Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) is a technology that integrates storage, computing, and networking into a single system, typically using commodity hardware. Initially introduced by Facebook in 2005, HCI has gained traction among enterprises for its flexibility, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional three-tier architectures. As of 2022, IDC projects the HCI market to reach $11.5 billion, growing to over $14 billion by 2024, with 74% of enterprises having migrated workloads from external storage to HCI.

HCI has matured significantly, with 56.6% of enterprises currently running mission-critical workloads on HCI. The technology has addressed historical concerns regarding performance, availability, and recovery times through advancements like NVMe technology and improved data locality algorithms. Additionally, many HCI vendors now support larger cluster sizes and offer features that allow for independent scaling of compute and storage resources, making HCI a viable option for critical applications.

Security is a significant concern for 44.6% of enterprises evaluating HCI. Key issues include the need for storage encryption to meet regulatory compliance, with 77.5% of organizations requiring encryption. While HCI solutions may lack the hardware assist found in traditional storage arrays, technologies like Intel Quick Assist Technology (QAT) can help mitigate performance impacts associated with in-line data services such as encryption. As HCI continues to evolve, addressing these security requirements will be crucial for broader adoption.