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
S&P 500 Component
Traded as NASDAQ: SNDK
Industry Data storage device
Computer memory
Founded 1988
Founder(s) Dr. Eli Harari
Sanjay Mehrotra
Headquarters Milpitas, California, United States
Area served Worldwide
Key people Michael E. Marks (Chairman)
Sanjay Mehrotra (President & CEO)
Products Flash memory cards
USB flash drives
Digital Audio Players
Solid State Drives
Revenue increase US$ 4.82 billion (2011)[1]
Operating income increase US$ 1.46 billion (2011)[1]
Profit increase US$ 1.30 billion (2011)[1]
Total assets increase US$ 8.77 billion (2011)[1]
Total equity increase US$ 5.78 billion (2011)[1]
Employees 3,469 (2011)[1]
Website www.sandisk.com

SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) is an American multinational corporation that designs, develops and manufactures data storage solutions in a range of form factors using the flash memory, controller and firmware technologies. It was founded in 1988 by Dr. Eli Harari and Sanjay Mehrotra, non-volatile memory technology experts. SanDisk became a publicly traded company on NASDAQ in November 1995. As of September 2011, its market capitalization is US$9.95 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 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, China and Japan), 6 locations in Europe (including the UK, Ireland and Spain), and 3 locations in Israel (Kfar Sava, Tefen and Omer).

SanDisk's product portfolio includes flash memory cards for mobile phones, digital cameras and camcorders; digital audio/video players; USB flash drives for consumers and the enterprise; embedded memory for mobile devices; and solid state drives for computers. SanDisk is a Silicon Valley-based S&P 500 company, with more than half its sales outside the United States.[2]

Contents

[edit] History

Dr. Eli Harari, an Israeli engineer, began making early contributions to EEPROM or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, a precursor to flash memory. Harari worked on flash memory at Intel, leaving to found a start-up which failed. In 1988, Harari launched the company that would become SanDisk with former Intel colleague Sanjay Mehrotra and former Hughes Electronics colleague Jack Yuan.[3]

talk had recognized that digital cameras would need digital storage, and computers could become ever more mobile and light and would require a similar storage technology. In 1988 Harari offered the flash memory card technology to Kodak for inclusion in their cameras. Kodak offered to fund the development with the condition that SanDisk offer a three year exclusive contract for the 'digital film'. Harari and SanDisk rejected the offer, preferring to have competition in the marketplace.[3]

[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, German 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.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8]

[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 growing online store offering digital books, music, games, and education tools. Prices for online products vary. Many selections are free. Once downloaded, the digital content may be used online and offline.

In addition, the company has a division named SanDisk Enterprise which develops and manufactures a secure USB drive. SanDisk Enterprise was created to provide a solution for enterprises and government agencies to allow mobilization of the corporate computing environment with password protected USB flash drives. The company attempts to address the organization's risk management needs.

An SD card, mini SD card, and micro SD card from top to bottom.
The range of SanDisk Cruzer flash drives
16 GB Cruzer Micro.

[edit] Memory Cards

[edit] USB Flash Drives

  • Cruzer® Switch™ USB Flash Drive
  • Cruzer® Fit™ USB Flash Drive
  • SanDisk Ultra® USB Flash Drive
  • Cruzer® Edge™ USB Flash Drive
  • Cruzer® Blade™ USB Flash Drive
  • Cruzer® USB Flash Drive
  • SanDisk Ultra® Backup USB Flash Drive

[edit] Others

[edit] Audio and Video Players

Main article: SanDisk Sansa
Data recovery software[9]
  • SanDisk RescuePRO
  • SanDisk RescuePRO Deluxe

[edit] Partnerships

On September 24, 2007 the SanDisk Corporation announced the SanDisk Enterprise Solutions Technology Alliance (SESTA).[10] This alliance allows partners to evaluate compatibility and interoperability of their products with SanDisk’s secure portable hardware and supporting software, as well as join with SanDisk to raise awareness of best practices in endpoint and portable data security. SESTA is backed by a roster of founding partners including Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.; Citrix Systems Inc.; McAfee Inc.; RSA, The Security Division of EMC; and VeriSign, Inc.

Other companies are among the founding partners of SESTA, including:[11]

  • Applied Identity, Inc.
  • Centennial Software Limited
  • Check Point
  • ControlGuard
  • CoSoSys
  • Diversinet Corp.
  • Dmailer
  • LC Technology International, Inc.[12]
  • Lumension Security (formerly SecureWave)
  • MokaFive
  • Promisec Ltd.
  • RedCannon Security Inc.
  • Safend
  • Secuware
  • SmartLine Inc.
  • Sweet Spot Solutions Inc.
  • Tablus, Inc.
  • Vericept Corporation

[edit] See also

Portal icon Companies portal
Portal icon San Francisco Bay Area portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "2010 Form 10-K, SanDisk Corporation". Google Invester. http://www.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ:SNDK&fstype=ii. 
  2. ^ SanDisk.com, http://www.sandisk.com
  3. ^ a b Harris, Scott Duke (2008-07-13). "Mercury News interview: SanDisk CEO helped launch digital revolution". The San Jose Mercury News. http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9868280?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com. Retrieved 2008-08-06. 
  4. ^ "SanDisk To Buy msystems". TheStreet.com. 2006-07-31. http://www.thestreet.com/_iwon/newsanalysis/techsemis/10300419.html?cf=WSIWON1111051500. Retrieved 2006-08-21. 
  5. ^ "SANDISK ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE PLIANT TECHNOLOGY". 2011-5-16. http://www.sandisk.com/about-sandisk/press-room/press-releases/2011/2011-05-16-sandisk-announces-agreement-to-acquire-pliant-technology. Retrieved 2011-09-27. 
  6. ^ "SanDisk faces MP3 licence dispute". BBC News. 2006-09-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5312696.stm. Retrieved 2006-09-08. 
  7. ^ "MP3 player court order overturned". BBC News. 2006-09-08. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5326660.stm. Retrieved 2006-09-08. 
  8. ^ "SISVEL and Audio MPEG Grant SanDisk an MPEG Audio Patents License". SanDisk. 2007-03-16. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=86495&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=974784&highlight=. Retrieved 2007-03-18. 
  9. ^ "SanDisk Introduces RescueProTM Software". SanDisk.com. http://www.sandisk.com/Products/ProductDetails.aspx?productID=&CatID=1186#reviews. Retrieved 2009-03-20. [dead link]
  10. ^ "SanDisk Enterprise Solutions Technology Alliance (SESTA)". SanDisk.com. http://www.sandisk.com/Corporate/PressRoom/PressReleases/PressRelease.aspx?ID=3989. Retrieved 2009-03-24. 
  11. ^ "SESTA Partnerships". SanDisk.com. http://www.sandisk.com/Oem/Default.aspx?CatID=1618. Retrieved 2009-03-24. [dead link]
  12. ^ "LC Technology Joins SanDisk Enterprise Solutions Technology Alliance". LC Technology. http://www.lc-tech.com/company/press.html. Retrieved 2009-03-24. 

[edit] External links

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