Hard disk giants will investigate together

Hitachi, Seagate and Western Digital in the forefront of a new alliance.

Trade IDEMA (International Disk Drive Equipment and Materials Association) believes that the inherent challenges associated with future storage technologies have proved to be too costly, risky and cumbersome to an individual company can aspire to these alone.

Therefore, IDEMA is now in the process of establishing a new alliance, Storage Technology Alliance (STA), where members can collaborate on joint research initiatives.

Among the first members of the STA's hard drive vendors Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, Seagate and Western Digital.

Other potential members may be players in the storage industry, customers, suppliers, universities and laboratories.

The goal is that the STA will help to reduce the time it takes between innovation and introduction of products, while maintaining a competitive marketplace.

More information about STA shall be made available in September.