IBM’s Optical Storage Is Cheaper And 50 Times Faster Than Flash Memory

With a new breakthrough, IBM has announced the future of the flash and RAM memory which might replace both of them in future. If we take a look at the contemporary flash storage for our device’s main memory, then it is too slow.

If we want to switch over to the RAM, then it has the disadvantage of being volatile and expensive as well at the same time.

This new breakthrough from IBM is called phase-change memory (PCM). PCM is a crystal-based storage. It has been used in the optical disks and other technologies for at least 15 years. However, due to its cost and the storage capacity, PCM was not available to all.

It was used to store the binary data that means it operated in two states, either ‘on’ or ‘off’. But, recently, IBM has found out a way to save 3-bits of data per cell instead of two. This will greatly influence the storing capacity of the PCM.

Another advantage with PCM memory is that it can also be used with the flash memory. Using PCM with the flash memory will greatly enhance the flash memory’s performance. This conjunction of these two technologies can further be used to enhance the speed and performance of a cell phone.

So, in the future, if you see a cell phone booting up within a second, do not wonder because the technicality behind PCM memory says that it can read data almost 70 times faster than the flash.

Here is a video from IBM research:

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