Elpida inks DRAM tech, outsourcing deal with Taiwan's ProMOS
IDG News Service - Japanese DRAM maker Elpida Memory has signed a deal to provide advanced production line technology to Taiwan's ProMOS Technologies in return for memory chips, the companies said in a statement on Friday.
ProMOS will produce 1GB DDR3 (double data rate, third generation) DRAM chips for Elpida using the technology.
The deal between the two chip makers is important for the global PC industry because PC makers have recently complained about a shortage of DDR3 chips.
Gianfranco Lanci, CEO of Acer, the world's second-biggest PC vendor, said last week that Acer could have shipped more PCs in the third quarter had it been able to obtain enough components, including DDR3.
"In terms of pricing, the only thing we see going up today is memory and that's because of the move to DDR3," he said. DDR3 is quickly taking over the market from its predecessor, DDR2 (double data rate, second generation). DDR3 is speedier and more power efficient.
ProMOS will begin producing DDR3 chips for Elpida in the first half of 2010, with mass production to start in the second half of next year, the companies said.
The deal is also good for ProMOS. The Taiwanese chip maker was one of a few many believed was marked for consolidation under a government plan to restructure Taiwan's DRAM industry.
The agreement with Elpida will enable ProMOS to increase production after a lengthy period in which some of its factories sat idle due to the downturn, and "with the recent turnaround in the DRAM market, ProMOS has embarked on the road to recovery," ProMOS said in the statement.
Reprinted with permission from
Story copyright 2009 International Data Group. All rights reserved.
Elpida Memory
Additional Resources



White Papers & Webcasts
Oracle Accelerate - Not Just Smart but Timely
Download Now!
Data in Action: Making the Planet Smarter
Register Now
Why BI is Ripe - Now! - For Businesses of Any Size
Download Now!
The Workday User Experience Video
Watch Workday's Creative Director, Scott Lietzke, discuss the business-centered design philosophy at Workday.
Rapid Implementation: The New Age of ERP
Download Now!
Business Process Framework Demo
Learn about Configurable Business Processes and Calculated Fields. Watch Now!
Manager Experience Demo
Go beyond self-service solutions to perform more effectively. Watch Now.

