There are some events that, regardless of how many delays they suffer, inevitably come to pass. This is bound to happen to any sort of device category that fails to keep up with the times. One of the most recent product types to have begun its steady decline into oblivion is the floppy diskette. In fact, seeing how CDs and USB flash drives are becoming more widespread, floppy-disk usage has waned considerably, to the point where Sony
decided to completely stop making such products starting with March 2011.
It seems, however, that not all storage-solution developers are willing to give up on this technology just yet. Verbatim, for one, is
reportedly planning on continuing to supply the worldwide market with such devices, at least for a few years, until they truly fade into obscurity. The main reason behind this is the fact that, for all their failing popularity, European sales still managed to reach about 50 million in 2009. This means that home and professional users still have some usage for the technology.
“Almost 30 years after the 3.5-inch disk’s launch in 1981, the floppy remains a widespread data storage medium despite the advent of powerful rivals such as the CD and USB stick. According to the market leader Verbatim’s own figures, European sales totalled around 50 million units in 2009, with demand especially strong in Eastern Europe and the CIS states,” a statement by Verbatim reads.
The main reason why this means of transferring data is still in use is because, despite the low storage space, floppy diskettes are quite cheap. Nevertheless, Verbatim is having no illusions, being fully aware that the disappearance of this technology is just a matter of time.
“Nonetheless it comes as no surprise to Verbatim that in a shrinking market segment the number of suppliers of this product is diminishing. As a leading storage media specialist, however, Verbatim will continue to supply the floppy worldwide,” Verbatim says.
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