Post a CommentM-Systems, SanDisk Launch Joint Venture, U3 Platform
Online Staff -- Electronic News, 1/7/2005
M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers Ltd. and SanDisk Corp. said today that they were forming a joint venture, U3 LLC, as well as rolling out a new hardware and software platform, also dubbed U3
The new platform is designed to expand the USB flash drive beyond data storage. The two companies want to transform the USB flash drive market from simple storage devices into consumer products that people can use to carry, store and launch their own applications and data on any PC wherever they go.
U3, based in Redwood City, Calif., said it would offer software developers resources to develop and maintain the U3 specifications, plus software development kits and other tools. U3 also hopes to create an expanded market, exploiting one of the fastest-growing consumer electronics devices in history.
Analysts predict that more than 70 million USB drives will sell in 2005. M-Systems and SanDisk say they plan to provide substantial related IP and technical expertise to the U3 platform.
People who buy U3-compliant USB flash drives will have the ability to take U3-compliant applications with them wherever they go, regardless of the PC used, the companies claim.
"Software applications for flash drives have been largely developed for proprietary devices with limited market opportunity," Joe Unsworth, an analyst at Gartner Inc., said in a statement. "Without a standard, developers were lacking key features to enable mobility and robust security, lacking multi-vendor interoperability, and lacking open, standards-based development tools. Creating a unified standard for USB drive application development will fuel innovation and foster cross-vendor compatibility," he said.
The U3 platform includes a hardware specification as well as APIs for software developers to access the unique mobility and security features available on these devices. U3 drives will contain a launch pad desktop interface to simplify viewing, launching, downloading and managing all U3-compliant applications stored on the devices., according to the two companies.
Furthermore, U3's development tools will make it possible for software applications to store and retrieve data on a U3 device, enhance security by accessing the U3 platform standard features, and mobilize applications so they can be carried and launched on any computer, the companies claim.
The first U3-compliant devices are expected to ship by summer.
