DDN gears up for AI boom with next-gen storage systems
The new AI400X3 and Infinia 2.1 systems offer enhanced speed, object storage and GPU integration for enterprise AI deployments.
DataDirect Networks (DDN) is positioning itself at the heart of the coming AI boom, projecting that enterprise adoption of AI will soon surge — and with it, demand for powerful storage systems.
The company, a veteran in high-performance computing (HPC) storage, expects orders from existing HPC clients to triple or quadruple by 2027. DDN co-founder Paul Bloch highlighted Elon Musk’s xAI cluster in Memphis, which currently uses 200,000 GPUs — a number he says could grow to one million.
DDN has upgraded its core storage systems with the AI400X3, delivering up to 140GBps read speeds and major improvements in resilience and fault tolerance. The system supports NVMe-over-TCP and integrates seamlessly with Nvidia’s SpectrumX and Blackwell GPU architectures.
The company also released Infinia 2.1, a revamped object storage platform designed for enterprise AI. It offers a 100x speed boost, supports major AI frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow, and is now available via Google Cloud.
DDN is already supporting 700,000 GPUs across 7,000 customers, including 4,000 focused on AI. Backed by Blackstone’s recent $300 million investment, DDN plans to expand into new enterprise markets and increase hiring by over 20% this year.
With AI adoption spreading across industries, DDN says the need for scalable, GPU-optimised storage will become mission-critical.
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