Grau Data: Vendor-independent archiving reduces storage costs
The cost of storage hardware is rising massively - hard disk prices by up to 50 percent, enterprise SSDs by up to 58 percent. With FileLock, Grau Data offers a vendor-independent archiving solution that gives companies flexibility in their choice of hardware and at the same time guarantees audit-proof data archiving.
Prices for storage hardware are exploding: Since mid-2025, the cost of hard disks has risen by 20 to 50 percent. Price increases of up to 110% for DDR5 RAM and up to 58% for enterprise SSDs are forecast for the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year. Companies that rely on the continuous expansion of their storage solutions for their growing audit-proof data archives are particularly affected. The situation is exacerbated by a lack of flexibility in hardware selection, as many organizations are tied to specific manufacturers.
Demand exceeds supply
There are many reasons for the price increase: demand for high-performance storage for AI applications and cloud services is significantly outstripping supply, while production can barely keep up. Leading manufacturers such as Samsung and SK Hynix have also switched their capacities to profitable AI storage, further reducing availability for traditional enterprise solutions. Companies not only have to invest more, but also have fewer choices - a dilemma that makes long-term planning more difficult.
Independence from manufacturers
With FileLock, Grau Data from Schwäbisch-Gmünd offers archiving software that works completely independently of storage hardware manufacturers. The solution makes it possible to flexibly integrate existing and new storage systems. FileLock supports all common storage technologies and ensures that data is archived in an audit-proof manner in the long term. The vendor-independent architecture allows companies to choose the most cost-effective hardware without having to compromise on compliance.
The software supports all relevant standards for audit-proof archiving, including GoBD, GDPdU and GDPR, and offers a seamless connection to common ERP and DMS systems. Grau Data's many years of experience ensure reliability: the company has been developing solutions for secure data archiving for over 20 years, guaranteeing the long-term availability of the software and regular updates.
«FileLock breaks the vendor lock-in and gives companies back the freedom to design their storage infrastructure according to economic and technical criteria,» explains Kai Hambrecht, Head of Service and Support at Grau Data. «At the same time, with our many years of market experience, we offer the security that our customers can continue to rely on a stable and compatible archiving solution in the future.»
