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.

Politics : RAMTRONIAN's Cache Inn -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Richard Wright who wrote (5004)	3/26/1998 3:16:00 PM
From: Gutterball	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 14464

Try reading the press release to see what "can be" rather than what "is". Let me help you. Gentlemen, start your engines... "SGS-THOMSON has consistently led the smartcard market, both in technology and market share..." The key here is leader in technology. Are your wheels rolling? Granted, they talk a lot about EEPROM... " The fast growing MCU-based smartcard chips have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41%..." But you ask, where's the FRAM?" Well, what is FRAM? Please don't tell me it's ferroelectric something... Think of FRAM as a technology inversion. BTW, much of our advances in technology have come about via inversions. Anyway, to make a long story short, the next inversion I see in smart cards will be, "In goes the FRAM out comes the EEPROM". And the nice thing about all this, is this inversion will happen faster than the inversion of EEPROM over magnetic stripe. Why? Well, because of what you complain about--the prominence of EEPROM. The fact EEPROM has broken some resistance to smartcards, it will be easier for FRAM to gain market share because it will be opening new markets as well as replacing old EEPROM. And SGS-Thomson will see to this because it wants to retain its leadership role. Simple, ain't it. Any chance of this happening? Well, SGS-THOMSON did mention it has "two 200mm, 0.25 micron capable plants qualified for non-volatile memory production". So they are thinking in that direction, the direction of maintaining their rank as technology leader. So sit back and enjoy the ride.