14 DAY TRIAL // Flash-based storage solutions are extremely popular nowadays, due to the fact that they provide relatively large storage spaces in a very portable form factor. However, when it comes to memory cards, the number of formats and sizes is so big that users have to be quite careful when purchasing such an item and check twice its compatibility with the device it's meant to be used with. Nevertheless, due to the fact that this issue is becoming increasingly serious, a group formed out of some of the most important names in the industry, namely Micron Technology, Inc., Nokia, Samsung Electronics, Sony Ericsson, Spansion Inc., STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments have decided to do something about it and got involved in a partnership regarding the development of a whole new memory card standard, dubbed Universal Flash Storage.
According to the group of companies, the new specification, dubbed Universal Flash Storage (UFS), reflects the industry's need for a universal memory solution. Widespread demand for higher densities and higher performance, plus the surging popularity of multimedia content, is accelerating the need for advanced memory solutions in removable card or embedded formats.
And this is exactly where the UFS will come into play, as it's supposed to provide an important leap towards supporting very low access times required for memories, as well as enabling high-speed access to large multimedia files, while reducing power-consumption in consumer electronic (CE) devices. The target performance level is expected to be a significant advancement beyond that of the varied flash cards popular today. Today, users experience a three-minute access time for a 90-minute (4 Gigabyte) high-definition movie; with the new standard, this would be reduced to a few seconds.
The parties involved in the future partnership have some pretty positive attitudes towards the next-gen format. For example, Seppo Lamberg, Senior Vice President, Technology Platforms, Nokia, said that "Nokia will actively participate in the development of the UFS specification, which aims to provide future mobile devices with high performance and flexibility. This collaborative UFS effort will provide the industry with an open standard mass memory solution with optimal performance and interoperability", while Samsung's president, Jon Kang, declared that "the proposed UFS specification is good news for card manufacturers and set designers alike. The proliferating use of flash memory as a storage medium underscores the importance of introducing a universal connectivity solution for memory cards, where high performance and reliability are critical".
Although the plans for collaboration are not exactly very clear for the time being, it would seem that the new standard will (or should) be finalized by 2009. It remains to be seen if this goal will be actually achieved, but the initiative is quite a commendable one and might have some pretty good results for the users.
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