14 DAY TRIAL // As developing a whole new computer hardware technology can be very expensive and even producing large quantities of hardware parts screams for big funding, more and more companies are forming joint ventures in order to split costs, risks and profits. A brand new partnership is now in the making as Sony announced that it will soon enter a joint venture with the computer memory manufacturing company Infineon Technologies AG in order to design and produce memory modules that are able to compete against those made under the Samsung and Elpida Memory agreement.
Sony Corporation announced the collaboration between the two companies in Tokyo and according to the news site cdrinfo, the joint venture will be aimed at designing and manufacturing dynamic random access memory modules that could be used in general consumer electronic appliances like cameras and mobile phones.
Under the agreement between the two producers, the joint venture will be split 50:50 and in the first phase the partnership will only work with a crew of 30 engineers selected from both companies. The new memory design studio will start operating by the end of the year and it is expected additional engineers to be soon hired.
"We believe that the joint venture will support our future product design and solutions development and will further pave the way for our product diversification in non-PC applications," said Kin Wah Loh, President and CEO of Qimonda. "The set up of a new design center in Tokyo in cooperation with Sony is a strategic step to accelerate the worldwide R&D capabilities in that area. As Japan is an important and dynamic market for us and shows excellent R&D talents especially in the consumer and graphic area, we are glad to consistently expand our successful activities here."
As Infineon is one of the leaders of the random access memory modules that are currently used in graphics cards and other computer hardware components and because Sony is one of the most important general consumer electronics in the whole world, the partnership between the two companies could lead to some mighty interesting results.