SanDisk's flash storage
replace drives in factory PCs
By Will Wade
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--SanDisk Corp. here today announced a deal that highlights a growing trend in replacing standard disk drives with solid-state flash memory-based storage devices. The company said it will supply 60-megabyte FlashDrives for PCs from Intermec Technologies Corp. used in industrial settings.
"Flash memory has proven to be the ultimate solution for data storage in rugged industrial environments," said Jeff Ellerbruch, product manager at SanDisk. Although traditional disk drives retain the vast majority of the PC storage market, analysts have suggested flash-based storage could see greater utilization as the storage capacity increases and the cost-per-megabyte drops.
The Intermec systems are designed for applications in industrial environments required sealed enclosure, industrial design and networking capabilities. "Remote depots typically have minimal IT support and, over time, can experience disk problems due to movement, power outage, dust, moisture and other damaging environmental conditions," said Mike Colwell, director of marketing for Intermec's mobile systems division. "One of our design objectives was to offer an alternative to spinning disk media, which cannot withstand these industrial conditions."
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