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1. Microsoft and SanDisk Join Forces to Create New Experience for USB Flash Drives and Flash Memory Cards

2. Microsoft, SanDisk team for next-gen flash offering

3. SanDisk and Microsoft BFFs around software-stuffed memory

4. The original U3-powered flash drive can run key-based software applications without being tied to a host machine

 

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Press Release Source: SanDisk Corporation

1. Microsoft and SanDisk Join Forces to Create New Experience for USB Flash Drives and Flash Memory Cards, Expanding on and Replacing U3 Smart Technology


Friday May 11, 8:00 am ET
New Offering for USB Flash Drives and Flash Memory Cards Will Give Users and Developers Greater Mobility, More Security and Seamless Integration With Windows-based PCs


REDMOND, Wash. & MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Microsoft and SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK - News) today announced they have signed an agreement to deliver a next-generation software and hardware solution to place application programs and personal customization on USB flash drives and flash memory cards, expanding on and replacing SanDisk's existing U3(TM) Smart Technology.

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will develop a new software experience and SanDisk will develop new hardware capabilities, including the addition of TrustedFlash(TM) security technology. SanDisk will incorporate the combined software and hardware solution on removable flash memory cards and Cruzer® USB flash drives. The new offering is expected to be commercially available starting in the second half of 2008.

Effective immediately, Microsoft will engage in discussions with third-party hardware vendors interested in licensing the new software offering. A new entity will be created to license compatible hardware designs, TrustedFlash and other intellectual property from both Microsoft and SanDisk, with revenues to be shared by the two companies.

"SanDisk and U3 forged the category of smart USB devices, elevating simple flash storage to a whole new level of customer benefit," said Will Poole, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Market Expansion Group. "We are excited to work with SanDisk on this next-generation experience, which will allow hardware manufacturers to better differentiate their products and provide an even richer software and services experience for customers."

"The U3 platform was established with the vision of giving customers a consistent and portable computing experience. The existing 20,000 U3 software developers that joined us show the potential for smart flash memory devices," said Yoram Cedar, executive vice president of the mobile business unit and corporate engineering at SanDisk. "We expect this relationship with Microsoft will raise the overall experience for consumers given Microsoft's unique software expertise, and grow the momentum given the large community of 3rd party companies capable of utilizing Microsoft's technologies."

A New Generation of Smart Portable Computing

The Microsoft and SanDisk effort will expand on the success of U3, which is surrounded by a large and vibrant ecosystem. Both companies stressed that developers will be offered a migration path to modify existing U3 applications to run on the new offering.

U3 smart drives are the size of a pack of chewing gum or smaller, and let users carry not only files but also popular Windows® software applications with their associated preferences and settings. Consumers simply plug a U3 smart drive into any Windows-based computer's USB port to securely access personalized e-mail programs, Web browsers, productivity tools, multimedia applications and more. When they unplug their U3 smart drive, they take their personal information with them.

The new offering will be designed so that users can carry their personal computing environment -- including a customized and familiar user interface, applications and data -- on a flash storage device such as a USB flash drive or flash memory card. This computing environment will be accessible on Windows XP and Windows Vista(TM)-based computers with a USB port or flash card reader. Users will be free to work on public or shared computers without fear of leaving personal information behind, and with confidence that their personal information will be encrypted, kept safer from malware, and otherwise protected through security provisions enabled by TrustedFlash technology.

U3 technology was developed by U3 LLC, a joint venture of SanDisk and m-systems, and became available in 2005. SanDisk acquired m-systems in November 2006, and U3 LLC today is a wholly owned subsidiary of SanDisk. SanDisk will continue to actively support the U3 organization and product until the new offering is released to the public next year.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT - News) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

About SanDisk

SanDisk is the original inventor of flash storage cards and is the world's largest supplier of flash data storage card products using its patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology. SanDisk is headquartered in Milpitas, CA and has operations worldwide, with more than half its sales outside the U.S.

Microsoft, Windows and Windows Vista are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

SanDisk's web site/home page address: http://www.sandisk.com/

SanDisk's product and executive images can be downloaded from http://www.sandisk.com/corporate/media.asp

 

 

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2. Microsoft, SanDisk team for next-gen flash offering

By Colleen Taylor, Contributing Editor / EDN                                                                        5/11/2007

SanDisk Corp. announced today it has teamed up with Microsoft Corp. to deliver a next-generation software and hardware solution to place application programs and personal customization on USB flash drives and flash memory cards, expanding on and replacing SanDisk's existing U3 technology.

U3 was developed in 2005 in a partnership with M-Systems Ltd., an Israel-based solid state memory maker that was acquired by SanDisk in July 2006. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will develop a new software experience and SanDisk will develop new hardware capabilities, including the addition of TrustedFlash security technology. SanDisk will incorporate the combined software and hardware solution on removable flash memory cards and Cruzer  USB flash drives.

The new offering will be designed so that users can carry their personal computing environment, including a customized and familiar user interface, applications and data, on a flash storage device such as a USB flash drive or flash memory card. This computing environment will be accessible on Windows XP and Windows Vista-based computers with a USB port or flash card reader. According to the companies, users will be free to work on public or shared computers without fear of leaving personal information behind, and with confidence that their personal information will be encrypted.

Financial terms of the partnership deal have not been disclosed. The new offering is expected to be commercially available starting in the second half of 2008.

Effective immediately, Microsoft said it will engage in discussions with third-party hardware vendors interested in licensing the new software offering. A new entity will be created to license compatible hardware designs, TrustedFlash and other intellectual property from both Microsoft and SanDisk, with revenues to be shared by the two companies.

"We are excited to work with SanDisk on this next-generation experience, which will allow hardware manufacturers to better differentiate their products and provide an even richer software and services experience for customers," Will Poole, corporate VP of Microsoft's market expansion group, said in a statement

 

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3. SanDisk and Microsoft BFFs around software-stuffed memory

By Austin Modine in Mountain View [More by this author]
11th May 2007 23:49 GMT
Microsoft and SanDisk have inked a deal to create USB flash drives and memory cards with built-in software and user preferences to replace SanDisk's existing U3 Cruzer line.

Under the agreement, Microsoft will develop new software and SanDisk will cover the hardware for the products.

The hardware/software pairing will allow customers to carry applications as well as their customized Windows interface on a flash storage device.

SanDisk rep Mike Lanberg said the disks will let users access their encrypted financial, corporate, and personal data on public or shared computers without leaving the information behind when they leave.

The partnership will replace and expand upon SanDisk's current application-launching flash storage line, U3. The offering is expected to be commercially available starting in the second half of 2008. The U3 line will be sold and supported until the new release, Lanberg said.

SanDisk said its partnership with Microsoft will allow the applications to be more tightly integrated with Windows operating systems, as well as enhance data security. The flash storage drives will support both XP and Vista.

Microsoft has plans to begin recruiting third-party hardware vendors interested in licensing the new software. The two companies said they will create "a new entity" to license compatible hardware designs from both Microsoft and SanDisk. These revenues will be shared by the two companies.

 
U3 Smart Drive Redefines Mobile Computing By Anne Chen
October 14, 2005

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4. A U3-powered flash drive can run key-based software applications without being tied to a host machine.
 

By Anne Chen         / eWeek.com                                                                                                       October 14, 2005

I spend a lot of my time in eWEEK Labs looking at portable computing devices. Recently, though, I've been playing with a U3 "smart drive," which enables users to leave their laptops at home. Created by the company of the same name, U3 is a platform that allows software developers to build key-based applications for flash drives.

Traditional flash drives allow users to carry around and access files; those files are dependent on applications residing on a host machine. A U3 drive is essentially a flash drive that you can run a compatible application directly off of.

SanDisk, Memorex, Verbatim and Kingston, among others, support the U3 smart drive platform. (U3 actually introduced the platform more than a year ago, but the drives are just coming to market now.)

U3-based drives started shipping Oct. 15. Pricing is about $100 for a 1GB drive. The U3 drives are compatible only with Windows 2000 and Windows XP at this time.

I've been using a 512MB SanDisk Cruzer Micro and a 1GB Verbatim Store 'n' Go U3 Smart Drive for a couple of weeks now. So far, I've been pretty satisfied with the experience.

eWEEK Special Report: Wireless in the Enterprise

After the U3 smart drive is plugged into a USB port, the drive is automatically recognized by Windows, and I can launch U3-enabled applications. When I eject the USB drive, my footprint disappears, and I take my data with me.

All U3 drives work in the same fashion, but drive manufacturers install their own applications onto the drives. For example, the Verbatim drive has anti-virus software from McAfee, while the Mini TravelDrive from Memorex comes with the Thunderbird e-mail client.

Not all the applications are available yet, but you can get a good idea of what's to come—like the Firefox browser—from the U3 Web site.

One application I like is Dmailer Sync, which allowed me to synchronize, backup and restore all my personal files and Outlook data. With Dmailer Sync, I could also send e-mail from the drive even if the host machine didn't have Outlook installed.

It's hard to imagine road warriors leaving their laptops behind only to search for a desktop at every stop, but I can see the drive allowing many users to leave their computers at home.