenue. The results also showed how difficult it could be to convert interest into durable orders: during the quarter HPE booked approximately $1.2 billion in AI-systems orders, then removed a $700 million order over concern about a specific customer. Read case
HP Inc.: Sequencing the AI-PC Portfolio
On March 1, 2024, a hypothetical HP product strategy team is preparing for the next stage of its PC roadmap. HP has introduced its first laptops using Intel Core Ultra processors and says additional products with silicon and software partners will come in the following quarters. Read case
NetApp: Is an AI-Ready Data Platform Producing Durable Growth?
On September 2, NetApp reported revenue of $2.025 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2027, up 30% from the year-earlier quarter. Product revenue rose 51%, all-flash revenue increased 47%, and Public Cloud revenue rose 28%. The company also raised its full-year outlook. Read case
One Stop Systems — From Design-In to Delivery
One Stop Systems, Inc. (OSS) designs and manufactures rugged, high-performance computing, switching, and storage systems for edge applications such as sensor processing, autonomy, and AI. Its products operate in demanding environments on aircraft, ships, vehicles, and mobile command systems, as well as in commercial applications. , Note 1, lines 525–533; MD&A, lines 1068–1076. Read case
SanDisk: How Much NAND Should Be Promised?
During FY2027, as of September 18, 2026, SanDisk’s CEO and board must set rules for signing or expanding New Business Model (NBM) agreements through FY2030. Should multi-year NBMs remain the predominant way SanDisk serves Datacenter and Edge customers? Read case
Seagate — Scaling HAMR Without Losing the Ramp
Seagate Technology Holdings has entered a new phase in its transition to heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). Its Mozaic 4+ platform can support drives of up to 44 terabytes (TB), and Seagate said in March 2026 that the product was qualified and in production with two hyperscale cloud providers. More qualifications were underway. Read case
Supermicro: building the AI data center
Super Micro Computer, Inc. (Supermicro) had grown rapidly as customers invested in AI computing. Its strategy was to broaden beyond servers and storage into a more integrated data-center offering: computing, networking, power, cooling, software, deployment and support. The company called this approach Data Center Building Block Solutions (DCBBS). Read case
Western Digital: Separate HDD and Flash Now—or Wait?
On August 8, 2024, Western Digital Corporation (WDC) filed its annual report for the fiscal year ended June 28. Its board had unanimously authorized management to pursue separating the company’s hard disk drive (HDD) and Flash businesses into two independent public companies. Management was targeting completion in the second half of 2024. Read case