I'm still confused about how Rambus will make money, but I was sure the recent announcement that they had Dell and Compaq planning to sell RDRAM starting in 99. It was up $3 around 43 and I figured I'd wait for a pull back. Yeah, sure.
Well, looking at this weeks comments from LG Semicon, who has been the quickest to make 100 mhtz fast DRAM, saying there is a shortage of fast memory. Looks like this market is big and commands a little premium.
But where is the 100 mhtz play when they talk about speeding things up much more next year?
Anyway, if you are like me and kicking yourself for missing the Rambus move, maybe, big maybe, we'll have another chance with Ramtron? Unfortunately, Rambus has Intel backing them, but there may be a case for Ramtron's ESDRAM? Anyway, they got the seal of apporoval yesterday.
Any thoughts on how to play this area of fast memory. Is IP liscensing the only way to make money on DRAM?
Regards,
Mark
Ramtron's Enhanced SDRAM Becomes JEDEC SDRAM Superset
BusinessWire, Tuesday, June 09, 1998 at 09:17
COLORADO SPRINGS, Co.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 9, 1998--US
semiconductor maker, Ramtron International Corporation (NASDAQ:RMTR),
announced today that its enhanced synchronous dynamic random access
memory (ESDRAM) product definition has been approved by the JEDEC
Memory Subcommittee as a superset to the SDRAM memory standard. The
ESDRAM, developed and marketed by Ramtron's wholly owned subsidiary,
Enhanced Memory Systems, Inc. (Enhanced), is an ultra-fast version of
the popular synchronous DRAM -- the dominant type of memory used in
personal computers.
"The new ESDRAM and DDR ESDRAM superset addresses the demand for
extended functions by system companies, including lower DRAM latency,
while maintaining compatibility with the JEDEC SDRAM and DDR SDRAM
standards," explains JEDEC Subcommittee Chairman Desi Rhoden of VLSI
Technology, Inc.
The JEDEC Memory Subcommittee ballot approval for the ESDRAM
superset is the result of more than a year of work by the DRAM
committee and Enhanced Memory Systems. The DRAM committee membership
includes all major industry DRAM suppliers and many leading computer
systems companies. The approved ballots have been forwarded to the
JEDEC council for final resolution and action.
"We are pleased that the JEDEC Memory Subcommittee approved our
ESDRAM and DDR ESDRAM architecture as a superset," said Craig Rhodine,
vice president and general manager of Enhanced. "This is an important
step in our plans to broadly market the ESDRAM architecture to memory
consumers and suppliers as the fastest and most cost competitive
alternative to conventional SDRAM."
Ramtron's ESDRAM solves current memory bandwidth issues now
plaguing the performance of computers using increasingly faster
microprocessors. ESDRAM memory technology allows a computer's
microprocessor to complete more tasks in less time -- leading to more
productive computers. In addition, the ESDRAM delivers the same peak
bandwidth and over twice the sustained bandwidth of the emerging
Rambus DRAM. ESDRAM products serve in the specialty DRAM and fast
static RAM markets, which are expected to grow to more than $5 billion
by the year 2000, according to InStat, a leading semiconductor
industry research firm.
JEDEC is the semiconductor standardization body of the Electronic
Industries Alliance (EIA), a national trade organization representing
manufacturers in all area of the electronic industry for more than 73
years. JEDEC has been the foremost standards development organization
for the semiconductor industry since 1958. For more information about
JEDEC and to access JEDEC standards online, visit www.eia.org/jedec.
Ramtron is the leading developer of ferroelectric random access
memories (FRAM(R)) products -- new high-performance nonvolatile
memories that merge the benefits of many mainstream memory
technologies into a single device. The company also develops and
markets ultra-high performance EDRAM(R) memory products through its
wholly owned subsidiary, Enhanced Memory Systems, Inc. Ramtron holds
120 international and U.S. patents covering its proprietary
technologies and products, and has more than 99 additional patent
applications filed.
For additional information regarding Enhanced and the ESDRAM
products, contact: Communications Department, Enhanced Memory Systems,
1850 Ramtron Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado USA, 80921. Telephone
800/545-DRAM (3726); fax 719/488-9095; e-mail edraminfo@ramtron.com;
web page www.ramtron.com.
FRAM and EDRAM are registered trademarks of Ramtron International
Corporation.
CONTACT: Ramtron International Corporation
Lee A. Brown, 719/481-7219
KEYWORD: COLORADO
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED PRODUCT
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