NOR flash market receives Much-Needed Standardisation
Intel Corp. and STMicroelectronics have announced they will collaborate on the development of NOR-type flash memory products, a move that will bring a much-needed standardisation to the market, believes iSuppli Corp.
With this agreement, Intel and STMicroelectronics have recognised and acted on the need to bring some level of product standardisation to the NOR flash market.
“NOR flash is one of the last memory types to truly become a commodity and parts from various suppliers have always been very different so second-sourcing wasn’t possible,” said Mark DeVoss, senior analyst for iSuppli.
“Providing devices with identical key parameters makes it easier and less stressful for system designers and procurement managers to make the decision using a NOR-type flash device from either Intel or STMicroelectronics.”
The deal will create a reliable second sourcing for NOR parts, which can be called upon in the event of a disruption in availability from the primary supplier. The agreement also provides an additional source that can be utilised if a quick increase in demand occurs that strains the capabilities of one supplier or the other. In such an event, the second supplier’s part can be quickly swapped with the first, and manufacturing of an electronic product can continue with little or no disruption.
“Because of these factors, the Intel/STMicroelectronics agreement is a positive development for the NOR-type flash market”, DeVoss said.
The companies will separately design and manufacture their respective NOR-flash devices, so the collaboration is not a joint manufacturing agreement but rather, provides both parties with the flexibility to develop custom versions of their devices.
