Solid-state drive (SSD) technology uses solid-state memory to store continuous data by imitating a hard-disk drive. But it is different from hard-disk drives because it has no moving parts and instead uses a semi-conductor memory that makes it faster and quieter.

Yet despite these advantages, the industry has been less than enthusiastic about SSD adoption for anything more than a built-in storage option for laptops.

So why are firms cautious about using SSD? One disadvantage could be the high price tag compared with conventional hard drives. The increased cost will stop businesses taking the risk of adopting a new data storage technology because of their inexperience in using it. Eventually SSD technology will become more popular and as a result the price will drop, which could tempt more firms to adopt the technology.

Unfamiliar territory
However, companies do not know enough about SSD and are reluctant to change what they feel confident using. Could this
prevent them becoming more efficient? SSD technology provides a number of advantages to rival those of conventional hard drives with faster writing speeds, improved durability and reduced energy consumption making it a greener option.

Nevertheless, analyst IDC has predicted that businesses will wait until the second generation of SSD is released in 2009 before they start to feel comfortable enough to invest in the technology.

So can SSD and hard-disk drives live together? SSD technology could become a major contender against traditional hard-disk drives and as a result we could be in for a Blu-ray/HD-DVD-style face off.

Fight for the future
For now, the hard-disk drive appears to be safe, with the high cost of SSD preventing a number of firms from switching. But, this could change when the production costs and prices of SSD drop. People will then be able to discover which of the two is the best data storage technology for them and as a result the SSD/hard-disk drive battle could soon commence.