In the rapidly evolving landscape of data storage, Pure Storage has emerged as a significant player by focusing exclusively on all-flash solutions. This strategy sets it apart from competitors who still rely on traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) within their array offerings. By prioritizing performance and efficiency, Pure Storage has not only carved out a unique market niche but has also driven changes in how organizations think about data management and storage consumption.
Origins and Growth of Pure Storage
Founded in 2009 under the name Os76 Inc, Pure Storage was born in Palo Alto, California, at the behest of John “Coz” Colgrave and former Yahoo! CTO John Hayes. Since its inception, the company has focused on exploiting the potential of flash storage technology, which was still in its infancy at the time. Pure Storage went public in 2015 and has since attracted significant venture capital, allowing it to innovate continuously.
One cornerstone of Pure Storage’s innovation has been its proprietary DirectFlash Modules (DFM), which were introduced in 2017. These modules work in conjunction with the company’s operating system, allowing for higher capacities than standard solid-state drives (SSDs). With a commitment to lowering the costs of flash storage, Pure Storage believes that cross-section increases in capacity will eventually make HDDs obsolete by 2028, a viewpoint articulated by the company in various industry discussions [Computer Weekly].
Market Position and Competitive Landscape
According to data from IDC in 2023, Pure Storage ranks sixth in market share, holding 6.1%. This ranking marks an improvement compared to the company’s standing in 2021, where it was last among the top six storage vendors at 4.1% market share. Notably, the competitive landscape has shifted, with firms like Huawei and Lenovo making strides, thus making Pure’s advancements even more impressive as it now outranks Hitachi Vantara and IBM [IDC].
Despite strong competition, Pure Storage has shown remarkable revenue growth—from $440 million in 2015 to an anticipated $3.2 billion by 2025. This growth trajectory has been accompanied by improving profitability, as the company reported positive net income more consistently over the last five years, achieving profitability in five of the last nine quarters.
Core Products and Innovations
Pure Storage’s flagship products are centered around its DirectFlash Modules, announced with a capacity of 300TB at its annual Accelerate event in Las Vegas in June 2023. These DFMs come in various configurations, including triple-level cell (TLC) for performance and quad-level cell (QLC) for capacity-oriented applications. This flexibility allows organizations to tailor their storage solutions to meet specific workload requirements.
- FlashArray: Designed for high-performance workloads using TLC flash, capable of handling mission-critical applications.
- FlashBlade: Aimed at fast file and object storage for secondary use cases, such as backup and analytics, while providing rapid I/O for timely data access.
- FlashArray//XL: The most expansive storage option, supporting up to 7.4PB effective capacity.
- FlashArray//C: Tailored for business-critical workloads that prioritize capacity over performance, offering up to 8.9PB effective storage.
Targeting Diverse Markets and Workloads
Pure Storage’s offerings cater to a broad range of workloads, from high-demand enterprise applications to backup solutions. The performance advantages of flash technology make it well-suited for modern data needs, such as quickly recovering from ransomware attacks or facilitating real-time data analysis necessary for AI applications.
Embracing Cloud Technologies
The company has strategically aligned itself with hybrid cloud operations and cloud-native applications, evident in its Enterprise Data Cloud (EDC) launched in 2025. This offering integrates various components, including Purity storage OS and Pure1 for resource management, simplifying the management of storage resources across different environments. The cloud-focused approach is also reflected in Pure’s offerings, such as the Pure Cloud Block Store, which enables enterprise-grade block storage services to be operated within public cloud environments.
Innovation in Container Storage Solutions
In its bid to dominate the container space, Pure Storage acquired Portworx for $370 million in 2020. Portworx serves as the foundation for Pure’s container strategy, focusing on providing persistent storage and data protection for containerized applications. This expansion acknowledges the rising prominence of cloud-native applications and Kubernetes in modern IT architectures.
Consumption Models for Storage Procurement
Pure Storage aims to revolutionize how organizations procure storage through its consumption models. The Evergreen portfolio allows customers to choose from various purchasing options:
- Evergreen Forever: A buy-it-once model guaranteeing lifetime upgrades.
- Evergreen Flex: A hybrid approach where hardware is purchased, but capacity is paid for as needed.
- Evergreen One: A purely pay-as-you-go model, aligning with the cloud purchasing experience.
This flexibility allows businesses to adapt storage solutions to their evolving requirements without the burden of traditional on-premise procurement constraints.
As organizations increasingly realize the importance of data—a resource that holds the key to competitive advantage—Pure Storage is well-positioned to lead the charge toward more dynamic, efficient, and agile storage solutions in the modern digital landscape.