1TB enterprise drive from WD nudges the £180 mark

While the price of a regular drive is now well above the £107 mark, the world of the corporate IT guru is worse. Much, much worse. Having a quick scan round the online retailers reveals a shocking trend. KitGuru considers the implications.

We all know that hard drive prices have rocketed up.  At the same time, we know that the infrastructure and logistics issues that centre on the Thai floods, will be fixed and pricing will return to where it belongs.

For the most part, if you are an enthusiast, putting off a hard drive update is a pain – but something you can live with for a few months.

Plus, at the same time, it gives you a chance to lust after either a new SSD for your existing system – or a completely new rig altogether.

Corporates do not have the same luxury.

Many companies use the extended Christmas holidays to schedule in a load of much needed upgrades and refits. Also, these IT projects are planned and need to work within a budget. Especially with the present financial crisis. So, how big is the hard drive price-rise for businesses ?

Business IT managers value safety and stability above everything else. For that reason, they choose drives that have 24×7 guarantees. Normally, there is a small premium to pay for these. Right now, the price is massive – with no sign of reducing any time soon.

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KitGuru says: The problem for the channel is that the amount of profit in these drives is not really rising that much. It's a pain to get hard drives at all, and they seem to sell out as soon as they land. Now the IT budgets in the business sector will be getting blown on simple ‘must have' products. Long term, that can only put more pressure on companies and, ultimately, jobs.

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