Computex 2026 – Synology Expands On Backup, AI and Storage Efficiency Amid Rising Storage Costs

Speaking at Computex 2026, Jason Sin, Country Manager for Malaysia sat down with Hitech Century to share how the company is taking the lead in addressing rising storage prices, countering rising security threats and how they are meeting the demand for AI-ready infrastructure.

While Synology is best known for their array of Network Attached Storage (NAS) products and their DiskStation Manager (DSM) application, the company is expanding their presence as a broader data infrastructure provider, focusing on storage efficiency, cyber resilience and scalable backup solutions for SMEs and larger organisations alike.

Computex 2026 – Synology says rising storage costs are pushing businesses towards greater efficiency – data deduplication and data tiering the way forward

According to Sin, one of the biggest challenges facing organisations today, especially those that are especially reliant on data, is the continued rise in storage hardware costs, particularly hard drives, SSDs and other enterprise-grade components.

“Storage prices have been increasing since late 2025, and in many cases the drives themselves now cost more than the enclosure,” said Sin. “While we cannot fully eliminate the impact of market pricing, we are introducing technologies that help customers maximise the storage they already have.”

To address this, Synology is leaning heavily into storage optimisation technologies such as data deduplication, which reduces redundant data by storing only a single copy of identical files or data blocks.

“If multiple copies of the same file exist, there is no reason to consume storage capacity repeatedly. Data deduplication improves efficiency by scanning and comparing data blocks to eliminate duplication,” Sin explained.

Another key technology is data tiering, which automatically shifts infrequently accessed data from high-speed SSD storage to more cost-effective HDD storage.

“SSD storage delivers performance, but at a premium cost. With data tiering, hot data stays on SSDs while colder data is moved to HDDs, allowing businesses to optimise both performance and cost,” he said.

Computex 2026 – Synology shares that cyber resilience and a 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy becoming critical for business continuity

With rising costs of storage and a growing prevalence of cyberattacks and ransomware that can potentially affect business continuity, it’s clear that cyberthreats have become significantly more sophisticated over time. To ensure robust survivability and cyber resilience Synology emphasis a 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy which translates to:

• 3 copies of data
• 2 different storage media
• 1 offsite copy
• 1 immutable or air-gapped backup
• 0 errors through verification

Sin noted that immutable backups have become a baseline requirement for modern enterprise protection. This is a necessity as tampering with data can occur not only from external threat actors but as an inside job from malicious internal threat actors too.                                         

“If a backup can be modified or deleted, it is not fully protected,” he said. “Immutable backups ensure that no user, administrator, or attacker can alter data within a defined retention period.”

Synology is also expanding its malware detection capabilities, with plans for deeper integration into backup workflows to ensure clean recovery states in the event of an incident.

Sin also added that their new ActiveProtect Manager 2.0 appliance will enjoy integration with third-party antivirus solutions to ensure backup data is free from malware. Another key addition is an Auto Fallback feature that automatically reverts to the latest vulnerability-free backup if a compromised restore point is detected.

Computex 2026 – Synology refines drive strategy for different market needs

In 2025, Synology began implementing a requirement for their Plus series NAS units which restricted full-functionality and compatibility to Synology-branded drives. While the move generated significant discussion among enthusiasts and IT administrators, Synology subsequently revised the policy. Sin addressed the decision directly during the interview. 

“The original objective was to ensure stability and compatibility because storage is the foundation of every NAS system,” he said. “However, we recognise that consumer users and enterprise customers have different needs.”

As a result, Synology has introduced greater flexibility for consumer-level deployments, while maintaining stricter validation requirements for enterprise environments where reliability and predictability remain critical.

Computex 2026 – Synology shares that AI and scalable storage will drive future demand

During the interview, Sin shared that Synology sees AI as a major driver of data growth and storage demand. “AI generates enormous volumes of data, and organisations need infrastructure that can store and manage it effectively,” Sin said.

He added that scalable storage systems allow businesses to adopt AI incrementally, expanding infrastructure as workloads grow rather than committing to large upfront investments.

Synology also confirmed that future development will include deeper AI integration across its ecosystem, including natural language search capabilities and AI-assisted system management tools. Advanced search features and GPU-enabled workloads are part of the company’s roadmap which were reiterated in a previous media briefing to invited guests.

Computex 2026 – Synology’s broader growth strategy 

With rising costs not only in Malaysia but across the region including an increase in sophistication in cyberattacks, Synology’s pivot towards making storage not only larger but smarter and more efficient is a timely one.

This also reflects a broader industry shift: storage is no longer a mere backend utility but a strategic cornerstone for AI, cybersecurity and digital transformation that requires equal consideration in an organisation.