GLG News by NAND Flash Memory Evaluators (North America)

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

Major Shift in PC Memory Could Harm DRAM Makers

July 19, 2011

Analysis of:Could NAND Flash Kill DRAM in PCs? | www.cio.com

DRAM will soon have to compete against NAND flash in the PC.  Benchmarks have shown that, dollar-for-dollar, NAND provides more performance than does DRAM.This is bad enough news for Micron, Samsung, and Hynix, all of whom make both DRAM and NAND flash, but it is positively deadly for DRAM makers who do not have a strong NAND flash position: Elpida, Powerchip, ProMOS, and Nanya.SSDs will continue to lose out to HDDs in the PC, since a NAND layer gives SSD speeds at a HDD prices & capacities.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

SSDs Still Hot in Enterprise Computing

June 7, 2010

Analysis of:Enterprise SSDs to soar through 2015 | www.computerworld.com

Although SSDs have failed to materialize in the PC, there is strong growth in the enterprise.  This means strengthening sales for STEC and Hitachi, Fusion-io, Plaint, and others, along with their customers IBM, EMC, NetApp, Dell, and HP, but could cause trouble for Seagate and Western Digital.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

Samsung and Numonyx See PRAM-PCM as Next Winner

October 3, 2009

Analysis of:Samsung upbeat about PRAM market | www.digitimes.com

Flash memory will hit the end of its life in the next few years.Samsung and Numonyx are betting that phase-change memory, PRAM or PCM, will fill the void to become flash's successor.Other companies, Spansion, Macronix, SST, Sharp, and Hynix, have not disclosed their plans, but Intel, Toshiba, and Micron have outlined different plans.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

The NOR Flash Market is Headed for Big Changes

June 10, 2009

Analysis of:SST Strengthens Management Team by Appointing Bertrand F. Cambou as President | www.marketwatch.com

With Spansion moving away from their Wireless business they will have to grow by taking share from other embedded companies like SST (Silicon Storage Technology, Inc), Winbond, Macronix, ISSI, and others.  This will also impact long-time rival Numonyx, the merger of Intel's and STmicroelectronics' NOR flash businesses, and even Samsung.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

Samsung-SanDisk Deal Good for Both Companies

June 10, 2009

Analysis of:SanDisk, Samsung ink patent cross license, flash supply agreements amidst memory industry turmoil | www.edn.com

SanDisk has renewed its license agreement with Samsung on terms that are more agreeable to Samsung although less profitable for SanDisk.  The royalty rate is still higher than the industry norm, though, which has negative implications to companies who are not yet SanDisk licensees, like Micron and Hynix and Kingston technology, as well as for existing licensees, whose rates could creep up when renewal time comes around.  This would include Intel, Toshiba, Numonyx, and the many card companies like STEC, SMART Modular, Sanmina-SCI Viking, and many more.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

Time is Ripe for Some Consolidation

March 6, 2009

Analysis of:Where chip industry is headed today | www.mercurynews.com

The stage is set for consolidation in the semiconductor industry.  The firms that will be hit hardest with this are those that make commodity products in low-growth markets.  In particular this will impact Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Qimonda, Elpida, Powerchip, and Nanya.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

Seminal Changes Afoot for the NOR Flash Business?

March 6, 2009

Analysis of:Spansion Files for Bankruptcy Protection in the U.S. | www.bloomberg.com

Spansion's bankruptcy filing could indicate the beginning of the end of the high-density NOR flash market.  This would force changes in design methodology at cell phone makers Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, HTC, Bird, and many others, and breed new chipset designs at companies like TI and Qualcomm.  Numonyx, the NOR spin-off formed out of Intel and ST could find that its products' market would decline due to a lack of a viable alternate source.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

How SanDisk's x4 fits into the NAND flash Equation

February 19, 2009

Analysis of:SanDisk Announces Worlds First HIgh Perforomance 4 bit per cell X4 Flah memory Technology | finance.yahoo.com

The NAND flash market will continue to see strong price declines, driven by a combination of Moore's law and new technologies like x4.  This makes it difficult to find profits for any NAND chip maker that does not have a competing technology.  The move has strong implications for Toshiba, Samsung, Hynix, Intel, Micron, Numonyx, and even Spansion.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

Get Ready for DRAM Consolidation

February 19, 2009

Analysis of:Winbond open to DRAM consolidation, says company executive | www.digitimes.com

DRAM vendors must consolidate.  This is driven by basic economics.  The consolidation will result in fewer vendors, starting with the elimination of those at the bottom of the market share ranking.  Suppliers Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Elpida, Powerchip, ProMos, Nanya, Infineon, and others will be impacted.

Jim HandyDirectorObjective Analysis

Infineon Looking Better, but Still Ripe for Takeover

February 19, 2009

Analysis of:Infineon Gains After Boosting Savings Target, Reducing Spending | www.bloomberg.com

Infineon has been looking for a suitor for over a year, and this latest news will not change that.  The consolidation that is overdue in the DRAM market is driven by basic economics.  Consolidation will result in fewer vendors, starting with the elimination of those at the bottom of the market share ranking.  Suppliers Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Elpida, Powerchip, ProMos, Nanya, Infineon, and others will be impacted.

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