Digital Event Horizon
Synology has made a significant shift in its drive policy, allowing 2025 model-year Plus, Value, and J-series DiskStation NAS devices to support non-validated third-party drives. This move marks a departure from the company's previous strategy of using custom hard disk drives to extract revenue.
Synology is now allowing 2025 model-year Plus, Value, and J-series DiskStation NAS devices to support non-validated third-party drives starting with DSM 7.3. The company's goal is to create reliable and secure solutions for users' data, driving this change in drive policy. Synology has been working with third-party vendors to test their drives under rigorous testing standards. The updated drive policy aims to provide more flexibility in drive choices for users, aligning with customer feedback. The change will not affect business/enterprise models like the xs+ line. Synology is attempting to regain market share and improve its competitive position in the NAS market with this shift.
Synology, a leading provider of network-attached storage (NAS) solutions, has made a significant change to its drive policy for its 2025 model-year Plus, Value, and J-series DiskStation NAS devices. As of the October 8 release of DSM 7.3, these models will support the installation and storage pool creation of non-validated third-party drives.
This announcement comes as a surprise to many in the industry, particularly those who had previously been locked into using Synology-branded hard disk drives, which were seen as the only way to ensure reliability and compatibility with Synology's DSM system. The company's previous stance on verified drives was that they underwent extensive testing and validation to yield improved performance and reliability.
However, with the rise of alternative storage solutions from competitors such as UGREEN and Ubiquiti, Synology has found itself facing increased competition in the market. According to a statement from Synology, the company's goal is to create reliable and secure solutions for users' data, which drove their decision to expand the drive policy.
Synology has been working with third-party vendors to test their drives under the same rigorous testing as its branded drives, with the aim of maintaining high standards for reliability and performance. The company acknowledges that this change may have caused reputational damage among some customers, but emphasizes its commitment to user experience and feedback.
By supporting non-validated third-party drives, Synology is aiming to provide more flexibility in drive choices for users, which aligns with a significant portion of the customer base's feedback. This move also marks a shift away from the company's previous strategy of extracting additional revenue through the use of custom hard disk drives.
The change will not affect models in the xs+ line, such as the DS3622xs+, which are considered business/enterprise models and will remain under the current HCL (hardware compatibility list) policy. The updated drive policy applies to 25-year-old Plus, Value, and J-series DiskStations, which can now support a wider range of drives.
This shift in Synology's drive policy has significant implications for users who had previously been restricted to using only verified drives. By supporting non-validated third-party drives, Synology is attempting to regain market share and improve its competitive position in the crowded NAS market.
The company's willingness to listen to customer feedback and adapt its strategy demonstrates a commitment to user satisfaction. However, it remains to be seen how this change will affect Synology's long-term reputation and competitiveness in the industry.
Related Information:
https://www.digitaleventhorizon.com/articles/Synologys-Shift-From-Verified-Drives-to-Flexibility-deh.shtml
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/10/synology-caves-walks-back-some-drive-restrictions-on-upcoming-nas-models/
Published: Wed Oct 15 04:18:36 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
