WD releases IDC-sponsored AI data-growth study and previews storage demos

Western Digital issued a release citing an IDC white paper it sponsored, in which 61% of surveyed organizations reported data growth of 25% or more over the past year, attributed to AI. The company said its SVP of HDD Development, Tim Rausch, would speak at the AI Infrastructure Summit in Santa Clara on September 16, and that it would demo its enterprise storage portfolio at booth 605. The survey is vendor-sponsored marketing, so its figures reflect WD's framing rather than independent research.

• 61% of surveyed organizations saw data growth of 25% or more over the past year
• 74% expect data volumes to grow 25% or more over the next three years
• Tim Rausch to speak September 16, 2026, at 3:50 p.m. in Santa Clara
• Enterprise storage demonstrations at booth 605