CONECTRONICA: What are the main trends currently shaping the IT storage market?
Marcos de Santiago: The IT storage market is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by several key factors:
1. The rise of the hybrid model:
Companies are opting for hybrid storage models, which combine on-premises infrastructure with the advantages of the cloud. This approach allows them to benefit from the flexibility and scalability of the cloud without sacrificing the control, security, and sovereignty offered by on-premises storage. This trend responds to a growing need to protect data in distributed environments, optimize costs, and ensure business continuity.
2. Automation and operational efficiency:
Automation has become a market requirement. Current solutions allow for scheduled backups, system status monitoring, predictive hardware failure detection, and the application of intelligent configurations without constant IT team intervention. This translates into time and resource savings, as well as increased reliability.
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration:
AI is beginning to play a key role in storage management, not only to optimize hardware usage but also to anticipate problems, detect anomalous patterns, and proactively respond to threats such as ransomware. Synology, for example, has implemented AI in solutions like ActiveProtect and in its productivity and video surveillance tools.
4. Security as a Priority:
Faced with the increase in cyberattacks and regulatory requirements (such as NIS2, DORA, GDPR), storage solutions are being designed with security as a fundamental pillar: end-to-end encryption, data immutability, multi-factor authentication, and advanced access management.
CONNECTRONICA: How has the adoption of cloud storage impacted the industry?
Marcos de Santiago: The adoption of cloud storage has been a catalyst for digital transformation. It has allowed companies to:
➔ Streamline their responsiveness: in the face of peak demand, product launches, or new needs, the cloud allows them to scale resources without investing in additional hardware.
➔ Reduce operational complexity: many tasks are delegated to managed cloud services, freeing up IT staff to focus on strategic tasks.
➔ Adopt pay-as-you-go models: thus optimizing technology budgets, especially in SMEs.
However, it hasn't replaced local storage. That's why Synology offers solutions like Hybrid Share, which combines local performance with cloud flexibility, maintaining full control over data.
CONNECTRONICS: What role does flash-based storage play in the transformation of the sector?
Marcos de Santiago: Flash storage has revolutionized access times, read/write speeds, and the overall performance of NAS solutions. Thanks to its low latency and high speed, it is key for demanding applications such as:
➔ Virtualization.
➔ Real-time data analysis.
➔ Collaborative multimedia editing.
➔ Rapid system backup and recovery.
In products like the upcoming DS925+, Synology will integrate M.2 NVMe slots for SSD caching, allowing users to take advantage of these benefits without compromising capacity or cost. The ability to combine mechanical hard drives with flash caching provides an optimal balance between performance and massive storage.
CONECTRONICA: Could you explain how AI is being applied to storage management?
Marcos de Santiago: Artificial intelligence is already marking a turning point in storage management:
➔ Predictive analytics: anticipates hardware failures or disk degradation, allowing action to be taken before data loss occurs.
➔ Anomaly detection: identifies unusual system behavior or suspicious access that could be related to cyberattacks.
➔ Automated responses: some systems can apply corrective or protective actions against detected threats.
At Synology, AI is also applied to intelligent video surveillance and tools like Office Suite, which optimize workflows and collaboration. The key is that this isn't about "AI as a fad," but rather implementations that provide real and tangible value to businesses and users.
A concrete example is the Advanced Aeronautical Manufacturing Center (CFAA) at the University of the Basque Country, where Synology storage is used for R&D projects in which AI plays a key role in the real-time analysis of production signals. Thanks to this infrastructure, the CFAA has improved the availability, security, and speed of access to essential data for validating manufacturing processes in demanding environments.
CONNECTRONICS: Speaking of security, what are the main challenges in data storage?
Marcos de Santiago: The biggest current challenges are:
➔ Ransomware attacks, which are increasingly sophisticated and target specific vulnerabilities in backups.
➔ Lack of immutability in backups, which allows attackers to encrypt or delete copies once inside.
➔ Complexity in managing mixed environments (on-premises + cloud), which makes it difficult to apply consistent security policies.
➔ Configuration errors and failed restores, which are more common than they seem: 58% of backups fail to restore, according to Veeam data.
To address these issues, Synology offers solutions like ActiveProtect, which guarantees immutable, deduplicated, protected backups ready to be restored in seconds, even in critical scenarios.
CONECTRÓNICA: What new challenges will you face as the new Business Unit Director for Southern Europe?
Marcos de Santiago: As the new Business Unit Director, one of the biggest challenges will be:
➔ Adapting to the different levels of digital maturity, where there are still significant differences in the adoption of advanced solutions.
➔ Promoting a comprehensive vision of security, encompassing both infrastructure and applications in data protection.
➔ Strengthening the partner network, essential for providing local support and tailored solutions.
➔ Consolidating Synology's position as a leader not only in NAS storage, but also in comprehensive cybersecurity, identity management, and business resilience solutions.
CONECTRONICA: What advice would you give to companies looking to improve their storage infrastructure?
Marcos de Santiago:
1. Define a clear data protection strategy. Simply storing files is not enough: availability, recovery, and security must be guaranteed.
2. Adopt the 3-2-1-1-0 rule:
3 copies of the data
, 2 types of storage media
, 1 off-site copy
, 1 immutable
, and 0 errors verified through restoration testing.
3. Automate processes and centralize management, especially in environments with multiple locations or users.
4. Look for solutions that combine security, scalability, and simplicity, such as those offered by Synology, which integrate hardware, software, and cloud into a single platform.
5. Don't treat security as an afterthought. Ensuring encryption, strong authentication, data immutability, and incident recovery must be an essential part of the infrastructure.
