Massive array of idle disks (MAID) storage, a technology that radically cuts down on the power consumption of disk drives by spinning them down or off when not in use, has barely made a dent in the market. Despite the hype around green IT, there are several reasons for the slow adoption, in particular the requirement to trade performance for more energy efficiency. This is changing with some interesting shifts in the technology that will likely make MAID storage more appetizing for IT shops over the next 12 months.