A couple of great finds by JBBJR
Quite an interesting read. (JTS is not mentioned.)
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Oh, please someone. Tell us that Connors and Mitchell are friends and that JTS will be the contract manufacturer for this!
Conner Returns To The
Drive Market
(08/11/98; 10:14 a.m. ET)
By Joseph F. Kovar, Computer Reseller News
Two years after his last company was swallowed up by Seagate Technology, Finis Conner is preparing his return to the hard disk-drive market.
Conner Technology, based in San Jose, Calif., but with a parent company incorporated in Ireland, is expected to use a contract manufacturer to produce fixed hard disk drives targeted at the sub-$1,000 PC market, according to company officials.
Conner Technology will be led by Conner, who will serve as chairman and CEO. Joining him as president is Peter Knight, who formerly served as senior vice president at both Seagate Technology, in Scotts Valley, Calif., and the old Conner Peripherals.
"Yes, we are getting back in the hard disk-drive business," Conner told CRN. "But we see us traveling another way than what people are used to. It wouldn't make sense to do it the way others are doing it now."
Conner Technology is focused on bringing to the sub-$1,000 PC market "products that will match the quality and level of service consumers demand," Conner said.
The company's goal was echoed by Knight. The sub-$1,000 PC market is a low-end hard disk-drive market, he said. "Our objective is to produce a low-cost product that sets new standards for performance. We believe the current suppliers are not suitable for this market. They have expenses for marketing [and so on] which won't fit the new [sub-$1,000] model."
Although he does not like using the words "virtual disk-drive company," Knight said, it is used by industry observers to describe Conner Technology "because we don't intend to own our own factory. On the development side, we're [going to] utilize the capabilities of our component suppliers for the [product] development."
Knight said the company's drives will be produced in the Far East, but he did not specify in which country. Few details of Conner Technology's products have been made available. "We expect our technology will not be on the bleeding edge, but they will be close to the capacity of the other vendors for one- or two-disk products," Knight said.
Conner Technology is already talking to potential customers about the product specifications, Knight said.
"We have specification sheets we've shared with customers," he said. "But since we are a private company, and since we're relying on OEMs [original equipment manufacturers, as potential customers], we see no need for press releases now."
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--Dennis |
