Companies Support New Universal Flash Storage Standard

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Sept. 17, 2007* – Consumer electronics and flash memory providers last week announced joint support for a new specification called Universal Flash Storage (UFS), a solution that, if adopted, would standardize memory across the consumer electronics industry. With support from Micron Technology, Inc., Nokia, Samsung Electronics, Sony Ericsson, Spansion, Inc., STicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments, the new UFS standard promises faster performance and reduced power consumption for digital cameras, video camcorders, and mobile handsets. The UFS standard is slated for completion in 2009.

"The proposed UFS specification is good news for card manufacturers and set designers alike. The proliferating use of flash memory as a storage medium underscores the importance of introducing a universal connectivity solution for memory cards, where high performance and reliability are critical," said Samsung Semiconductor Inc. President Jon Kang in the release.

Currently, some companies require proprietary memory to operate respective digital camera products. Sony non-SLR digital cameras require Memory Stick media. Olympus point-and-shoots and compacts require xD memory cards. Until recently, Fujifilm point-and-shoots only accepted proprietary xD cards, but Fuji later installed a dual memory slot in its cameras to accept xD cards and the more widely accepted SD cards.

The UFS standard is intended to be a removable memory card developed by the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, a semiconductor organization.

"Universal standards hold a pivotal role in the development of more cost-efficient and better designed products. Standardization of flash-based technologies will be crucial in determining how fast storage devices will be able to fully support industry demand for higher densities and faster transmission speeds," said Micron Technology Vice President Frankie Roohparver of NAND development, in the release.