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M-Systems reveals its breakthrough
(Israel Business Arena Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)The technological breakthrough everone expected from M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers (Nasdaq: FLSH) was unveiled today. CEO Dov Moran announced the new technology at first the analysts day held by the company since it was founded.
According to M-Systems, its x4 technology will enable utilization of 4-bit/cell NAND flash, revolutionizing NAND flash manufacturing economics, increasing fab profitability with no changes to manufacturing processes, and fuelling new generations of multimedia-rich, consumer electronics devices. The company said 4-bit/cell NAND flash, had been considered to be a practical and physical impossibility.
M-Systems estimates that NAND flash manufacturers will realize over 30% cost savings in comparison with the most advanced 2-bit/cell multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash wafers manufactured to date through equivalent lithography.
"This is a phenomenal day for NAND flash manufacturers and the consumer electronics market, as well as for M-Systems," said Moran. "x4 technology is M-Systems' highest peak in a sixteen-year trail of continuous innovation and systems-level expertise as well as the culmination of five years of dedicated research and development efforts.
"Based on M-Systems' robust flash management patent portfolio, x4 technology represents a quantum leap forward for the flash industry, underlining our ongoing commitment to making personal storage smarter.
"Judging by the undisputed success of 2-bit/cell MLC NAND flash technology and the significant cost savings x4 technology is designed to deliver to NAND flash manufacturers, we believe x4 NAND components are set to further push flash memory from prevalent to pervasive, ushering in new generations of affordable, multimedia-rich, personal storage for consumer electronics devices."
x4 NAND components are expected to target consumer electronics devices, such as digital audio (MP3) players, consumer solid state drives (SSDs), portable media players, digital video cameras, GPS devices, multimedia and music handsets, memory cards and USB flash drives.
Six months ago, another Israeli company, Saifun Semiconductors Ltd. (Nasdaq:SFUN), announced new technology for packing more information onto chips without changing their size or production methods.
M-Systems' share has risen some 40% on Wall Street in the past month, bringing the company to a market cap of $1.29 billion. Last week, the company released its first quarter results, and gave guidance of $1 billion sales in 2006.
In early trading on Wall Street, investors are apparently either less than impressed with M-Systems' announcement, or else are complying with the motto "buy on rumor, sell on news", as they have sent the company's shares down nearly 4%, to $35.03.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on May 11, 2006
Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2006
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