Looped In: The Carbon Cost of Data

How much does your infrastructure help — or hurt — your sustainability goals? This Earth Month, we’re spotlighting the systems behind the mission: from energy-smart storage to cloud strategies that scale with purpose. See what progress looks like ⬇️

Green infrastructure starts here

It’s not just tailpipes and factories anymore. Emissions come from something quieter (but just as power-hungry): data storage. Over the next five years, Morgan Stanley predicts the global data center industry will emit 2.5 billion tons of CO₂.

We recognize this reality. Our CEO, Sheila Rohra, introduces our FY24 Sustainability Report with a clear message: “At Hitachi Vantara, sustainability isn’t optional.” As data center pioneers, we take our responsibility to the planet seriously — and in 2024, we made real progress.

Here’s how we built climate-conscious infrastructure last year:

• 🏅 The VSP E series earned ENERGY STAR® certification — we’re the only vendor to sweep the top three spots for energy efficiency
• 📉 Our storage platforms now cut power consumption by up to 40% per generation
• 📊 We provide verified carbon footprint data (not just estimates) to help customers make smarter choices
• 👀 New tools make carbon usage as visible as uptime and performance, right down to the array

We don’t just talk about sustainable infrastructure. We design for it. Learn how in the full report.

New: Expanded guarantees for VSP One

Storage management just got easier — and smarter. VSP One now comes with new SLA-backed guarantees for performance, cyber resilience and sustainability, plus automation upgrades that simplify provisioning and recovery across hybrid cloud. It’s enterprise storage, with the confidence to match. Get the full details.

More good news:

• FYI, federal agencies and contractors: we’re now SSDF certified
• CRN named us one of the 25 Hottest AI companies

On the road: Google Cloud Next 25

The spotlight moment? Our SiliconANGLE & theCUBE interviews. Sheila Rohra joined GlobalLogic’s Srinivas (Srini) Shankar to share how Hitachi companies are driving smarter, more sustainable digital transformation. On day three, Sunitha Rao , our SVP & General Manager of Hybrid Cloud took the stage with 🥾 Rollen Roberson , our VP of Hyperscalers & Cloud to break down how enterprises can modernize hybrid cloud without compromising resilience. 

What else we were up to:

🛠️ Demos that delivered: Our booth showed how unified platforms streamline hybrid cloud, lower costs and put AI to work.

🤝 Customer connections: We hosted 1:1 meetings and exclusive events at Mandalay Bay and the Sphere to help clients dive deeper into their cloud and data strategies.

On the web: What the latest data tells us about AI in finance

Generative AI will alter how financial institutions operate and compete, but the opportunities come with real challenges. Behind the excitement lies a growing set of concerns around security, accuracy and infrastructure readiness.

In a recent LinkedIn Live, Alenka Grealish of Celent joined Mark Katzen to break down the data behind these issues. Backed by insights from the 2024 State of BFSI Data Infrastructure Report, they explored the industry’s biggest challenges — from testing GenAI in live environments to building resilient systems that can support AI programs responsibly. Catch the full conversation.

ICYMI: Announcements, events and insights

Change makers: Earth Month at Hitachi

• 🌲 Tree planting in Poland: Teams kicked things off early in Krzeszowice Forest with reforestation efforts. We ended the day with a bonfire and sausages to celebrate.
• 🚲 Biking for change: In Taicang and Zaltbommel, employees hit the trail on scenic rides to embrace sustainable travel and community connection.
• 🧹 Cleanups with impact: Whether restoring Hardy Pond in Massachusetts or clearing Jiangtan Wetland Park in China, teams rolled up their sleeves for a cleaner planet.
• 🐝 Buzz-worthy learning: Interactive sessions in Lisbon and Spain explored the role of bees in biodiversity — with fresh honey tasting to top it off.

🧪 Workshops and webinars: Employees got hands-on with sustainability through seed bomb crafting in Mexico and a circular economy session in Brazil.

Customer success story: Kratos scales defense projects without downtime

When major aerospace and defense contracts ramped up, Kratos needed high-performance storage that could scale fast without compromising availability. With Hitachi VSP One Block 26, the company deployed 1.8PB of NVMe-powered capacity in just 2U of rack space, keeping critical data instantly accessible and production running on schedule. IT leaders now have the speed, scalability and peace of mind to support every mission-critical deadline. Get the full story.

Customer success story: Elisa Eesti goes leaner and cleaner with VSP E Series

Elisa Eesti set out to modernize its infrastructure and prioritize sustainability. The switch to Hitachi VSP E590 arrays reduced power and cooling needs by 50% and enhanced overall performance — all on a smaller footprint. The result? Lower emissions, lower costs and a more sustainable path to growth. Get the full story in our sustainability report.

Upcoming events + webinars

Cyberattacks: Is predictable business continuity possible?

📅 May 8

📍 Virtual 

Join Hitachi Vantara’s Chris Millington , Global Solutions Lead for Data and Cyber Resilience, Terry Louis from Strategic Technical Alliances, and Macey (Morrison) Jones Principal for Cyber Resilience & Compliance Solutions, to discover what it really takes to recover clean, usable data — fast. Learn how predictable recovery can reduce downtime and boost resilience. Register now.

Protecting against threats: Advanced anomaly detection and malware scanning

📅 May 13

📍 Virtual

Are you keeping pace with cyber threats? In this webinar, Hitachi Vantara’s Fred de Klein , Technical Expert, Jeff Lundberg , Principal of Data Protection and Michelle Salta , moderator, explore how advanced anomaly detection and malware scanning put you one step ahead. Learn how to uncover hidden risks, shut down sophisticated attacks, and strengthen your organization’s security posture. Register now.

Until next time 👋

This Earth Month reminded us that real progress starts behind the scenes with infrastructure decisions that shape performance, resilience and impact. Keep following us here and on other social channels to see what’s next for our industry.