FLASH STORAGE IN THE DATA CENTER


Flash storage offers unique benefits to enterprises that are grappling with exploding data volumes and slow, unpredictable data access. As all-flash storage solutions become increasingly affordable relative to spinning disk, enterprises can now realize flash benefits at scale, including: 

Accelerated application performance. This is often the first benefit that people think of when they think of flash. With 20x the performance of HDD technology, flash can accelerate common enterprise applications, such as Oracle Database, MS-SQL, SAP, and VDI, as well as big data analytics such as Hadoop and NoSQL databases. The speed of flash enables customers to access information faster and more effectively. It frees IT staff to focus more on strategic business goals and less on unplanned fire drills. And it empowers the business to capitalize on new opportunities, outcomes, and markets with increased productivity and faster time to market.

Improved data center economics. With the development of high-density flash technologies, today’s all-flash storage solutions offer faster performance and higher capacity in a fraction of the data center footprint. As their data volumes continue to grow, enterprises can see significant cost savings over time from simplified management and a reduction in space, power, and cooling costs.

Future-proof infrastructure. Modernizing your data center with flash is a critical step in digital transformation, but it's important to choose a flash system that supports changing business needs. Not all flash solutions are created equal. All-flash systems that offer nondisruptive scale-out make it possible to start small and grow big. Flash storage that is NVMe-ready can also help future-proof your infrastructure for new technologies and eliminate costly and disruptive forklift upgrades. If your IT strategy calls for a potential cloud element down the road, a flash system that supports cloud integration gives you maximum flexibility for the future.

With the industry’s most cloud-integrated all-flash storage and the most flexibility to support new flash technologies, NetApp makes it easy for you to take advantage of innovations in flash without disrupting your business.

Hard drive storage will soon become part of computing history, says expert

Hard drive storage will soon become part of computing history, says expert
Hard disk drives will soon become obsolete
baloon111/iStock
Data storage on hard drives will soon become a thing of the past, according to an expert Shawn Rosemarin, Vice President, R&D and Customer Engineering – Pure Storage. According to Rosemarin, we could see the last hard drive being sold in just about five years from now, PC Gamer reported.

Most computer users have long migrated to cloud storage solutions when it comes to safely storing their data. With content being streamed on smartphones and tablets practically everywhere, there is little reason to own a hard drive these days.

Most laptops and computers too are equipped with solid-state drives, so the question is, where are hard drives even used?

The Last of the Hard Drives

Back in 1956, IBM unveiled the 305 RAMDAC, which was likely the first computer to run a hard drive with a magnetic disk. The entire assembly took up a sizeable portion of the room but offered nothing over 5 MB of conventional storage capacity.

Fast forward 50 years, storage capacities had zoomed to one terabyte, and the size of the drive itself had reduced to the palm. When writing this, one can buy 22 TB storage for regular use and even 26 TB models for use in data centers.

The problem, however, according to Rosemarin, is that the world spends three percent of its energy on data centers, most of which is to spin the hard drive’s disk. Shifting to flash storage could reduce power consumption by as much as 90 percent. This is why the shift away from magnetic storage is inevitable.


Hard disk drives will soon become part of computer junk that nobody looks at
Adam Smigielski/iStock
The major hurdle, according to Rosemarin, is the cost of flash storage. A 100TB flash storage costs $40,000, which is exorbitant when hard drive storage for similar capacity costs about $2,000. But as with computing hardware, prices tumble very quickly, and the SSD will also meet the same fate, sooner or later.

Whether the last hard drive is sold in 2028 or not could be the topic of a moot discussion, but its place in computing is almost cemented. The timeline could be pushed up even further if newer storage solutions are discovered during this time.

If you’d like to salvage a piece of history, then now might be a good time to pick a new hard drive for memory’s sake. Else you will be left searching for them, just like we do with floppy disks now.

Hard drive storage will soon become part of computing history, says expert

Data storage on hard drives will soon become a thing of the past, according to an expert Shawn Rosemarin, Vice President, R&D and Customer Engineering – Pure Storage. According to Rosemarin, we could see the last hard drive being sold in just about five years from now, PC Gamer reported.

Most computer users have long migrated to cloud storage solutions when it comes to safely storing their data. With content being streamed on smartphones and tablets practically everywhere, there is little reason to own a hard drive these days.

Most laptops and computers too are equipped with solid-state drives, so the question is, where are hard drives even used?

The Last of the Hard Drives

Back in 1956, IBM unveiled the 305 RAMDAC, which was likely the first computer to run a hard drive with a magnetic disk. The entire assembly took up a sizeable portion of the room but offered nothing over 5 MB of conventional storage capacity.

Fast forward 50 years, storage capacities had zoomed to one terabyte, and the size of the drive itself had reduced to the palm. When writing this, one can buy 22 TB storage for regular use and even 26 TB models for use in data centers.

The problem, however, according to Rosemarin, is that the world spends three percent of its energy on data centers, most of which is to spin the hard drive’s disk. Shifting to flash storage could reduce power consumption by as much as 90 percent. This is why the shift away from magnetic storage is inevitable.


Hard disk drives will soon become part of computer junk that nobody looks at
Adam Smigielski/iStock
The major hurdle, according to Rosemarin, is the cost of flash storage. A 100TB flash storage costs $40,000, which is exorbitant when hard drive storage for similar capacity costs about $2,000. But as with computing hardware, prices tumble very quickly, and the SSD will also meet the same fate, sooner or later.

Whether the last hard drive is sold in 2028 or not could be the topic of a moot discussion, but its place in computing is almost cemented. The timeline could be pushed up even further if newer storage solutions are discovered during this time.

If you’d like to salvage a piece of history, then now might be a good time to pick a new hard drive for memory’s sake. Else you will be left searching for them, just like we do with floppy disks now.

Hard drive storage will soon become part of computing history, says expert


Data storage on hard drives will soon become a thing of the past, according to an expert Shawn Rosemarin, Vice President, R&D and Customer Engineering – Pure Storage. According to Rosemarin, we could see the last hard drive being sold in just about five years from now, PC Gamer reported.

Most computer users have long migrated to cloud storage solutions when it comes to safely storing their data. With content being streamed on smartphones and tablets practically everywhere, there is little reason to own a hard drive these days.

Most laptops and computers too are equipped with solid-state drives, so the question is, where are hard drives even used?

The Last of the Hard Drives

Back in 1956, IBM unveiled the 305 RAMDAC, which was likely the first computer to run a hard drive with a magnetic disk. The entire assembly took up a sizeable portion of the room but offered nothing over 5 MB of conventional storage capacity.

Fast forward 50 years, storage capacities had zoomed to one terabyte, and the size of the drive itself had reduced to the palm. When writing this, one can buy 22 TB storage for regular use and even 26 TB models for use in data centers.

The problem, however, according to Rosemarin, is that the world spends three percent of its energy on data centers, most of which is to spin the hard drive’s disk. Shifting to flash storage could reduce power consumption by as much as 90 percent. This is why the shift away from magnetic storage is inevitable.

The major hurdle, according to Rosemarin, is the cost of flash storage. A 100TB flash storage costs $40,000, which is exorbitant when hard drive storage for similar capacity costs about $2,000. But as with computing hardware, prices tumble very quickly, and the SSD will also meet the same fate, sooner or later.

Whether the last hard drive is sold in 2028 or not could be the topic of a moot discussion, but its place in computing is almost cemented. The timeline could be pushed up even further if newer storage solutions are discovered during this time.

If you’d like to salvage a piece of history, then now might be a good time to pick a new hard drive for memory’s sake. Else you will be left searching for them, just like we do with floppy disks now.

Hard drive storage will soon become part of computing history, says expert


Data storage on hard drives will soon become a thing of the past, according to an expert Shawn Rosemarin, Vice President, R&D and Customer Engineering – Pure Storage. According to Rosemarin, we could see the last hard drive being sold in just about five years from now, PC Gamer reported.

Most computer users have long migrated to cloud storage solutions when it comes to safely storing their data. With content being streamed on smartphones and tablets practically everywhere, there is little reason to own a hard drive these days.

Most laptops and computers too are equipped with solid-state drives, so the question is, where are hard drives even used?

The Last of the Hard Drives

Back in 1956, IBM unveiled the 305 RAMDAC, which was likely the first computer to run a hard drive with a magnetic disk. The entire assembly took up a sizeable portion of the room but offered nothing over 5 MB of conventional storage capacity.

Fast forward 50 years, storage capacities had zoomed to one terabyte, and the size of the drive itself had reduced to the palm. When writing this, one can buy 22 TB storage for regular use and even 26 TB models for use in data centers.

The problem, however, according to Rosemarin, is that the world spends three percent of its energy on data centers, most of which is to spin the hard drive’s disk. Shifting to flash storage could reduce power consumption by as much as 90 percent. This is why the shift away from magnetic storage is inevitable.

Hard disk drives will soon become part of computer junk that nobody looks at
Adam Smigielski/iStock
The major hurdle, according to Rosemarin, is the cost of flash storage. A 100TB flash storage costs $40,000, which is exorbitant when hard drive storage for similar capacity costs about $2,000. But as with computing hardware, prices tumble very quickly, and the SSD will also meet the same fate, sooner or later.

Whether the last hard drive is sold in 2028 or not could be the topic of a moot discussion, but its place in computing is almost cemented. The timeline could be pushed up even further if newer storage solutions are discovered during this time.

If you’d like to salvage a piece of history, then now might be a good time to pick a new hard drive for memory’s sake. Else you will be left searching for them, just like we do with floppy disks now.

Hard drive storage will soon become part of computing history, says expert

Data storage on hard drives will soon become a thing of the past, according to an expert Shawn Rosemarin, Vice President, R&D and Customer Engineering – Pure Storage. According to Rosemarin, we could see the last hard drive being sold in just about five years from now, PC Gamer reported.

Most computer users have long migrated to cloud storage solutions when it comes to safely storing their data. With content being streamed on smartphones and tablets practically everywhere, there is little reason to own a hard drive these days.

Most laptops and computers too are equipped with solid-state drives, so the question is, where are hard drives even used?

The Last of the Hard Drives

Back in 1956, IBM unveiled the 305 RAMDAC, which was likely the first computer to run a hard drive with a magnetic disk. The entire assembly took up a sizeable portion of the room but offered nothing over 5 MB of conventional storage capacity.

Fast forward 50 years, storage capacities had zoomed to one terabyte, and the size of the drive itself had reduced to the palm. When writing this, one can buy 22 TB storage for regular use and even 26 TB models for use in data centers.

The problem, however, according to Rosemarin, is that the world spends three percent of its energy on data centers, most of which is to spin the hard drive’s disk. Shifting to flash storage could reduce power consumption by as much as 90 percent. This is why the shift away from magnetic storage is inevitable.

The major hurdle, according to Rosemarin, is the cost of flash storage. A 100TB flash storage costs $40,000, which is exorbitant when hard drive storage for similar capacity costs about $2,000. But as with computing hardware, prices tumble very quickly, and the SSD will also meet the same fate, sooner or later.

Whether the last hard drive is sold in 2028 or not could be the topic of a moot discussion, but its place in computing is almost cemented. The timeline could be pushed up even further if newer storage solutions are discovered during this time.

If you’d like to salvage a piece of history, then now might be a good time to pick a new hard drive for memory’s sake. Else you will be left searching for them, just like we do with floppy disks now.

Hi Mr OTB, Im not an expert by any means and I'm not sure when HDDs will be obsolete. However I feel its days are numbered.

Here's an informative article with regard to HDDs.

Hard drive storage will soon become part of computing history, says expert

Data storage on hard drives will soon become a thing of the past, according to an expert Shawn Rosemarin, Vice President, R&D and Customer Engineering – Pure Storage. According to Rosemarin, we could see the last hard drive being sold in just about five years from now, PC Gamer reported.

Most computer users have long migrated to cloud storage solutions when it comes to safely storing their data. With content being streamed on smartphones and tablets practically everywhere, there is little reason to own a hard drive these days.

Most laptops and computers too are equipped with solid-state drives, so the question is, where are hard drives even used?

The Last of the Hard Drives

Back in 1956, IBM unveiled the 305 RAMDAC, which was likely the first computer to run a hard drive with a magnetic disk. The entire assembly took up a sizeable portion of the room but offered nothing over 5 MB of conventional storage capacity.

Fast forward 50 years, storage capacities had zoomed to one terabyte, and the size of the drive itself had reduced to the palm. When writing this, one can buy 22 TB storage for regular use and even 26 TB models for use in data centers.

The problem, however, according to Rosemarin, is that the world spends three percent of its energy on data centers, most of which is to spin the hard drive’s disk. Shifting to flash storage could reduce power consumption by as much as 90 percent. This is why the shift away from magnetic storage is inevitable.

The major hurdle, according to Rosemarin, is the cost of flash storage. A 100TB flash storage costs $40,000, which is exorbitant when hard drive storage for similar capacity costs about $2,000. But as with computing hardware, prices tumble very quickly, and the SSD will also meet the same fate, sooner or later.

Whether the last hard drive is sold in 2028 or not could be the topic of a moot discussion, but its place in computing is almost cemented. The timeline could be pushed up even further if newer storage solutions are discovered during this time.

If you’d like to salvage a piece of history, then now might be a good time to pick a new hard drive for memory’s sake. Else you will be left searching for them, just like we do with floppy disks now.

https://interestingengineering.com/culture/hard-drive-storage-computing-history

FLASH STORAGE IN THE DATA CENTER

Flash storage offers unique benefits to enterprises that are grappling with exploding data volumes and slow, unpredictable data access. As all-flash storage solutions become increasingly affordable relative to spinning disk, enterprises can now realize flash benefits at scale, including: 

Accelerated application performance. 
This is often the first benefit that people think of when they think of flash. With 20x the performance of HDD technology, flash can accelerate common enterprise applications, such as Oracle Database, MS-SQL, SAP, and VDI, as well as big data analytics such as Hadoop and NoSQL databases. The speed of flash enables customers to access information faster and more effectively. It frees IT staff to focus more on strategic business goals and less on unplanned fire drills. And it empowers the business to capitalize on new opportunities, outcomes, and markets with increased productivity and faster time to market.

Improved data center economics.
 With the development of high-density flash technologies, today’s all-flash storage solutions offer faster performance and higher capacity in a fraction of the data center footprint. As their data volumes continue to grow, enterprises can see significant cost savings over time from simplified management and a reduction in space, power, and cooling costs.

Future-proof infrastructure. 
Modernizing your data center with flash is a critical step in digital transformation, but it's important to choose a flash system that supports changing business needs. Not all flash solutions are created equal. All-flash systems that offer nondisruptive scale-out make it possible to start small and grow big. Flash storage that is NVMe-ready can also help future-proof your infrastructure for new technologies and eliminate costly and disruptive forklift upgrades. If your IT strategy calls for a potential cloud element down the road, a flash system that supports cloud integration gives you maximum flexibility for the future.

Is flash storage the key to effective and sustainable AI?


Agreeing with that finding, Pure Storage’s CEO Charlie Giancarlo asserts that the conventional hard disk drive (HDD) — which consists of a spinning disk to read and write/store data magnetically — will not be able to cope with the demands of an AI-driven organisation. “HDDs used to be in everything, but they’re no longer in your laptop, handphone and more. Today, enterprise mass storage, data centres and hyper scalers are the last remaining bastions of hard disks,” he said in his opening keynote at last month’s Pure//Accelerate 2023 conference in Las Vegas. He also boldly claims that no new HDDs will be sold by 2028 as they will be entirely replaced by flash storage, whose capabilities have been rapidly developing over the years to address the needs of AI.

AI’s requirements

At the same conference, Pure Storage’s chief technology officer Rob Lee shares the IT infrastructure (particularly from storage and computing) requirements for AI.

The first is performance. He explains that AI is a game of “who can collect the most data, feed it into graphics processing units (GPUs) the fastest [for analysis], and repeat the process the most”. Therefore, the infrastructure must enable AI to perform all those tasks efficiently and across different data types such as text, images and video.

https://www.theedgesingapore.com/digitaledge/focus/flash-storage-key-e...


Goldberg
2703 posts
Posted by Goldberg > May 25, 2024 8:16 PM | Report Abuse X

Data Storage

WHAT IS FLASH STORAGE?

Flash storage is a data storage technology based on high-speed, electrically programmable memory. The speed of flash storage is how got its name: It writes data and performs random I/O operations in a flash.

Flash storage uses a type of nonvolatile memory called flash memory. Nonvolatile memory doesn’t require power to maintain the integrity of stored data, so even if your power goes out, you don’t lose your data. In other words, nonvolatile memory won’t “forget” the data it has stored when the disk is turned off.

Flash storage uses memory cells to store data. Cells with previously written data must be erased before new data can be written. Flash storage can also come in several forms, from simple USB sticks to enterprise all-flash arrays.


https://www.netapp.com/data-storage/what-is-flash-storage/


Goldberg
2703 posts
Posted by Goldberg > May 25, 2024 8:18 PM | Report Abuse X

FLASH STORAGE IN THE DATA CENTER

Flash storage offers unique benefits to enterprises that are grappling with exploding data volumes and slow, unpredictable data access. As all-flash storage solutions become increasingly affordable relative to spinning disk, enterprises can now realize flash benefits at scale, including: 

Accelerated application performance. This is often the first benefit that people think of when they think of flash. With 20x the performance of HDD technology, flash can accelerate common enterprise applications, such as Oracle Database, MS-SQL, SAP, and VDI, as well as big data analytics such as Hadoop and NoSQL databases. The speed of flash enables customers to access information faster and more effectively. It frees IT staff to focus more on strategic business goals and less on unplanned fire drills. And it empowers the business to capitalize on new opportunities, outcomes, and markets with increased productivity and faster time to market.
Improved data center economics. With the development of high-density flash technologies, today’s all-flash storage solutions offer faster performance and higher capacity in a fraction of the data center footprint. As their data volumes continue to grow, enterprises can see significant cost savings over time from simplified management and a reduction in space, power, and cooling costs.
Future-proof infrastructure. Modernizing your data center with flash is a critical step in digital transformation, but it's important to choose a flash system that supports changing business needs. Not all flash solutions are created equal. All-flash systems that offer nondisruptive scale-out make it possible to start small and grow big. Flash storage that is NVMe-ready can also help future-proof your infrastructure for new technologies and eliminate costly and disruptive forklift upgrades. If your IT strategy calls for a potential cloud element down the road, a flash system that supports cloud integration gives you maximum flexibility for the future.

Data Storage


WHAT IS FLASH STORAGE?

SSD vs. HDD

Flash Storage in the data center
The future of Flash Storage

Flash storage is a data storage technology based on high-speed, electrically programmable memory. The speed of flash storage is how got its name: It writes data and performs random I/O operations in a flash.

Flash storage uses a type of nonvolatile memory called flash memory. Nonvolatile memory doesn’t require power to maintain the integrity of stored data, so even if your power goes out, you don’t lose your data. In other words, nonvolatile memory won’t “forget” the data it has stored when the disk is turned off.

Flash storage uses memory cells to store data. Cells with previously written data must be erased before new data can be written. Flash storage can also come in several forms, from simple USB sticks to enterprise all-flash arrays.

SSD VS. HDD
Because it uses integrated circuit technology, flash storage is a solid-state technology, meaning it has no moving parts. When flash technology is used for enterprise storage, the term flash drive or flash array is often used interchangeably with solid-state drive (SSD).

SSD technology contrasts with hard disk drive (HDD) technology—the other major type of computer storage, which has been in place since the 1950s. In contrast to SSDs, HDD storage relies on spinning disks, motors, and read/write heads, using magnetism to store data on a rotating platter.

FLASH STORAGE IN THE DATA CENTER

Flash storage offers unique benefits to enterprises that are grappling with exploding data volumes and slow, unpredictable data access. As all-flash storage solutions become increasingly affordable relative to spinning disk, enterprises can now realize flash benefits at scale, including: 

Accelerated application performance. This is often the first benefit that people think of when they think of flash. With 20x the performance of HDD technology, flash can accelerate common enterprise applications, such as Oracle Database, MS-SQL, SAP, and VDI, as well as big data analytics.

THE FUTURE OF FLASH STORAGE

Historically, SSDs have been designed to fit in the same I/O interface as a hard disk drive (HDD), such as the SATA and the SAS interface, to connect to the host computer. Although most SSDs today use 3D TLC NAND-based flash memory, rapid developments in Non-volatile Memory Express (NVMe), NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF), and storage-class memory (SCM) technologies offer tremendous potential in the data center.

NVMe is an interface protocol for accessing flash storage via a PCI Express (PCIe) bus. Unlike traditional all-flash architectures, which are limited to a single, serial command queue, NVMe supports tens of thousands of parallel queues, each with the ability to support tens of thousands of concurrent commands.

NVMe-oF is a host-side interface into storage systems that extends many of the relevant NVMe capabilities over a remote direct memory access (RDMA) or Fibre Channel fabric. With NVMe-oF, it is possible to scale out to large numbers of NVMe devices, even over distances.

SCM, also known as persistent memory (PMEM), is a new type of media technology that is blurring the line between memory and storage because it can be used as either. Examples of SCM include Intel’s 3D XPoint and Samsung’s Z-NAND media.

https://www.netapp.com/data-storage/what-is-flash-storage/

IN FOCUS

Is flash storage the key to effective and sustainable AI?


Legacy IT infrastructure is among the top barriers preventing the pervasive use of AI. Also, research by the International Data Corp found that inadequate or lack of purpose-built infrastructure capabilities often cause AI projects to fail.

Agreeing with that finding, Pure Storage’s CEO Charlie Giancarlo asserts that the conventional hard disk drive (HDD) — which consists of a spinning disk to read and write/store data magnetically — will not be able to cope with the demands of an AI-driven organisation. “HDDs used to be in everything, but they’re no longer in your laptop, handphone and more. Today, enterprise mass storage, data centres and hyper scalers are the last remaining bastions of hard disks,” he said in his opening keynote at last month’s Pure//Accelerate 2023 conference in Las Vegas. He also boldly claims that no new HDDs will be sold by 2028 as they will be entirely replaced by flash storage, whose capabilities have been rapidly developing over the years to address the needs of AI.

AI’s requirements

At the same conference, Pure Storage’s chief technology officer Rob Lee shares the IT infrastructure (particularly from storage and computing) requirements for AI.

The first is performance. He explains that AI is a game of “who can collect the most data, feed it into graphics processing units (GPUs) the fastest [for analysis], and repeat the process the most”. Therefore, the infrastructure must enable AI to perform all those tasks efficiently and across different data types such as text, images and video.

https://www.theedgesingapore.com/digitaledge/focus/flash-storage-key-effective-and-sustainable-ai

Posted by Goldberg > May 25, 2024 8:07 PM | Report Abuse X

Is flash storage the key to effective and sustainable AI?


Agreeing with that finding, Pure Storage’s CEO Charlie Giancarlo asserts that the conventional hard disk drive (HDD) — which consists of a spinning disk to read and write/store data magnetically — will not be able to cope with the demands of an AI-driven organisation. “HDDs used to be in everything, but they’re no longer in your laptop, handphone and more. Today, enterprise mass storage, data centres and hyper scalers are the last remaining bastions of hard disks,” he said in his opening keynote at last month’s Pure//Accelerate 2023 conference in Las Vegas. He also boldly claims that no new HDDs will be sold by 2028 as they will be entirely replaced by flash storage, whose capabilities have been rapidly developing over the years to address the needs of AI.

AI’s requirements

At the same conference, Pure Storage’s chief technology officer Rob Lee shares the IT infrastructure (particularly from storage and computing) requirements for AI.

The first is performance. He explains that AI is a game of “who can collect the most data, feed it into graphics processing units (GPUs) the fastest [for analysis], and repeat the process the most”. Therefore, the infrastructure must enable AI to perform all those tasks efficiently and across different data types such as text, images and video.

https://www.theedgesingapore.com/digitaledge/focus/flash-storage-key-e...


Goldberg
2703 posts
Posted by Goldberg > May 25, 2024 8:16 PM | Report Abuse X

Data Storage

WHAT IS FLASH STORAGE?

Flash storage is a data storage technology based on high-speed, electrically programmable memory. The speed of flash storage is how got its name: It writes data and performs random I/O operations in a flash.

Flash storage uses a type of nonvolatile memory called flash memory. Nonvolatile memory doesn’t require power to maintain the integrity of stored data, so even if your power goes out, you don’t lose your data. In other words, nonvolatile memory won’t “forget” the data it has stored when the disk is turned off.

Flash storage uses memory cells to store data. Cells with previously written data must be erased before new data can be written. Flash storage can also come in several forms, from simple USB sticks to enterprise all-flash arrays.


https://www.netapp.com/data-storage/what-is-flash-storage/


Goldberg
2703 posts
Posted by Goldberg > May 25, 2024 8:18 PM | Report Abuse X

FLASH STORAGE IN THE DATA CENTER

Flash storage offers unique benefits to enterprises that are grappling with exploding data volumes and slow, unpredictable data access. As all-flash storage solutions become increasingly affordable relative to spinning disk, enterprises can now realize flash benefits at scale, including: 

Accelerated application performance. This is often the first benefit that people think of when they think of flash. With 20x the performance of HDD technology, flash can accelerate common enterprise applications, such as Oracle Database, MS-SQL, SAP, and VDI, as well as big data analytics such as Hadoop and NoSQL databases. The speed of flash enables customers to access information faster and more effectively. It frees IT staff to focus more on strategic business goals and less on unplanned fire drills. And it empowers the business to capitalize on new opportunities, outcomes, and markets with increased productivity and faster time to market.
Improved data center economics. With the development of high-density flash technologies, today’s all-flash storage solutions offer faster performance and higher capacity in a fraction of the data center footprint. As their data volumes continue to grow, enterprises can see significant cost savings over time from simplified management and a reduction in space, power, and cooling costs.
Future-proof infrastructure. Modernizing your data center with flash is a critical step in digital transformation, but it's important to choose a flash system that supports changing business needs. Not all flash solutions are created equal. All-flash systems that offer nondisruptive scale-out make it possible to start small and grow big. Flash storage that is NVMe-ready can also help future-proof your infrastructure for new technologies and eliminate costly and disruptive forklift upgrades. If your IT strategy calls for a potential cloud element down the road, a flash system that supports cloud integration gives you maximum flexibility for the future.

Posted by Goldberg > May 25, 2024 8:07 PM | Report Abuse X

Is flash storage the key to effective and sustainable AI?


Agreeing with that finding, Pure Storage’s CEO Charlie Giancarlo asserts that the conventional hard disk drive (HDD) — which consists of a spinning disk to read and write/store data magnetically — will not be able to cope with the demands of an AI-driven organisation. “HDDs used to be in everything, but they’re no longer in your laptop, handphone and more. Today, enterprise mass storage, data centres and hyper scalers are the last remaining bastions of hard disks,” he said in his opening keynote at last month’s Pure//Accelerate 2023 conference in Las Vegas. He also boldly claims that no new HDDs will be sold by 2028 as they will be entirely replaced by flash storage, whose capabilities have been rapidly developing over the years to address the needs of AI.

AI’s requirements

At the same conference, Pure Storage’s chief technology officer Rob Lee shares the IT infrastructure (particularly from storage and computing) requirements for AI.

The first is performance. He explains that AI is a game of “who can collect the most data, feed it into graphics processing units (GPUs) the fastest [for analysis], and repeat the process the most”. Therefore, the infrastructure must enable AI to perform all those tasks efficiently and across different data types such as text, images and video.

https://www.theedgesingapore.com/digitaledge/focus/flash-storage-key-e...


Goldberg
2703 posts
Posted by Goldberg > May 25, 2024 8:16 PM | Report Abuse X

Data Storage

WHAT IS FLASH STORAGE?

Flash storage is a data storage technology based on high-speed, electrically programmable memory. The speed of flash storage is how got its name: It writes data and performs random I/O operations in a flash.

Flash storage uses a type of nonvolatile memory called flash memory. Nonvolatile memory doesn’t require power to maintain the integrity of stored data, so even if your power goes out, you don’t lose your data. In other words, nonvolatile memory won’t “forget” the data it has stored when the disk is turned off.

Flash storage uses memory cells to store data. Cells with previously written data must be erased before new data can be written. Flash storage can also come in several forms, from simple USB sticks to enterprise all-flash arrays.


https://www.netapp.com/data-storage/what-is-flash-storage/


Goldberg
2703 posts
Posted by Goldberg > May 25, 2024 8:18 PM | Report Abuse X

FLASH STORAGE IN THE DATA CENTER

Flash storage offers unique benefits to enterprises that are grappling with exploding data volumes and slow, unpredictable data access. As all-flash storage solutions become increasingly affordable relative to spinning disk, enterprises can now realize flash benefits at scale, including: 

Accelerated application performance. This is often the first benefit that people think of when they think of flash. With 20x the performance of HDD technology, flash can accelerate common enterprise applications, such as Oracle Database, MS-SQL, SAP, and VDI, as well as big data analytics such as Hadoop and NoSQL databases. The speed of flash enables customers to access information faster and more effectively. It frees IT staff to focus more on strategic business goals and less on unplanned fire drills. And it empowers the business to capitalize on new opportunities, outcomes, and markets with increased productivity and faster time to market.
Improved data center economics. With the development of high-density flash technologies, today’s all-flash storage solutions offer faster performance and higher capacity in a fraction of the data center footprint. As their data volumes continue to grow, enterprises can see significant cost savings over time from simplified management and a reduction in space, power, and cooling costs.
Future-proof infrastructure. Modernizing your data center with flash is a critical step in digital transformation, but it's important to choose a flash system that supports changing business needs. Not all flash solutions are created equal. All-flash systems that offer nondisruptive scale-out make it possible to start small and grow big. Flash storage that is NVMe-ready can also help future-proof your infrastructure for new technologies and eliminate costly and disruptive forklift upgrades. If your IT strategy calls for a potential cloud element down the road, a flash system that supports cloud integration gives you maximum flexibility for the future.

FLASH STORAGE IN THE DATA CENTER

Flash storage offers unique benefits to enterprises that are grappling with exploding data volumes and slow, unpredictable data access. As all-flash storage solutions become increasingly affordable relative to spinning disk, enterprises can now realize flash benefits at scale, including: 

Accelerated application performance. This is often the first benefit that people think of when they think of flash. With 20x the performance of HDD technology, flash can accelerate common enterprise applications, such as Oracle Database, MS-SQL, SAP, and VDI, as well as big data analytics such as Hadoop and NoSQL databases. The speed of flash enables customers to access information faster and more effectively. It frees IT staff to focus more on strategic business goals and less on unplanned fire drills. And it empowers the business to capitalize on new opportunities, outcomes, and markets with increased productivity and faster time to market.
Improved data center economics. With the development of high-density flash technologies, today’s all-flash storage solutions offer faster performance and higher capacity in a fraction of the data center footprint. As their data volumes continue to grow, enterprises can see significant cost savings over time from simplified management and a reduction in space, power, and cooling costs.
Future-proof infrastructure. Modernizing your data center with flash is a critical step in digital transformation, but it's important to choose a flash system that supports changing business needs. Not all flash solutions are created equal. All-flash systems that offer nondisruptive scale-out make it possible to start small and grow big. Flash storage that is NVMe-ready can also help future-proof your infrastructure for new technologies and eliminate costly and disruptive forklift upgrades. If your IT strategy calls for a potential cloud element down the road, a flash system that supports cloud integration gives you maximum flexibility for the future.

Data Storage

WHAT IS FLASH STORAGE?

Flash storage is a data storage technology based on high-speed, electrically programmable memory. The speed of flash storage is how got its name: It writes data and performs random I/O operations in a flash.

Flash storage uses a type of nonvolatile memory called flash memory. Nonvolatile memory doesn’t require power to maintain the integrity of stored data, so even if your power goes out, you don’t lose your data. In other words, nonvolatile memory won’t “forget” the data it has stored when the disk is turned off.

Flash storage uses memory cells to store data. Cells with previously written data must be erased before new data can be written. Flash storage can also come in several forms, from simple USB sticks to enterprise all-flash arrays.


https://www.netapp.com/data-storage/what-is-flash-storage/

Is flash storage the key to effective and sustainable AI?


Agreeing with that finding, Pure Storage’s CEO Charlie Giancarlo asserts that the conventional hard disk drive (HDD) — which consists of a spinning disk to read and write/store data magnetically — will not be able to cope with the demands of an AI-driven organisation. “HDDs used to be in everything, but they’re no longer in your laptop, handphone and more. Today, enterprise mass storage, data centres and hyper scalers are the last remaining bastions of hard disks,” he said in his opening keynote at last month’s Pure//Accelerate 2023 conference in Las Vegas. He also boldly claims that no new HDDs will be sold by 2028 as they will be entirely replaced by flash storage, whose capabilities have been rapidly developing over the years to address the needs of AI.

AI’s requirements

At the same conference, Pure Storage’s chief technology officer Rob Lee shares the IT infrastructure (particularly from storage and computing) requirements for AI.

The first is performance. He explains that AI is a game of “who can collect the most data, feed it into graphics processing units (GPUs) the fastest [for analysis], and repeat the process the most”. Therefore, the infrastructure must enable AI to perform all those tasks efficiently and across different data types such as text, images and video.

https://www.theedgesingapore.com/digitaledge/focus/flash-storage-key-effective-and-sustainable-ai

YTL Power International Berhad - Results Came in Within Expectations- TA
-------------------------------------------------------------------=

Source : TA
Stock : YTLPOWR
Price Target : 6.35 |
Price Call : BUY



Review
YTL Power International Berhad’s (YTLPOWR) 9MFY24 core profit of RM2.4bn (more than doubled YoY) came in within expectations at 77% of ours and 79% of consensus’ expectations.
QoQ: 3QFY24 core profit dropped 15.5% QoQ dragged by (i) lower pool prices and retail margin for Power Seraya and (ii) widening LBT at telecommunications segment driven by lower project revenue. This is despite narrower LBT at Wessex water from lower interest accruals on index-linked bonds and higher interest income from shareholder loans at Attarat Power.
YoY: 3QFY24 core earnings surged 32.5% YoY on the back of lower interest expense following loan repayments at Power Seraya and higher shareholder loan interest income from Attarat Power.
YTD: 9MFY24 core profit more than doubled YoY primarily supported by the exceptional performance in Power Seraya from better margins and strengthening of SGD against MYR.
Impact

No change to our earnings forecasts.

Outlook
Power Generation: We expect weaker performance in the segment by FY25 as retail electricity contracts with higher tariffs and favourable hedges for natural gas gradually expire. Nonetheless, the segment is expected to remain as the major profit contributor in the coming quarters.

Water and Sewerage: The segment is expected to register narrower losses moving forward as cost and inflationary pressure eases. The group has submitted its business plan for 2025-2030 to Ofwat in October 2023. Water tariff adjustment, if approved, will be announced by the end of 2024. The segment is expected to turnaround from FY25 onwards.
Telecommunications: The segment is unlikely to turn to PBT yet in the near term. Potential growth will be from AI cloud computing services which will be provided by 60%-owned YTL Communications. AI cloud computing’s demand is surging globally. The group allocated 100MW of its 500MW Green Data Centre for AI cloud computing, but may increase the allocation depending on demand.

Investment Holdings: We are upbeat on YTLPOWR’s 500MW Green Data Centre project. Of note, its phase I 48MW IT Load Hyperscale Data Centre already has Sea Limited as its anchor (taking up 32MW). 8MW has already commenced around mid-May, with 8MW scheduled to be taken up each year. We expect the Data centre to make losses in 4QFY24 due to depreciation expenses. Overall, we do not expect data centre contribution to be significant yet in the near term but will be an important earnings driver once scaled up.
Valuation
We roll forward our base year of valuation and raise our TP for YTLPOWR to RM6.35/share (previous: RM4.48/share) based on SOP valuation. Maintain Buy recommendation.

Source: TA Research - 24 May 2024

YTL Power - AI-DC Game Plan Still on Track; Reiterate BUY


Source : RHB-OSK
Stock : YTLPOWR
Price Target : 6.68
Price Call : BUY




Keep BUY and new MYR6.68 TP from MYR4.69, 24% upside, c.2% FY25F (Jun) yield. The earnings moderation for YTL PowerSeraya in 3QFY24 is largely anticipated due to weaker pool prices and lower retail margins. Moving forward, such earnings moderation will be largely anchored by Wessex Water’s earnings recovery. We remain positive over its long-term earnings potential from AI-DC development, and the near-term catalyst will be the conclusion of the offtaker for its first 20MW (out of 100MW) AI-DC.

Within expectations. 9MFY24 core profit of MYR2.5bn (+1.5x YoY) came within expectations at 78% and 80% of ours and Street’s full-year estimates. First interim DPS of 3sen was declared (3QFY23: 2.5sen).

3QFY24 core profit up 31% YoY to MYR696m on stronger power generation (+5% YoY; from lower interest costs and a stronger SGD despite lower pool prices), masking softer numbers from Wessex Water and widened losses from the telco arm. QoQ, 3Q24 core earnings fell 16%, largely due to lower pool prices and retail margins for power generation segment.

Outlook. The earnings moderation for PowerSeraya in 3QFY24 is largely anticipated due to weaker pool prices and lower retail margins. We reckon such earnings normalisation will happen gradually in FY25 and FY26 as retail contracts still accounted for more than 70% of the output. Meanwhile, management is still in discussions to lock on offtakers for its first 100MW Phase 1 AI-DC and we understand YTLP is in advanced discussions with potential clients for a possible 20MW portion. Management remains confident to kick-start a major part of the project in 12 months. YTLP is also considering leasing the remaining 16MW (out of the 48MW) of its conventional DC to an AI player or allowing YTLComms to convert into AI DC with H100 servers.

As seen in its recent results, Wessex Water’s numbers may remain affected by accounting anomalies/additional finance costs from index-linked bonds, which have no cash impact. However, we expect it to recover more meaningfully in FY25F, backed by annual tariff adjustments. Wessex Water also submitted its 5-year business proposal (2025-2030) to the water services regulation authority (Ofwat), including a higher return and capex allocation. The outcome is likely to be known by end of the year.

We raise FY25F-26F earnings by 5-16% after factoring earnings contribution from AI-DC and stronger recovery from Wessex Water. Our SOP-based TP is lifted to MYR6.68 from MYR4.69 as we impute a higher AI- DC valuation assuming 15x EV/EBITDA (from 12x previously; still below global peers’ average of 18x) with a 60% ramp up (from 20% ) in 100MW DC, USD3bn capex, and 14% IRR. We also applied a 2% ESG discount based on its 2.9 ESG score. Downside risks: Weaker-than-expected plant performance and higher-than-expected operating costs.
Source: RHB Research - 24 May 2024

YTL & YTL Power - The Best Performing Stocks May Again Double Up in AI Driven Rally

https://klse1.i3investor.com/blogs/dragon328/2024-05-23-story-h-161458128-YTL_YTL_Power_The_Best_Performing_Stocks_May_Again_Double_Up_in_AI_Driv.jsp

Message by Sir Francis Yeoh- Chairman

"We continued to see strong results through the third quarter of the 2024 financial year, driven by better performance across the group. All divisions contributed to the higher profit seen for the nine months under review," YTL Corp executive chairman, Tan Sri (Sir) Francis Yeoh Sock Ping said in a statement.

Keyfield International Bhd - Valuation and Growth Is Key

Keyfield specialises in offshore accommodation, chartering of both its own- and third-party accommodation work boat (“AWB”), and providing related onboard services. Premised on its
(i) fleet expansion via acquisition and organic new-builts;
(ii) enhancement of own vessels’ capabilities to increase daily charter rates (“DCR”).

Keyfield s a very well run conpany by an excellent management Team. Poised to cash in on the offshore support vessel (OSV) boom in Malaysia with increasing Daily Charter Rates. Has embarked on expansion during the downcycle of the OSV market in 2014 that enabled it to assemble a young fleet with top-of-the-range specifications at reasonable capital outlays. IPO proceeds are for further expansion in its fleet size and settle loans/preference shares -hence massive savings on interest expense.

TP - EPS of 15 cts x 20 times =RM 3.00 for FYE 2025

The Group target a pay-out ratio of at least 20.0% of its net profit as per their Dividend Policy.

YTL Corp'- Strong 9 months - earnings surge 186pct to RM2.8 bil
----------------------------------------------------------
Message by Chairman-

"We continued to see strong results through the third quarter of the 2024 financial year, driven by better performance across the group. All divisions contributed to the higher profit seen for the nine months under review," YTL Corp executive chairman, Tan Sri (Sir) Francis Yeoh Sock Ping said in a statement.

BREAKING: Nvidia stock, $NVDA, is now trading with a market cap above $2.5 TRILLION for the first time in history.

To put this in perspective, Nvidia is now larger than Tesla and Amazon COMBINED.

Furthermore, Nvidia is now larger than the entire German stock market.

Nvidia is larger than the market cap of the Italian and Australian stock markets COMBINED.

5 years ago, Nvidia had a market cap of just $100 billion.

It is now the 3rd largest public company in the world and 17% away from being larger than Apple.

Truly insane.

LU 80.5 sen bro. not 65.

Nvidia shows no signs of AI slowdown after over 400% increase in data center business.

The AI revolution has only just begun- still a long way to go.

Sit back , relax and enjoy the journey to 4.80- of course expect some turbulence along the way.

Kelington Group - A New Turning Point; Keep---- BUY

Date: 21/05/2024

Source : RHB-OSK. Price Target : 3.35


Kelington Group trades at an undemanding 20x FY25F EPS (-1 SD to KLTEC Index’s 5-year mean), supported by an outstanding orderbook of MYR1.3bn.

RHB upgraded the technology sector to OVERWEIGHT from Neutral on 1 April. We are of the view that the chip sector is in the early days of a new upcycle. The positive view is premised on: i) An uptick in global semiconductor sales, ii) inventory corrections hitting a trough, and iii) strong smartphone-related orders and AI-led component demand. KGB’s unique position as a hook-up contractor for key foundries in China and Singapore puts it in an enviable position to benefit from the sector’s renewed tailwinds.

We expect double-digit YoY growth momentum in revenue/core earnings to continue in 1Q24, supported by the robust ultra-high purity (UHP) progress billings with some seasonal effects (higher base in 4Q23) from the Lunar New Year period. We expect overall GPM to stay at mid-double digit as UHP projects continue to make up the lion share of revenues (4Q23:74%, 4Q22: 72%). This is on top of the rapidly growing higher yielding industrial gas business with the second LCO2 site (70,000 tonnes) coming on stream.

US tariffs on China – a boon for Asia. The recent doubling of tariffs on China semiconductor imports from 2025 was an extension of the US hard line policies implemented during the Trump administration. We see this as further strengthening Malaysia’s attractiveness as an alternative supply chain hub under the China Plus One (C+1) strategy. This should augur well for KGB, being the preferred hook-up and commissioning specialist for most Singapore wafer foundries and existing foundries in Malaysia. KGB’s timely expansion into Germany is also expected to gain traction amid the US-China geopolitical tension.

https://klse1.i3investor.com/blogs/future_tech/2024-05-22-story-h-161464018-How_Nvidia_dominates_the_market_for_ai_chips_technology.jsp

How Nvidia dominates the market for #ai chips #technology

https://klse1.i3investor.com/blogs/future_tech/2024-05-22-story-h-161464018-How_Nvidia_dominates_the_market_for_ai_chips_technology.jsp

No 8 - Synergy

How the utility sector is benefitting from AI

- https://klse1.i3investor.com/blogs/kianweiaritcles/2024-05-22-story-h-...

Yahoo Finance

How the utility sector is benefitting from AI

- https://klse1.i3investor.com/blogs/kianweiaritcles/2024-05-22-story-h-...

Yahoo Finance

YTL -Sea Digital Bank- powered by AI

MoneyLion’s Co-Founder Foong Chee Mun Appointed CPO at YTL-Sea Digital Bank Project

Foong Chee Mun has assumed the role of Chief Product Officer at the YTL-Sea Digital Bank Project, which is among the five entities awarded a digital banking license in Malaysia.

In addition to his new role, Foong also heads YTL AI Labs, where he will be shifting away from traditional product management roles to focus on integrating artificial intelligence in banking solutions.

This appointment comes after Foong’s announcement in January 2023 that he would be leaving his position as Chief Technology Officer at MoneyLion, a company he co-founded nearly ten years ago.

https://fintechnews.my/42271/digital-banking-news-malaysia/moneylions-...

YTL -Sea Digital Bank- powered by AI

MoneyLion’s Co-Founder Foong Chee Mun Appointed CPO at YTL-Sea Digital Bank Project

Foong Chee Mun has assumed the role of Chief Product Officer at the YTL-Sea Digital Bank Project, which is among the five entities awarded a digital banking license in Malaysia.

In addition to his new role, Foong also heads YTL AI Labs, where he will be shifting away from traditional product management roles to focus on integrating artificial intelligence in banking solutions.

This appointment comes after Foong’s announcement in January 2023 that he would be leaving his position as Chief Technology Officer at MoneyLion, a company he co-founded nearly ten years ago.

https://fintechnews.my/42271/digital-banking-news-malaysia/moneylions-...

Thanks @hong for the information.

HB-OSK -TP1.60

Maintain BUY and MYR1.60 TP, 36% upside. We are upbeat with UEM Sunrise’s partnership with ITRAMAS Corp (ITRAMAS) and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) to develop the first renewable energy (RE) industrial park in Johor. We think the partnership is strong given the profile and businesses of ITRAMAS and CMEC. The RE industrial park development is one of the catalytic projects under Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR). More importantly, this initiative is meaningful as it should result in greater job opportunities and commercial activities in Nusajaya.

@ dragon's comments viz Maybank upgrade of YTLP to RM5. 40.

Maybank research is the latest research house to upgrade YTL Power, raising target price from RM4.00 to RM5.40.

While the analyst considers that PowerSeraya's earnings are peaking in FY2024, he raises PowerSeraya's earnings for FY2025 and FY2026, conceding that the earlier downgrade was premature and PowerSeraya earnings will not drop as drastically as in previous reports.

But he is skeptical of the AI data centre busines, giving little earnings projection to YTL Power.

Yet, he concurs with my earlier view that YTLP's utilities businesses (PowerSeraya, Wessex, Jawa Power, Jordan Power) will be able to sustain a net profit of above RM3.0 billion every year for next 3 years.

Hence, I expect Maybank to upgrade further as YTLP's AI data centre business gains traction in coming months.

Here's another view -

YTL POWER - De-coding DC Earnings with a Revised TP of RM 6.25

Author: AmInvest

Investment Highlights

We maintain BUY on YTL Power International (YTLP) with a higher SOP-based fair value of RM6.25/share vs RM5.10/share previously. Our revised fair value implies FY25F PE of 16x and FY26F PE of 13x. We ascribe a 3-star ESG rating to YTLP.

We have accounted for the FY26F earnings potential of data centres (DCs) in YTLP’s SOP valuation. Previously, we used the asset value of the DC in our SOP estimate. We have raised YTLP’s FY25F net profit by 1% to account for earnings from YTL Sentul DC 1 (5MW) and the non-AI section of YTL Joho DC 1 (8MW).

For FY26F, we have raised YTLP’s net earnings by 27% to account for earnings from the AI section of Johor DC 1. We have also assumed that SEA would take up another 8MW o the non-AI DC in FY26F.

@Raymond if you're into high yielding divvy stock, look no further -RHB Bank offers one of the best DY at 7.2% and high scope for cap appreciation- is high currently trading a book value 7.10 VS current MP of RM5.50. Fyi RHB is controlled by EPF -rock solid.

Hi @Raymond Tiruchelvam , Im unable to answer your question but I thought this article may catch your interest.


AEON Bank (M) Bhd.
--------------------
To start Islamic digital operations soon.

KUALA LUMPUR: AEON Bank (M) Bhd, one of the five digital banking licence holders in Malaysia, is set to start operations and launch its banking application by the end of the second quarter this year, says chief executive officer Raja Teh Maimunah Raja Abdul Aziz.

Malaysia’s first Islamic digital bank aims to attract mainly tech-savvy and Generation Z consumers as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) currently underserved due to their size, she said.

The bank will kick-start its operations by offering savings accounts and related transactions for individuals.

“We will (next) launch a minimal viable product, and as we progress, additional products and financing options will follow,” she told Bernama.

To ensure its application is user-friendly and can be accepted by consumers from all walks of life, AEON Bank has done its beta testing among the group’s employees, said Raja Teh Maimunah.

“Digitalisation is the way forward. More people have learned to use online banking (and) we should continue to push it, and at the same time, reduce the hard cash transaction,” she said.

As for the business segment, Raja Teh Maimunah said it will be launched by 2025.

AEON Bank aims to tap into the RM90bil funding gap between large corporations and micro, small and medium enterprises, she added.

“These could be businesses like TikTok or Instagram shops. That is our target segment and it aligns with our role in serving the underserved, which is our mandate.

“These businesses cannot access funding through traditional banks or borrowing methods as credit evaluation needs to be done differently.

“We have to look at different data sources, (the task) of which only a digital platform can do. So, by next year, we will address this gap,” she added.

The bank is working on implementing the Apple Pay feature, which is a digital payment system by Apple Inc, and plans to launch a debit card by the end of this year, according to Raja Teh Maimunah

https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2024/04/22/aeon-bank...

Interesting facts about Aeon Co Malaysia Bhd.

AEON CO. (M) BHD is a leading retailer and one of the largest mall operator in Malaysia with revenue of RM 4.1 billion for the financial year ended 31 December 2023.

The AEON group of companies consist of :-

35 AEON General Merchandise Stores,
28 AEON Malls with 13.4 million sq ft of Net Lettable Area,
7 AEON MaxValu,
64 AEON Wellness Pharmacy and
44 DAISO stores.

Mr DIY its closest rival is trading at a PE of 30.4 times ....Mcap....RM17.6 billion
AEON is currently trading at a........... PE of 14.6 times.....Mcap....RM 1.9 billion

I feel Aeon is undervalued

Just my 2 cents.

YTL POWER - De-coding DC Earnings with a Revised TP of RM 6.25

Author: AmInvest

Investment Highlights

We maintain BUY on YTL Power International (YTLP) with a higher SOP-based fair value of RM6.25/share vs RM5.10/share previously. Our revised fair value implies FY25F PE of 16x and FY26F PE of 13x. We ascribe a 3-star ESG rating to YTLP.

We have accounted for the FY26F earnings potential of data centres (DCs) in YTLP’s SOP valuation. Previously, we used the asset value of the DC in our SOP estimate. We have raised YTLP’s FY25F net profit by 1% to account for earnings from YTL Sentul DC 1 (5MW) and the non-AI section of YTL Joho DC 1 (8MW).

For FY26F, we have raised YTLP’s net earnings by 27% to account for earnings from the AI section of Johor DC 1. We have also assumed that SEA would take up another 8MW o the non-AI DC in FY26F.

We believe that FY26F is a better reflection of the earnings potential of the DCs as there would be a full-year impact o the 100MW AI DC in Johor. The AI DC is expected to star operation at the end of 2024F. As for the non-AI section, SEA is anticipated to move in this month and take up 8MW o capacity. Eventually, SEA would be taking up 48MW o capacity in total.

We think that the net profit of the 100MW AI section of Joho DC could potentially be more than RM1bil per year. This is based on a net profit margin of 20% on revenue of RM7bil Our revenue estimate of RM7bil assumes a fee o US$2.13/GPU/hour and 78,431 GPUs (graphics processing unit). Our conservative assumption of US$2.13/GPU/hour is half of Coreweave’s charges of US$4.25/GPU/hour fo Nvidia’s H100 chip. YTLP’s fee could potentially be highe than Coreweave as the group would be using the latest Nvidia GB200 Grace Blackwell superchip.

Net earnings of the non-AI DC are not expected to be as significant as the AI DC. We estimate net profit of RM5.3mi for the Sentul DC and RM16.8mil for Johor DC. These assume a fee of RM1,750/month on 500 racks for Sentul DC and 1,600 racks for Johor DC. The fee of RM1,750/month is based on the charges of data centre operators for a 21U Rack in Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur.

YTLP’s outlook is positive. Earnings growth is expected to come from the DCs while YTLP Seraya in Singapore provide a stable and recurring base underpinned by locked-in profi margins. YTLP DC’s competitive edge lies in its partnership with Nvidia coupled with cheap land and energy costs.

YTLP is currently trading at a FY25F PE of 12x, which is marginally below its 2-year average of 13x.

Keyfield's Dividend Policy- Big funds such as EPF & KWAP are attracted dividend policy.

The Group target a pay-out ratio of at least 20.0% of its net profit attributable to the owners of the Company for each financial year on a consolidated basis after taking into account the working capital, maintenance capital and committed capital requirements of the Group.

Here you go @Dragon

https://klse1.i3investor.com/servlets/staticfile/541608.jsp

We (TA Securities) came away from Aeon Co. (M) Berhad (Aeon)’s analyst briefing yesterday with the following key takeaways:

1. Retail Margin Improvement Expected Throughout FY24

2. Ongoing Refurbishment of 4 Malls/Stores.

3. Additional 11 Malls Equipped with Solar Photovoltaic (PV) is in the Pipeline

We have revised our FY24-26 earnings forecast upwards by 2.0% to 10.5%. Maintain Buy with a revised target price of RM1.68/share, based on DDM valuation (k: 7.1%; g: 3.0%) and rolled forward our base year to FY25.

One-gigawatt hybrid solar power plant project. RHB-OSK TP RM1.60
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Property developer UEM Sunrise Bhd (KL:UEMS) and its partners plan to develop a 40-acre renewable energy industrial park in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

UEM Sunrise, ITRAMAS Corp Sdn Bhd and China Machinery Engineering Corp (CMEC) signed a pact to develop a park “strategically designed to attract Chinese manufacturers and suppliers” across the renewable energy and electric vehicle (EV) value chains, as well as high-tech research firms, according to a joint statement.

The park is part of the one-gigawatt hybrid solar power plant project led by UEM Sunrise's majority shareholder UEM Group Bhd, which in turn is wholly owned by Khazanah Nasional Bhd, and is one of the flagship catalytic projects under Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).

RHB-OSK comments-

Maintain BUY and MYR1.60 TP, 36% upside. We are upbeat with UEM Sunrise’s partnership with ITRAMAS Corp (ITRAMAS) and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) to develop the first renewable energy (RE) industrial park in Johor. We think the partnership is strong given the profile and businesses of ITRAMAS and CMEC. The RE industrial park development is one of the catalytic projects under Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR). More importantly, this initiative is meaningful as it should result in greater job opportunities and commercial activities in Nusajaya.

Glad you are back Chloe. Baffled that you sold out after believing in the fundamentals and brilliant management of this synergistic company that employs AI to the max. Synergy's brilliant Management will fuel its growth further to a multibagger stock.

Oppstar is in such a sweet spot being a homegrown Chip designer however it need the backing of big funds like Khazanah as chip designers are very very capital intensive. Sadly Oppstar lacks funding. Just my 2 cents.

@ Jeff1901 - No laughing matter Bro. as YTLP isa Global Integrated Utilities player.

Lol. SWS gave the following comment:

- Fair value at RM20.57

- Good value based on its PER (12.5x) compared to the Global Integrated Utilities industry average (17.4x).

KEYFIELD is poised to cash in on the offshore support vessel (OSV) boom in Malaysia, having embarked on expansion during the downcycle of the OSV market in 2014 that enabled it to assemble a young fleet with top-of-the-range specifications at reasonable capital outlays. TP RM2.60.

Theta Edge is likely to bag the RM 7 billion elevated ART system in JB.

The elevated automated rapid transit (ART) system planned for Johor Bahru will have 32 stations with a total distance of more than 50km, Johor public works, transport, infrastructure and communications committee chairman Fazli Salleh said.

“We chose the RM7 billion elevated ART system as it can be completed more quickly than the light rail transit. We want it to be operational with the rapid transit system link scheduled to begin in January 2027.

Yes , Farm Price has good potential, fundamentals and management. TP of 80 cents is realistic.

https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Storage-technology-explained-Flash-vs-HDD