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30.10.2026
Storage is becoming more scarce, components are partially unavailable, and prices are rising. Companies are therefore facing a challenge: How can their own storage infrastructure be reliably expanded and modernized when costs and delivery terms are becoming increasingly difficult to plan?
The causes lie primarily in the increasing demand, limited production capacity, and the growing storage needs due to digitalization and artificial intelligence. Dennis da Silva, Team Lead Modern Infrastructure at Netz16 (part of the accompio group), explains in the interview what impact the storage crisis has on companies and why now is the right time to review one’s own storage strategy.
In the full interview, Dennis da Silva explains why storage is becoming scarcer and more expensive, how companies realistically assess their storage needs, and which measures are sensible now.
When we talk about a storage crisis, this does not necessarily mean that there is no storage available at all. Rather, several developments are occurring simultaneously: Demand for storage products is increasing, while manufacturers are reaching their production capacities for individual components. At the same time, changing supply conditions make procuring them more difficult.
An additional challenge is posed by large data center operators, who secure a significant portion of the available storage components for their own infrastructure projects. This makes it more difficult for other companies to obtain the required products in sufficient quantities and at stable prices.
A key driver is the overall growth in data. Companies are increasingly digitizing their processes and replacing paper-based workflows with digital solutions. In addition, there is a growing demand for AI applications, which require additional computing power and storage resources.
The result: Not only classic storage products, but also memory (RAM) are affected by rising prices and partial availability issues.
For companies that need to expand or renew their storage infrastructure, planning is becoming increasingly challenging. Prices and availability can be calculated less reliably than a few years ago. Delivery times and availability can also change at short notice.
Dennis da Silva therefore recommends addressing necessary expansions early on – and not only when the available storage is almost completely exhausted.
At the same time, companies should not try to time the purchase to coincide with the supposedly ideal moment. Such an opportunity is difficult to predict under current market conditions.
However, this does not mean that companies should in principle buy as much storage as possible as early as possible. Stock purchases are especially useful when a specific additional need is foreseeable and the existing infrastructure reaches its capacity limits.
On the other hand, anyone who wants to secure a current price only risks buying storage that will only be installed in one or two years. By then, technologies and requirements may have already changed.
Therefore, a reliable planning based on actual data growth and the individual development of the company is crucial.
Before companies acquire additional capacity, they should first understand what data is actually present in their infrastructure. In many organizations, there is a lack of a complete overview of the type, scope, and significance of the stored information.
This is where data classification comes into play. It helps to distinguish business-critical data from less important information and categorize them accordingly. Storage requirement better to categorize them.
Important questions arise:
„The first tip is transparency. That means knowing your data and also knowing the future growth of your data.“
Dennis da Silva, Team Lead Modern Infrastructure at Netz16 (part of the accompio group)
Such an inventory can make unused or redundant data sets visible. Companies thus obtain a better basis for specifically reducing their storage requirements.
Also existing ones Backup concepts should be reviewed. Not all information needs to be backed up in the same way and at the same frequency. Adjusting the backup strategy can help to more efficiently utilize existing capacities.
Since future storage needs are difficult to predict precisely, companies should pay attention to scalability when planning. A storage architecture must be able to adapt to changing requirements without requiring the entire infrastructure to be rebuilt with each step of growth.
In addition to architecture, technical methods also offer ways to use existing capacities more efficiently. Dennis da Silva mentions in particular Deduplication and compression.
With deduplication, redundant data sets are reduced. Compression reduces the amount of storage space required by more efficient representation of data. Both methods can help make better use of the available storage capacity.
However, they do not solve the fundamental problem of increasing demand and limited availability. Companies therefore still need to address their long-term storage strategy.
The development in the coming years remains challenging as well: According to da Silva, the market is expected to remain tense and volatile for another two to three years.
Until now, storage capacity in companies was often provided in a rather general manner. However, the current market situation makes it clear that a more conscious approach to data and storage is necessary.
Storage is no longer just a technical resource that is expanded when needed. The question of which data to store, how long they need to be stored, and what significance they have for the company is increasingly becoming a strategic decision.
This is also evident in the question of whether additional storage is actually the right answer to increasing data volumes. Of course, there will still be situations where companies need new capacities. However, what matters is what these capacities will be used for.
A well-thought-out storage strategy therefore combines data classification, capacity planning, backup concept, and a flexibly expandable architecture.
accompio supports companies from the evaluation of storage requirements to the development of a long-term storage strategy.
The storage crisis is expected to continue to affect companies for some time. Increasing data growth, AI, and limited production capacity mean that availability and prices remain difficult to predict.
Dennis da Silva therefore recommends three concrete steps for companies:
This way, companies can make more informed decisions about when additional storage is necessary and where existing capacity can be used more efficiently.
„The real question isn’t really whether I’ll buy the storage, but rather what I’ll use it for.“
Dennis da Silva, Team Lead Modern Infrastructure at Netz16 (part of the accompio group)
As a team lead in the area of Modern Infrastructure, Dennis helps companies analyze and modernize their IT infrastructure.
The increasing demand driven by digitalization, AI, and large data centers is colliding with limited production capacity and difficult supply conditions. As a result, individual storage components are becoming more scarce and prices are rising.
Not in a blanket way. Stock purchases can be useful if a specific capacity shortage is foreseeable. However, buying in advance is not recommended solely to secure an up-to-date price, as technologies and requirements can change before actual deployment.
Companies should first create transparency about their data holdings and classify them according to their business significance. Data that is no longer needed can be deleted or archived if necessary. Also, reviewing existing backup concepts can help make storage more efficient.
In data classification, information is organized according to its importance, protection requirements, and intended use. This helps to better determine which data must be protected and stored for a longer period of time, and which data does not require as high levels of protection.
De-duplication reduces redundant data volumes, while compression reduces the required storage space through more efficient data representation. Both methods help to better utilize existing storage capacities.
A future-proof storage architecture should be scalable and able to adapt to changing requirements. This is based on transparent data inventory, realistic forecasts of data growth, and early planning of necessary investments.
