Western Digital recently released some storage options that are aimed at IoT and AI applications. My first reaction was, “really?” What makes storage suitable or a specific IoT or AI application? I’m glad I asked because, I have since learned, there are reasons why you want your storage tuned for these potentially compute-intensive edge-based applications.

The WD Purple SC QD101 Ultra Endurance microSD card is designed specifically for equipment makers, resellers and installers in the mainstream security camera market. It’s manufactured using advanced 96-layer 3D NAND technology. An extremely high level of endurance is one feature that makes these devices stand out, boasting 500 P/E cycles. To that end, the data that will be stored is edge-based, high-resolution images, which can be analyzed and become actionable. This refers to cameras operating at a resolution of 4K and above. Capacities range from 32 Gbytes up to 512 Gbytes.

Similarly, the WD Purple 14-Tbyte hard-disk drive (yes, 14 Tbytes) has been added to the company’s portfolio. It too is likely to wind up in surveillance and other security-related applications. This drive features the company’s AllFrame technology that lets developers build security systems with improved video capture and reduced errors, pixilation, and video interruptions that could occur in a video recorder system.

The 14TB WD Purple hard-disk drive is available now, while the WD Purple SC QD101 microSD card is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2020.