SanDisk

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This article is about SanDisk Corporation. For Computer Storage Device in Storage Area Network (SAN), see Storage Area Network.
SanDisk Corporation
Type Public (NASDAQ: SNDK)
Founded 1988
Headquarters Milpitas, California, USA
Key people Eli Harari, Founder, President & CEO
Sanjay Mehrotra, Founder, COO, Executive Vice President
Jack Yuan, Founder
Industry Flash memory
Digital audio player
Products Flash memory cards
USB flash drives
Digital Audio Players
SIM Cards
Employees 3000 (Q3 2007)
Website www.SanDisk.com

SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) is an American multinational corporation which designs and markets flash memory card products. SanDisk was founded in 1988 by Eli Harari and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory technology experts. SanDisk became a publicly traded company on NASDAQ in November 1995. In January 2008 its market capitalization was US$6.5 billion. SanDisk produces many different types of flash memory, including various memory cards and a series of USB removable drives. SanDisk markets to both the high-end and low-end sector demand for premium quality flash memory; and markets to other equipment makers as well as direct to consumers.

The company is headquartered in Milpitas, California, with offices or manufacturing facilities in 10 locations in Asia (including Taiwan, Shangai, Honk Kong and Tokio), 6 locations in Europe (including Scotland, Dublin and Spain), and 3 locations in Israel (Kfar Sava, Tefen and Omer).

Contents

[edit] Financial information

SanDisk is a component of the GSTI Semiconductor Index

[edit] Acquisitions

[edit] MP3 license dispute

On September 4, 2006 at the IFA show in Berlin, Germany authorities seized all MP3 players that were in SanDisk's booth since Italian patent company Sisvel had won an injunction against it regarding the MP3 format.[2] Sisvel, who had previously filed a separate lawsuit in Mannheim, claims that SanDisk uses the MP3 format without paying the required licensing fee. On September 8, 2006, a Berlin court overturned the injunction and SanDisk put the players back on display.[3]

On March 16, 2007 SanDisk issued a press release announcing they had reached agreement and now acquired licences for all current and future MP3 applications.[4]

[edit] Products

FlashCP

FlashCP is a digital rights management technology for the storage of electronic materials (e.g. e-books) on portable devices. FlashCP is targeted primarily at students and allows transportation of copyrighted material while enforcing copy restrictions against the user. SanDisk acquired the technology in 2005 with the purchase of Israel-based MDRM. As an avid proponent of DRM, this is one of many such technologies developed by SanDisk, the other ones being Gruvi pre-loaded memory cards and the underlying TrustedFlash technology. SanDisk media players have near universal support for Windows Media DRM and rely almost exclusively on variants of the copy-protection capable Secure Digital format for removable storage.

Currently, SanDisk manufactures one drive that uses the FlashCP technology, called the Freedom Drive, which is part of the Cruzer line. Additionally, digital content can be downloaded to Cruzer Freedom from the SanDisk Plaza, a fast growing online store offering digital books, music, games, and education tools. Prices for on line products vary. Many selections are free. Once downloaded, the digital content may be used online and offline.


SanDisk Products[5]

The current Sansa line consists of the following:

  • Sansa Shaker
  • Sansa Clip
  • Sansa Express
  • Sansa c200
  • Sansa e200
  • Sansa View
  • Sansa Fuze
  • Sansa TakeTV

[edit] See also

Competitors

[edit] Acquisitions

July 30, 2006 msystems[FLSH] bought for $1.6B.

http://www.sandisk.com/Corporate/PressRoom/PressReleases/PressRelease.aspx?ID=3494

[edit] References

  1. ^ "SanDisk To Buy msystems", TheStreet.com, 2006-07-31. Retrieved on 2006-08-21. 
  2. ^ SanDisk faces MP3 licence dispute. BBC News (2006-09-04). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.
  3. ^ MP3 player court order overturned. BBC News (2006-09-08). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.
  4. ^ SISVEL and Audio MPEG Grant SanDisk an MPEG Audio Patents License. SanDisk (2007-03-16). Retrieved on 2007-03-18.
  5. ^ SanDisk Innovation Timeline. SanDisk.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-21.

[edit] External links

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