By editorial@silicon.com, 16 December 1998 13:47
NEWS Hard disk drive maker, Western Digital (WD) is to join forces with Sony to develop multimedia storage products for the home consumer market. A WD statement claims the convergence of broadcasting, communications and IT onto a digital platform means home users will be able to store multimedia content on a 'home server', feeding into a network of PCs, digital TVs and other audio/visual appliances. To achieve this, the companies are to jointly develop a new breed of hard drive, with larger storage capacity, high transfer rates and the ability to handle multiple data streams. The move is an attempt by WD to diversify away from the PC hard drive market, where competition is still tough after a year of plummeting prices and sustained oversupply. The company posted a net loss totalling $195m for its most recent quarter, although it claimed market conditions are now improving, with revenues from PC makers showing signs of recovery. The first products of the partnership are expected in 2000.
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