Intel, Hitachi to enter into high-end Flash Memory SSD Storage arena

Intel’s announcement of a deal with Hitachi to become the primary supplier of flash memory for Hitachi’s upcoming line of high end SSD solid-state computer drives, particularly for computer servers and storage systems, foments a shakedown of the players in the market. Currently Intel has a joint partnership with Micron for a range of flash memory storage devices: however, SanDisk, Samsung, and Toshiba have all worked to make the margin extremely competitive, across the board. Will AMD be getting into the game? As part of the deal, Intel and Hitachi will share research and development costs: the dedication of more resources to flash memory R&D is likely to accelerate production, which may further rationalize the market arena’s competitive margin spread.