Flash=huge hardware megatrend

If you'd have told me that in 2011, two of our hottest tech clients, out of all the spaces in which we operate, were related to the disk drive industry, I'd have laughed out loud. But Fusion-IO and Pliant have turned out to be big likely winners this year and are on a tear. Basic idea: mechanical storage loses to solid state. $30B up for grabs all of the sudden. Flash technology has caught up in terms of reliability, while vastly superior in speed and energy costs and some very cool software bridged the gaps. We will see big exits for both of these companies in the next 12 months.

So what's the next hardware breakthrough? Just when you think a category is quiet...