Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Market Gems:Stocks w/Strong Earnings and High Tech. Rank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bob Biersack who wrote (88926)	3/17/2000 3:03:00 AM
From: SMALL FRY	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 120523

Well... if you're also in RMTR...their FRAM's are gaining popularity as replacement for the EEPROM's due to its higher access speed according to a friend. Since we're just starting our coverage of RMTR, let's start a journey to the memory lane... circa:1999 Also read: 1. techweb.com 2. techweb.com 3. biz.yahoo.com Going fabless Ramtron International and its subsidiary, Enhanced Memory Systems, moved to a fabless model in the past year. The companies, both based in Colorado Springs, Colo., have partnered with large memory makers to ensure they'll be able to supply customers with the devices they need. "We're really in the area of developing technologies and products and marketing them," said a Ramtron spokesman. "The cost structures of a fab in Colorado Springs just wasn't cost-effective." Ramtron's ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) combines the high performance and longevity of DRAM and SRAM technologies with the nonvolatility, or ability to store data without power, of read-only memory. Applications range from consumer-electronics products to power meters, industrial controls, and other applications that demand nonvolatile data storage. "A lot of people talk about FRAMs as a future mainstream technology, but it's here and in production, and there's a rapidly developing customer base for it," said Mike Alwais, director of product marketing. Ramtron plans to start shipping 64- and 256-Kbit FRAM devices this year, and will enter the 1-Mbit range in 2000, he said. Ramtron currently has licensing, royalty, and capacity agreements with Rohm for its low-density FRAMs, and with Fujitsu, Hitachi, and Toshiba for its high-density FRAMs. The company also has business agreements with Asahi Chemical and Samsung. Enhanced Memory Systems develops and markets high-speed enhanced DRAM (EDRAM) products. EDRAM, which combines DRAM with SRAM, offers high bandwidth to solve the challenges created by high-performance microprocessors used in PCs. Popular applications for EDRAM, which accounted for $13 million in sales in 1997, include network communications equipment, disk controllers, voice messaging systems, and high-end workstations. Both Ramtron and Enhanced Memory Systems have been successful in their niches. "While DRAM average selling prices were falling 70% in 1996, Ramtron was able to keep ASPs the same as they had in 1995-all the way through 1997 and 1998," said analyst Jim Handy of Dataquest Inc., San Jose. Enhanced Memory has also commanded a premium. "We run in the niche between DRAM and SRAMs, so the products we compete against are not commodities, said Dave Bondurant, vice president of marketing. "So we can ask a higher price because of the performance and features we offer. We've announced a series of patents in ESDRAM [Enhanced synchronous DRAM] and other memory products."