In the beginning, there was 5 megabytes. And it was good.
But not for long. Since we introduced the first hard disk storage 50 years ago, IBM has been on a path of constant progress and innovation. That first 5 megabyte drive was revolutionary in its day, holding more information in one place than anyone had ever imagined, but today you can get 100 times that amount. On your phone.

That’s great, but what have you done for me lately?
We’re doing more with less – the IBM System Storage™ DS8000, scaling up to 320TB, is designed to let you consolidate diverse environments into one small footprint. We’re doing more for less – our products are designed for a low total cost of ownership, without sacrificing higher performance. We’re doing it faster – many of our products offer 4Gbps connectivity. Today we measure storage in terabytes, and transfer rates in gigabytes per second.

That’s also great, but what are you going to do for me tomorrow?
We’re going to change how you think about storage. We’re developing storage that thinks about you for a change – smart storage that knows what each item is, and where it belongs. Storage that anticipates how and when you’ll need your data, storage that lets you access any piece of information in any context you choose. Instantly. Pervasive storage built into everything and anything imaginable.

In September 1956, IBM introduced the first computer disk storage system, the IBM 350 Disk Storage Unit which was part of the 305 RAMAC computer system.  Thomas J. Watson, Jr. commented: “People running a business will be able to get the fresh facts they need, at once.”  The 350 Disk Storage Unit could store 5 million characters using 51 disks that were 24 inches in diameter.