Micronas Next Generation Application Board will Support Sandis's CompactFlash, MultiMediaCard and Secure Digital Memory Card (0010)
Sunnyvale, CA, July 17, 2000 - SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) announced today that the Micronas (SWX: MASN; Neuer Markt Frankfurt: MNSN) MAS 3509F digital audio application board will support the SanDisk MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital (SD) Card, and CompactFlash (CF). The board will be used in portable digital audio playback devices, including MP3/AAC players and audio recording systems.
Currently, more than 100 companies worldwide are using Micronas products in their applications. SanDisk's MultiMediaCard, SD Card, and CompactFlash are currently compatible with more than 125 MP3 players and recorders.
The Micronas MAS 3509F application board handles various audio and speech formats such as MP3, AAC, and G.729 and will give manufacturers the ability to create smaller players and recorders with longer playback time. The board operates on a low-power system; it's able to run on a single battery or through a conventional power source. The combination of low power consumption and postage-stamp-sized SanDisk memory cards will give the player manufacturers the ability to create smaller and sleeker designs.
By incorporating the SanDisk SD Card, the Micronas application board will have the capability to operate in a secure copyright protected environment.
Hubertus von Janecek, marketing manager Advanced Audio for Micronas, said, "Micronas is gearing its MAS 3509F application board for future trends in digital audio. One of those trends in digital audio players is the increased usage of the MultiMediaCard and SD Card for memory. Not only do these cards make possible the design of tiny systems, but the SD Card also enables downloading and listening to music under a secured environment. SanDisk cards are rapidly gaining industry wide acceptance in music applications."
"This is another great opportunity for SanDisk MultiMediaCards, SD Cards, and CompactFlash to be designed into future audio music players and recorders," said Thomas Climer, product manager for SanDisk. "Micronas chipsets are designed into numerous audio players and voice recorders. By providing support for the SanDisk MultiMediaCard, SD Card, and CompactFlash card, Micronas is stating that the cards are positioned to become de-facto standards for data storage in portable devices."
A demo version of the chip and the application board is already available. Production shipments are scheduled to start during the summer 2000.
Micronas is an international semiconductor company group. Its activities include the development, manufacture and marketing of IC and sensor system solutions for consumer, multimedia, and automotive electronics. The holding is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland; the operative center of the group is located in Freiburg, Germany. Currently, the Micronas group employs over 1200 people and has generated over CHF 320 million in sales in 1999.
SanDisk Corporation, the world's largest supplier of flash data storage products, designs, manufactures, and markets industry-standard, solid-state data, digital imaging and audio storage products using its patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology. SanDisk is based in Sunnyvale, CA.
The matters discussed in this news release contain forward looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties as described under the caption "Factors That May Affect Future Results" in the company's annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company assumes no obligation to update the information in this release.
http://www.sandisk.com