Press
The Objective Analysis team stays on top of industry activities and its participants.
Our analysts’ views and observations are highly regarded by our clients, market leaders, and the press, as demonstrated by the following quotes, and by the videos and podcasts on other pages in this section.
GDDR Does Math, Big-Screen Explosions
Graphics applications rely a great deal on matrix algebra, Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, said in an interview with EE Times.
Five emerging memory technologies, with MRAM in pole position
Tom Coughlin of Coughlin Associates and Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy have produced a 272-page, 30-table analysis of the prospects for five emerging memory technologies…
Flash Experts Honor Standards Pioneer Amber Huffman
Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis and presenter of the award, said the Flash Memory Summit honors not only people who have …
MRAM Getting More Attention At Smallest Nodes
(Semiconductor Engineering, 8/10/23)
In addition, MRAM is used in industrial applications, noted Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
A PC market resurgence faces headwinds
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, told Fierce Electronics in an interview that the PC market is returning to its pre-Covid norms…
Computational storage SSD options vary in benefit level
(TechTarget, 8/2/23, Invited Article)
The computational storage SSD doesn’t seem to be progressing along the path early advocates expected. Although companies promoted the architecture’s use as a programmable device, it seems stronger growth is coming from…
Samsung’s operating profit dropped by 95%, but officials are optimistic of a recovery later this year
“It’s tough being in memory these days, because it’s the most volatile part of the chip market,” said Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy.
HBM’s Future: Necessary But Expensive
(Semiconductor Engineering, 7/20/23)
“HBM costs would be a challenge to reduce,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Could NAND capacity replace HDDs by 2029?
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said: “IDC’s Datasphere is frequently quoted as a measure of the speed with which data production is growing. They say that 221,178 exabytes of data…”
Storage in space? The data’s already there
SSDs built for Earth may not perform the best in the environmental conditions space poses, where extreme environmental conditions will affect storage performance, according to Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
EEPROM vs. flash memory: What’s the difference?
(TechTarget, 6/30/23, Invited Article)
Even though there might be a 10 million-to-one price-per-gigabyte difference between EEPROM and NAND flash, each memory type makes sense in its own role.
Micron’s stock rises as CEO says memory chip market has bottomed out
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, told SiliconANGLE that for all the talk about AI, it’s the more mundane server and PC markets that will…
Flash memory vs. RAM: What’s the difference?
(TechTarget, 6/23/23, Invited Article)
When discussing flash memory vs. RAM, you might be inclined to lump them together based on their similarities. While both technologies are made up of solid-state chips and fall into…
Blog Review: June 21
(Semiconductor Engineering, 6/21/23)
Memory analyst Jim Handy introduces the basics of the memory price cycle and points toward…
US urged to respect Korea’s position amid US-China chip war
“Mike Gallagher is one of 435 house representatives in the U.S. Congress. The fact that he’s very noisy doesn’t make him more important than the others,” Jim Handy, general director at Silicon Valley-based semiconductor market research company Objective Analysis, told The Korea Times.
Startup NEO Semiconductor promises 8x increase in memory density
There are many contenders vying to bring DRAM into the world of 3D memory, so it is still far too early to anticipate which direction the industry will take. And once that is decided, the switchover is likely to take some time, says memory specialist Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
How CXL 3.0 technology will affect enterprise storage
(TechTarget, 5/16/23, Invited Article)
Admins might construe the 3.0 specification of Compute Express Link as a faster and more expensive form of networked storage, but it’s aimed at a different application.
3D DRAM could be revolutionary – if it works
We asked memory semiconductor industry analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis how he viewed 3D DRAM technology.
Semiconductor Architectures Enable Compute in Memory
(IEEE Compute, 4/26/23, Invited Article)
Compute in memory (CIM) promises faster and lower power processing of data. Recently presented papers at the 2023 IEEE ISSCC gave some examples of how various semiconductor architectures can enable CIM devices for various computing applications.
Can the Optane Gap be Filled?
As noted by Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, the lifespan of 3D XPoint from date of launch to Intel’s Q2 2022 earnings call at the end of July last year was exactly seven years to the date.
LPDDR flash claims edge on xSPI NOR in code execution
Jim Handy, general director at Objective Analysis, provided a more detailed view of this issue. “What’s at issue is that NOR flash, which has served as the program storage for MCUs and ASICs since the 1980s, suddenly stopped scaling…”
Toshiba’s $15B buyout won’t affect storage businesses
JIP’s buyout of Toshiba won’t affect Kioxia, according to Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Compare DRAM vs. DRAM-less SSDs for Cost Performance
(TechTarget, 3/29/23, Invited Article)
Are DRAM-less SSDs the way of the future? While they’re a great fit for hyperscale data centers, other organizations may also find benefits, such as cost.
The Transistor at 75: The First Makers, Part 7
I now know this because my friend Jim Handy, who is the General Director at his memory consultancy Objective Analysis and calls himself “The Memory Guy,” put me in touch with Ed Eckert…
Understand how the CXL SSD can aid performance
(TechTarget, 3/26/23, Invited Article)
Although CXL SSDs are only in the research phase, their performance shows promise. When used as simple memory extensions, they should improve programs that manage large data sets.
Persistent Memories: Without Optane Where Would We Be?
(Storage Newsletter, 3/23/23, Invited Article)
Optane is leaving the industry a legacy of developments that the computing community will find useful for many years to come. This article identifies 6 changes that Optane has brought to computer architecture over the last few years.
Blog Review: March 22
(Semiconductor Engineering, 3/22/23)
Memory analyst Jim Handy suggests that while January’s semiconductor industry revenue numbers were bad, the market is following a relatively normal and predictable behavior…
Taking a Look at the ReRAM State of Play
Objective Analysis chief Jim Handy told us: “Our projection for discrete or stand-alone memory chips is … only $1.4 billion by 2031.
Blog Review: Feb. 22
( Semiconductor Engineering, 2/22/23)
Memory analyst Jim Handy examines the current state of the memory market as companies report lower revenues, gigabyte shipments, and prices…
How Micron built to this moment: The maverick high-tech giant stakes its future in Central NY
(The Post Standard/Syracuse.com, 3/13/23)
Get used to layoffs when Micron comes to Central New York, said Jim Handy, a semiconductor industry analyst who spent decades as a supplier to chip companies.
Optane’s Dead: Now What?
(IEEE Computer, 3/3/23, Invited Article)
Does Optane’s demise signal the end of the use of emerging memories in mainstream computing? Not even close! Even today, magnetic random-access memory (RAM) and resistive RAM are making serious inroads into Internet of Things endpoints.
Volatile times for non-volatile memory as NAND sales decline
Now that employees are returning to the office and companies are hosting fewer virtual meetings and conferences, enterprises don’t need as much storage, according to Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Blog Review: Feb. 1
(Semiconductor Engineering, 2/1/23)
Memory analyst Jim Handy looks back through memory history at CRAM, a little-known random-access memory from computer maker NCR.
How to purchase SSDs during a NAND flash price fall
(TechTarget 1/31/23, Invited Article)
Although NAND flash prices are collapsing, that doesn’t mean that they will pop back up at some future date. It’s rarely a good idea to purchase SSDs well before they are needed.
Some Perspectives On A Potential Kioxia/WDC NAND Merger
Analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis wrote an article analyzing the profitability of WDCs NAND business and Kioxia’s business back in 2019.
Stronger chip alliance needed to bolster Korea-US ties
Jim Handy, general director at Silicon Valley-based semiconductor market research company Objective Analysis, also said South Korea’s tech industry, especially the chip business, has played and will continue to play a pivotal role in Washington’s operations to contain Beijing.
Micron Pushes DRAM Node for Mobile First
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said what’s notable about Micron’s 1-beta is that it demonstrates Micron is strongly oriented toward pushing the technology forward with its HKMG technology to make DRAM as fast as it needs to go.
Understanding the 2023 Chip Market Collapse
(Electronic Design, 1/4/23, Invited Article)
Overcapacities and lessening demand will likely lead to an approximate 20% drop in the semiconductor industry this year.
Why US really blacklisted China’s YMTC
Earlier this month, industry analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told EE Times: “I have always wondered how something built on two wafers can compete against something with the same die size built on a single wafer.”
YMTC’s Lead Over Samsung, Micron in 3D NAND Challenged
YMTC’s costly technology lead has made profitability for the company less attainable and increased the need to rely on the support of the Chinese government, according to Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Low-Power Apps, Foundries Eye Emerging Memories
“Optane was on its way out and we still had a big Optane part in the report,” Handy told EE Times in an interview.
Samsung begins producing 1 terabit TLC NAND
The lack of insight makes it difficult to quantify how Samsung’s new generation of NAND performs against competing offerings such as 200-plus layer Micron NAND, according to Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Third Quarter Storage & Memory Demand Drops Significantly, Sign Of Ongoing Correction?
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis provided me with the figure below showing that C3Q 2022 was not kind for NAND flash and DRAM either.
A Primer on CXL Technology Uses
(TechTarget, 10/31/22, Invited Article)
Compute Express Link technology should boost an organization’s price/performance ratio, but data center managers must understand which systems can best take advantage of it.
Samsung, SK hynix at crossroads while TSMC soars
“Now that the market is in a downturn, then they will likely see a big fall in their ranking,” Jim Handy, a U.S.-based chip analyst and general director at chip market research company Objective Analysis, told The Korea Times.
Can Any Emerging Memory Technology Topple DRAM and NAND Flash?
According to Tom Coughlin and Jim Handy, two of the world’s foremost analysts following the ebb and flow of the semiconductor memory business…
Report: Price of flash memory to drop faster, further in Q4
…demand for SSDs outstripped supply, which lead to shortages, said Jim Handy, president of Objective Analysis.
CHIPS Act Seen Facilitating Micron’s $100 Billion Plan
“This is another case of Micron looking at the long term,” Jim Handy, a veteran memory analyst with Objective Analysis, told EE Times.
Blog Review: Oct. 5
(Semiconductor Engineering, 10/5/22)
Memory analyst Jim Handy considers the impact Kioxia’s recently-announced plan to cut NAND flash wafer production by 30% could have on…
DDR5 DRAM: How a New Interface Improves Performance with Less Power
(Electronic Design, 9/27/22, Invited Article)
The move to DDR5 will probably be more important than most other changes you make in your data center this year. But you’re likely only vaguely aware of the transition as DDR5 moves in to altogether replace DDR4.
Samsung chief’s comments viewed as intent to acquire British chip design company
However, Jim Handy, a renowned chip analyst and general director at Silicon Valley-based semiconductor market research company Objective Analysis, said the monopoly or antitrust issue will not be a big problem for Samsung…
SoftBank CEO to Meet with Samsung’s VP Chairman next month to discuss a possible strategic alliance with Arm
Jim Handy, a chip analyst and general director at Objective Analysis, said the monopoly or antitrust issue will not …
How Embedded Memory Will Drive an Emerging Technology to Success
(Electronic Design, 9/20/22, Invited Article)
A new memory technology is needed to shrink MCUs and SoCs without redesigning the memory system and keep costs in check. Over the next decade, an emerging memory (PCM? MRAM? FRAM?) should answer that call.
SSDs Have a Heart of Darkness and You’d Better Not Ignore It
(Electronic Engineering Journal, 9/19/22)
If you’re really interested in this topic, you can read a paper that my friend Jim Handy (“The Memory Guy”) wrote for SNIA (the Storage Networking Industry Association)…
Daily Brief Thematic (Sector/Industry): Semiconductors Just Beginning a Long Slide and more
(Smartkarma Daily Briefs, 9/16/22)
Per Jim Handy of Objective Analysis: Semiconductor revenues continue to fall. which appears to be a repeat of the collapse in 2019. Spot market prices, a leading indicator, are soft for both DRAM and NAND flash.
Why ’emerging’ memories have not succeeded – yet
(eeNews Analog, 9/16/22, Invited Article)
Why is it that this technology [Optane], and so many other promising memory technologies, failed to successfully eat into the markets for established technologies?
Emerging memories to be $44bn market by 2032
“Designers of all types of systems are finding that emerging memories provide new advantages that were previously unavailable,” said Jim Handy, General Director of Objective Analysis.
Emerging Memory Market Enters the Next Phase
(Electronic Engineering Journal, 9/9/22)
“The Internet of Things will be revolutionized as new embedded memory types slash power consumption,” said Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy.
NAND prices drop, but customers won’t benefit
Jim Handy, a semiconductor and SSD analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., said, “The thing about any memory technology is that the manufacturers for these things set their factories to produce a certain very steady output.”
Data Center Semiconductor Chip Makers Rush for Texas Tax Break
(Data Center Knowledge, 8/31/22)
“A key reason any chip company chooses a location is incentives,” said Jim Handy, a veteran Micron analyst and general director of Objective Analysis, based in Los Gatos, California.
The legacy of Optane goes on
Costs don’t just affect end users. Intel managed its Non-volatile Memory Solutions Group before selling it to SK Hynix, according to Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Is There A Limit To The Number Of Layers In 3D-NAND?
(Semiconductor Engineering, 8/24/22)
“There’s no physical limit when people say we can’t go past this number of layers,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Understand the Intel Optane shutdown
(TechTarget, 8/18/22, Invited Article)
Intel’s upcoming shutdown of Optane follows multibillion-dollar losses. However, some technology benefits came out of the IT giant’s effort to improve storage performance.
What Legacy Will Money-Losing Optane Have?
“I almost missed it,” Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said of the notation.
Blog Review: August 17
(Semiconductor Engineering, 8/17/22)
Memory analyst Jim Handy considers reports of chips made by U.S. companies being found in Russian missiles used to attack Ukraine…
Reasons for Western Digital partnering Micron in the push for US state financial handouts
Jim Handy from Objective Analysis gave us his take on what each party would get out of this…
OpenCAPI to be absorbed by CXL
Notably v3 adds symmetric coherency, which Jim Handy told us last month: “means that a single CPU manages the coherency of the whole system.”
What to know about SMART SSD use
(TechTarget, 7/29/22, Invited Article)
Most SSD users understand that SSDs are subject to wear. However, few realize that SSD wear statistics and other important parameters are constantly measured by the SSD itself.
Intel pulls the plug on Optane
According to Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, the move had been coming for some time…
How to plan for a potential data storage shortage
(TechTarget, 7/27/22, Invited Article)
Will we have to discard our history to make room for newly-generated data? Or will homes be found for this deluge? Let’s examine this situation and try to understand what is…
CXL memory pools: Just how big can they be?
We started on the basis of Sapphire Rapids processors, and were helped by MemVerge’s expert Beau Beauchamp in our calculations and also by Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Upcoming Micron SSDs could have chip-level controller functions
This was picked up by Jim “The SSD Guy” Handy, who heard technology and product veep Scott DeBoer say that Micron makes vertically integrated SSDs which…
How the Chip Shortage Impacts Memory
Jim Handy, a well-known analyst and a Field Day delegate, has an insightful article titled- “How the Chip Shortage Impacts Memory” in which he talks about the supply chain woes in the tech sector in great detail as he explores the problem from the root up.
CXL And OMI: Competing Or Complementary?
(Semiconductor Engineering, 3/23/22)
But the ports used for access require many pins – 152 per channel for LRDIMMs, said Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy, during a presentation at last year’s Hot Interconnects conference.
DDR5 memory is coming soon. Here’s why it matters.
When that happens, then there will be very noticeable improvement in performance over DDR4 memory, says Jim Handy, principle analyst with Objective Analysis, which specializes in following the memory market.
Blog Review: March 16
(Semiconductor Engineering, 3/16/22)
Memory analyst Jim Handy looks at the recent material contamination that impacted the joint-venture NAND manufacturing facilities of Western Digital and Kioxia.
Kioxia, WD NAND contamination to affect flash pricing
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said the word contamination is likely too strong…
Intel still has plans for 3D XPoint
Objective Analysis’s Jim Handy told us: ”It’s hard to tell how committed Intel is to 3D XPoint/Optane.
Happy Birthday to Gordon Moore
My friend Jim Handy, who self-styles himself as “The Memory Guy,” has been writing about 3D NAND Flash memory for a decade or more.
Blog Review: Feb. 23
(Semiconductor Engineering, 2/23/22)
Memory analyst Jim Handy makes the case for why memory chips should be considered commodities…
Impure stock disrupts Japan chip plants
“If this creates a shortage, then prices will rise,” said Jim Handy, a semiconductor industry expert at Objective Analysis.
Contamination industrielle dans deux usines géantes de mémoires flash au Japon
D’ordinaire “les contaminations (industrielles, NDLR) sont suffisamment faibles pour ne pas être révélées à la presse. Celle-ci doit être assez importante”, a commenté auprès de l’AFP Jim Handy, expert du secteur des semi-conducteurs chez Objective Analysis.
Flash chip output disrupted, warning over smartphone price hike
“If this creates a shortage, then prices will rise,” Jim Handy, a semiconductor industry expert at Objective Analysis, told AFP.
NAND flash memory that changed the IT world turns 35
“It’s simply everywhere! Who could have imagined that this technology would have become so pervasive in only 35 years?” said Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Blog Review: Feb. 9
(Semiconductor Engineering, 2/9/22)
Memory analyst Jim Handy examines the increasing numbers of voltage levels in multi-level cell flash, from SLC to the upcoming PLC with 5 bits per cell, and what…
Storage news ticker – February 7
Objective Analysis consultant Jim Handy sees downsides in his latest blog.
Blog Review: Feb. 2
(Semiconductor Engineering, 2/2/22)
Memory analyst Jim Handy examines the different processor-in-memory approaches being taken and …
Why Intel Wants to Build a New “Silicon Heartland” in Ohio
Editors James Morra, David Maliniak, and Robert Schoenberger, along with veteran analyst Jim Handy, discuss Intel’s recent announcement of plans to build a massive $20 billion manufacturing site near Columbus, Ohio.
Blog Review: Jan. 26
(Semiconductor Engineering, 1/26/22)
Memory analyst Jim Handy examines Samsung’s Aquabolt-XL processor-in-memory architecture, its performance, and…
Semiconductors 2022: A Growth Market Comes into Focus
(Electronic Design, 1/10/22, Invited Article)
The past two years have been eye-opening. Who would have guessed that the semiconductor market would shine through a multi-year pandemic of a deadly disease? Yet, that’s exactly what happened. With that as a starting statement, what might lie in store for 2022?
Understand NVMe 2.0 specification and its related features
(TechTarget, 1/4/22, Invited Article)
NVMe 2.0 added several features for storage administrators to consider, including domain support. The specification also made enhancements, such as to Endurance Group Management.
낸드·디램, 생산량 15% 차지하는 시안 봉쇄에 ‘불안불안’
오브젝티브 어넬리시스(Objective Analysis)의 짐 핸디(Jim Handy) 분석가는 시안이 삼성과 마이크론이 공개하지 않은 제품 믹스 추정치를 제외하고도 전 세계 낸드 플래시 생산량의 15%를 담당한다고 밝혔다.
Covid Lockdown in China Threatens DRAM Supply Hiccup
Xi’an accounts for about 15 percent of the world’s NAND output, according to Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Blog Review: Dec.21
(Semiconductor Engineering, 12/21/21)
In a video, VLSI Research’s Dan Hutcheson chats with Jim Handy of Objective Analysis…
SSDs Risk Over-Segmentation
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said before SSDs, no one paid attention to the bottleneck created by the software servicing the hard drive.
7bits/cell flash in Floadia’s AI Compute-in-Memory chip is not for SSDs
Whether this technology could be used in commercial SSDs is an interesting question and we’re asking a non-volatile memory expert, Jim Handy, about it. Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told us “The first thing that I thought of when I saw your note was the company Information Storage Devices (ISD)…
Low Valuation Belies Positives Underlying Micron Technology Stock
Between September 2019 and April 2021, DRAM prices soared 75%, reaching $4.35 per gigabyte, Jim Handy, the director of research firm Objective Analysis told Semiconductor Engineering recently.
Outlook: DRAM, NAND, Next-Gen Memory
(Semiconductor Engineering, 11/18/21)
Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis, sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to talk about the 3D NAND, DRAM and next-generation memory markets. What follows are excerpts of that discussion.
Blog Review: Nov. 17
(Semiconductor Engineering, 11/17/21)
Memory analyst Jim Handy will offer a free webinar to help SEMICON West attendees get the most out of the show, with a focus on emerging memory technologies and their impact.
More Errors, More Correction In Memories
(Semiconductor Engineering, 11/9/21)
“The move from TLC (triple-level cells) to QLC (quad-level cells), or from MLC (multi-level cells) TLC requires better error correction, since the signal-to-noise ratio worsens as the number of bits per cell increases,” said Jim Handy, memory analyst at Objective Analysis.
Pricey light sticks: Global chip crisis creeps into K-pop world
Compounding the pain, semiconductors in light sticks are manufactured using older technologies and such low-end chips face the biggest shortage right now, said Jim Handy, an analyst with semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis.
Micron launches 7400 PCIe Gen 4 SSDs for data centers
Jim Handy, industry analyst and general director of Objective Analysis, found the number of form factors offered in one release to be noteworthy.
From cars to ‘ARMY bombs’: Chip crunch creeps into K-pop world
Compounding the pain, semiconductors in light sticks are manufactured using older technologies and such low-end chips face the biggest shortage right now, said Jim Handy, an analyst with semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis.
Why QLC flash adoption now benefits the enterprise
(TechTarget, Invited Article, 10/4/21)
While enterprises must overcome some obstacles with QLC, there is a solid case for its use. 3D NAND has played a big part in enabling QLC use within the enterprise.
Blog Review: Sept. 29
(Semiconductor Engineering, 9/29/21)
Memory analyst Jim Handy considers the confusion over storage class memory and the wide range of definitions in a chat with the person who coined the term.
Blog Review: Sept. 15
(Semiconductor Engineering, 9/15/21)
Memory blogger Jim Handy shares a video from Charlotte Streeter explaining the inner workings of one type of SiO-based ReRAM.
Will Monolithic 3D DRAM Happen?
(Semiconductor Engineering, 9/9/21)
“The size of the HBM stack and its required proximity to the processor chip limit the number of stacks that can be attached to the processor,” said Jim Handy, memory analyst at Objective Analysis
Blog Review: Sept. 8
(Semiconductor Engineering, 9/8/21)
Memory analyst Jim Handy considers whether a new technology from Intel can help bring down the cost of high-bandwidth memory and make it affordable enough to use in more products.
3D XPoint will overtake DRAM in shipments by the end of the decade, analysts say
One of the authors of the aforementioned report, Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, explained why the researchers came to this conclusion.
XPoint capacity to surpass DRAM by 2030
We asked Jim Handy, the Objective Analysis co-author of the report, about how they came to their XPoint revenue amount. He told us: “3D XPoint shouldn’t need a lot of wafers…”
Look for PCIe 5.0, NVMe 2.0 to boost storage performance
Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst and general director of Objective Analysis, noted that NVMe 2.0 goes beyond the normal evolutionary change, with the addition of support for ZNS and key-value store.
Emerging Memories Look to Displace NOR, SRAM
Intel’s Optane is the only commercially 3D XPoint memory available, and it requires new software to fully exploit it, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Rising NAND flash prices should start to fall in 2022
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said there’s no reason for enterprise buyers to “panic-buy” out of worries that…
PNY launches new Performance DDR5 4800MHz Desktop Memory
Jim Handy, Memory Industry Analyst at Objective Analysis, said, “The DRAM industry is on the verge of an important…
CrossBar Aims to Secure Computing with ReRAM
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said it will make CrossBar some money, but physically a PUF is usually a relatively small element of…
Has Computational Storage Finally Arrived?
(Semiconductor Engineering, 8/11/21)
There is the potential for using it in databases with existing technologies called sharding, notes Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Research.
Can India become a global manufacturing hub?
“Two companies might compete by developing chips in South Korea or the US, and then produce the chips in China or Japan based on wafers purchased from a German or another Japanese firm,” said Jim Handy, a veteran analyst and semiconductor expert at Objective Analysis.
3D-XPoint downgraded in emerging memory market report
The emerging memory market will grow to be worth $44 billion annually by 2031, according to Tom Couglin and Jim Handy of Coughlin Associates and Objective Analysis.
NAND Still Dictates the Future of Memory Controllers
“Everyone’s used to the flash’s density-doubling every couple of years or so, but they don’t consider the fact that the controller gets increasingly complex at a similar rate,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Emerging memories forecast to be a $44bn market in 2031
“The IoT will be revolutionised as new embedded memory types slash power consumption,” says Jim Handy, general director of Objective Analysis…
Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test
(Semiconductor Engineering, 7/23/21)
“Designers of all types of systems are finding that emerging memories provide new advantages that were previously unavailable,” said Jim Handy, general director of Objective Analysis.
NAND Directs the Future of Memory Controllers
“Everyone’s used to the flash’s density-doubling every couple of years or so, but they don’t consider the fact that the controller gets increasingly complex at a similar rate,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Purported Intel-GlobalFoundries deal targets chip shortage
Intel fell behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Samsung in process geometry, but the company’s new CEO, Pat Gelsinger, said Intel would strive to regain the leadership position, noted Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Blog Review: July 14
(Semiconductor Engineering, 7/14/21)
Memory analyst Jim Handy explains why migrating NAND flash to the next number of bits as soon as possible isn’t necessarily an optimal choice
Micron 3D XPoint supply will end with $900M fab sale to TI
Longtime semiconductor analyst Jim Handy, general director of Objective Analysis, expressed surprise that Intel did not buy the Lehi fab.
Weebit Nano integrates selector with ReRAM cell for stand-alone market
“New markets like IoT, 5G and AI are driving needs for emerging NVM on advanced process nodes,” said Jim Handy, Memory Analyst, Objective Analysis.
Dynamic Flash the Next Big Thing?
“In the mainstream memory market cost is everything, and specifications come second,” says Jim Handy, General Director of market researcher Objective Analysis.
AI Drives Renewed Interest in PIM
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said Samsung’s HBM-PIM is still a science project “straight out of the research labs,…”
Infineon SRAM is Space Bound
That makes it useful for industrial applications such as robots on the manufacturing floor, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis…
Spec group OpenCAPI: OMI can fix DDR and HBM memory capacity problems
That’s the position espoused by a white paper: The Future of Low-Latency Memory, co-authored by Objective Analysis (Jim Handy) and Coughlan Associates (Tom Coughlan) for the OpenCAPI consortium.
Intel Invests $3.5 Billion in New Mexico Fab to Focus on Foveros Packaging Technology
Buying Micron’s Lehi facility makes more sense, according to Jim Handy, principal at Objective Analysis.
Near Memory Options And Possible HDD/SSD Demand For Cryptocurrency
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis and I recently finished a white paper on The Future of Low-Latency Memory…
As hiring levels off at Intel Rio Rancho, company official points to New Mexico as ‘innovation hub’
(Albuquerque Business First, 4/12/21)
Weeks before Micron announced it was abandoning 3D XPoint, Jim Handy, a semiconductor market analyst, told Business First that it is “reasonable to assume …
Micron Bails, Intel Does Optane Alone
“Back around 2004, Intel and Micron wanted to get into the NAND flash market,” says Jim Handy, nonvolatile-memory analyst and all-around good guy.
Micron Exits 3D XPoint Market, Eyes CXL Opportunities
If anything, it’s surprising Micron didn’t announce its 3D XPoint exit sooner, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
We need to talk about Micron
The Jim Handy view that Optane SSDs are a niche
How Micron aims to compete with 3D XPoint
I asked Jim Handy from Objective Analysis for his take on tMicron’s XPoint withdrawal.
Micron Getting Out of 3D XPoint Memory, To Concentrate on Compute Express Link
“I think it’s a good move for Micron, and it’s inconsequential for Intel,” said Jim Handy, principal at Objective Analysis, citing the $400 million annual run rate the Lehi fab is incurring.
Micron ends 3D XPoint development to focus on CXL products
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said Intel likely had put together a contingency plan, since Micron has slowly been extricating itself from the 3D XPoint business.
Micron Quits 3D XPoint, Puts Factory Up for Sale
“I think it’s a good move for Micron, and it’s inconsequential for Intel,” said Jim Handy, principal at Objective Analysis, citing the $400 million annual run rate the Lehi fab is incurring.
Memory Reliability Rules in Space
Protecting memory is a pricey exercise, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, and in some cases, it means surrounding them with additional materials that can add weight to a spacecraft.
Samsung adds AI processor in memory to high-bandwidth memory
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said the HBM-PIM is a “lab prototype” that Samsung is showing as a way to address a problem…
[ANALYSIS] Is Samsung Electronics losing competence in NAND?
Jim Handy, a semiconductor industry analyst at Objective Analysis, said Samsung’s leadership in the NAND flash industry won’t change anytime soon…
Technical and Market Directions for Persistent Memory
This is illustrated in the left chart from my colleague, Jim Handy.
FeFETs Bring Promise And Challenges
(Semiconductor Engineering, 2/17/21)
Material changes are challenging for chip manufacturing. “The hafnium thing is really good, because it doesn’t introduce materials into the fab that are worrisome,” said Jim Handy, memory analyst at Objective Analysis. “But it does have this issue of requiring a version of hafnium oxide that still needs to be better understood.”
Flash Wearout Drives Tesla Recall
“All flash wears out. This is specified in each product’s data sheet,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
MRAM: Latest High-Performance Applications
And even our favorite analysts at Flash Memory Summit, Tom Coughlin and Jim Handy, they’re forecasting that stand-alone MRAM by itself will not reach a TAM, but actually a revenue of $4 billion by the end of this decade.
Samsung is credited with intent to buy an automotive electronics chip supplier
Such a purchase looks promising given the growing demand for chips and artificial intelligence technologies in light of the development of self-driving cars. This was announced by a source citing Jim Handy, an Objective Analysis analyst.
Samsung приписывают намерение купить поставщика микросхем для автомобильной электроники
Такая покупка выглядит перспективной с учетом растущей потребности в микросхемах и технологиях искусственного интеллекта в свете разработки самоуправляемых автомобилей. Об этом сообщил источник со ссылкой на Джима Хэнди (Jim Handy), аналитика Objective Analysis.
‘Samsung could acquire automobile chip firm’
… cars will require a lot more chips and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to become more autonomous over the next decades, according to Jim Handy, a U.S.-based analyst working for Objective Analysis.
QLC flash drives are hot ’21 trend, pressure HDDs on price
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst, Objective Analysis: This year is well poised for semiconductor memory prices to stay flat, but there are other ways it could go.
Micron Pulls Ahead on DRAM
Micron being first out of the gate with a new DRAM node is just as much about executive management’s focus on good execution as it is about technology advancements since CEO Sanjay Mehrotra took the reigns, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Samsung Seeks Intel Outsourcing Deal
Jim Handy, a U.S.-based analyst working for Objective Analysis, told The Korea Times that “it is very possible that the Samsung Austin fab could produce chips for Intel,”
Samsung May Build $10B Foundry in Austin, Texas
3D NAND manufacturing at Samsung still uses a 40nm process according to a chat we had with Jim Handy a few months back.
Three Possible 2021 Outcomes: Pick Only One
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 1/19/21)
As we look to 2021, we must consider whether the industry will behave relatively normally, as it did in 2020, or whether it will be severely impacted by either of two very likely scenarios:…
Qualcomm’s $1.4B Deal for Nuvia a Good Move: Analysts
Jim Handy, a semiconductor and SSD market analyst with Objective Analysis, said Qualcomm’s failed 2018 deal for NXP came apart when the U.S. was rattling China’s cage.
Hedge fund’s Intel shake-up call. What are the implications for Optane?
The company is estimated to have “lost well over one billion dollars per year in 2017-2019 to bring 3D XPoint to the break-even point,” according to the tech analyst Jim Handy.
Incremental storage media density magic meant flash chipped away at disk in 2020
All-in-all, Intel is making slow progress although it may have turned the corner on Optane profitability, according to tech analyst Jim Handy, in a blog in August.
“Amateur” mistakes sink thieves of U.S. technology working for China
“First thing I wondered was, how did the guy who stole the IP have the chutzpah to do that?” said Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst and president of the research firm Objective Analysis.
Intel Teams Optane with QLC NAND
“Intel probably would rather not have rolled Optane out until 2017, two years after they made the big splash of Micron,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
3D NAND’s Vertical Scaling Race
(Semiconductor Engineering, 12/17/20)
“64-layer 3D NAND is still ramping,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis…
7 ways data storage management in 2020 has changed
However, not all storage administrators are experiencing the same issues, said Jim Handy, general director at research firm Objective Analysis.
Intel launches fastest Optane SSD, 144-layer QLC NAND SSDs
“The big advantage to Optane SSDs is their low latency,” said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
DDR5 Brings Design Ops, Challenges
Despite the significant leaps forward from DDR4, DDR5 doesn’t mean a radical change for designers, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Low Power DRAM Can Meet Edge AI Demands
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analyst, this latest offering from WinBond is in line with the company’s broader product offerings a on lot of its device get sold into applications that require low chip counts.
Blog Review: Dec. 2
(Semiconductor Engineering, 12/2/20)
In a video, VLSI Research’s Dan Hutcheson chats with Jim Handy of Objective Analysis about the state of the memory market, how the year played out differently from expectations, and what looks to be ahead for DRAM and NAND in 2021.
Who’s winning the race to replace NAND flash?
The fine folks over at analyst firms Objective Analysis and Coughlin Associates sent me a copy of their 2020 report — Emerging Memories Find Their Direction — to review. It’s as dense with technical detail and insight as you’d expect from a PhD, which co-author Tom Coughlin happens to be.
Intel’s 3D XPoint dominance will face challenge from Micron
“With [3D XPoint] persistent memory on an industry-standard bus, end users who want to use an AMD or Nvidia or Arm or other processor will be able to use it,” said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Micron to duke it out with Optane on memory
… technology analyst Jim Handy wrote last year that Micron might “desire to extricate itself from the 3D XPoint business while still satisfying alternate-sourcing agreements made by the company prior to XPoint’s 2015 introduction”.
NVMe, Optane, GPUs exert big impact on enterprise storage
Jim Handy, director and chief analyst at Objective Analysis, said Oracle databases in particular have done well by harnessing Optane SSDs
Exclusive Interview With Jim Handy, Objective Analysis
(Storage Newsletter, 11/13/20)
… there is no clear limit to the number of 3D NAND layers that can be made. 3D NAND may be with us for a very very long time.
Flash storage grows up with new EDSFF SSDs, denser 3D NAND
“There’s kind of a macho contest about how many [NAND flash] layers you have,” said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Micron’s Texas expansion no threat to Boise, company says
(Idaho Business Review, 11/10/20)
Micron didn’t say why it had chosen to expand in Dallas, but talent may have been a factor, speculated Jim Handy, a veteran Micron analyst and general director of Objective Analysis, based in Los Gatos, California.
FMS Guides Attendees to Storage Frontiers
Panel on “What Will Replace Flash and When”, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 4:45 to 5:15 pm (with widely recognized storage experts Tom Coughlin and Jim Handy)
Phison opens Colorado enterprise SSD engineering lab
Jim Handy, General Director of Objective Analysis, points out that many Enterprise SSD manufacturers have internal development teams to make their own storage controllers for their SSDs.
China NAND Flash Maker YMTC Aims to Lead Rivals, Ex-Chairman Says
YMTC has very easy access to capital for expansion from China’s Big Fund (the National Semiconductor Industry Investment Fund), according to Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Blog Review: Nov. 4
(Semiconductor Engineering, 11/4/20)
Memory analyst Jim Handy digs into the history of flash memory and how the invention of the charge trap cell brought NAND to where it is today.
SK Hynix Gobbles Up Intel NAND
Analyst Jim Handy of The Memory Guy has a similar take, arguing that Intel has a history of starting and then selling memory business.
SK hynix ready to build ‘chip empire’
Jim Handy, a U.S.-based analyst working for Objective Analysis, said Intel came to the conclusion because the memory business reduces its profit margin.
Intel Casts Off More Memory Chip Business in $9 Billion Deal
“Memory is never a great business,” said Jim Handy, a market researcher with Objective Analysis.
Samsung set to win over TSMC in the end
Jim Handy, a U.S.-based analyst working for Objective Analysis, said Samsung’s ambitious goal seems quite distant at this moment, but the conglomerate will be able to achieve the goal even considering the enormous amount of time and money investments required.
Optane in the membrane: How Intel’s memory-storage technology faces two ways
Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, has created a log-scale diagram to show this with technologies placed in a space defined by bandwidth and cost axes.
5G Network Infrastructure to Drive Memory Diversity
“DRAM and NAND company executives like to say how the market’s future will be driven by the next-generation cell phone,” said Jim Handy, principal of Objective Analysis.
Plenty of Life Left in ‘Legacy’ Memories
“In bygone days, DRAM was not used in smaller systems because they required a DRAM controller,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
US-China tech war: battle over semiconductors, Taiwan stokes trade feud
(South China Morning Post 9/22/20)
“The current [US] administration is looking for a simple way to gain control over China’s industrial growth,” said Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst from Objective Analysis in California.
How You Can Profit from the Next Transistor Revolution
Analyst Jim Handy, talking to the Computer History Museum, estimated that some 13 sextillion (13, followed by 21 zeros) transistors have been manufactured since the very first prototype in 1947.
Samsung, SK, LG to suspend ties with Huawei
“Part of the strength in the first half of this year in terms of chip prices was driven by changes from the pandemic, but an important addition was inventory built up by companies in China that were worried about trade restrictions,” technology analyst Jim Handy said.
Did 3D XPoint (Optane) Costs Reach Break-Even?
This article was posted by Jim Handy, Objective Analysis, on August 14, 2020. Did 3D XPoint Costs Reach Break-Even? During Intel’s latest earnings announcement the company provided …
Is Intel making a profit (at last) from Optane?
So says the tech analyst Jim Handy, of Objective Analysis, who basing this observation on Intel’s second 2020 quarter earnings.
Nimbus adds cheaper 64 TB QLC SSDs to complement 100 TB SSD
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., said customers who once thought MLC and later TLC were not enterprise-worthy are now open to using QLC flash.
NVMe Controllers Look to Maximize NAND Potential
Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, said the time has come for mainstream PCIe/NVMe SSD controllers, as SATA loses ground to NVMe.
What Happened To Execute-In-Place?
(Semiconductor Engineering, 8/25/20)
“Anything greater than 45nm still uses NOR internally,” said Jim Handy, memory analyst at Objective Analysis.
Samsung, SK memory chip biz Q3 profitability in question
Other than the COVID-19 outbreak, Jim Handy, a U.S.-based analyst working for Objective Analysis, said the prolonging dispute between the U.S. and China is another factor making Chinese customer companies of Samsung, SK and other memory chip companies stock more chips in their inventory.
SSD and NAND flash prices will decline through start of 2021
… current 7.2 cents, according to Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, a semiconductor market research firm in London.
Chip guru casts doubt on Nvidia buying Arm
Jim Handy, a renowned U.S.-based analyst working for Objective Analysis, was giving his view on the controversial race to purchase the British tech firm, which was put up for sale by its mother company SoftBank of Japan.
Samsung considers Arm bid in form of an equity stake
Objective Analysis semiconductor analyst, Jim Handy. Handy mentions a mix of fabless and intelligent system companies as being potential members of the consortium
Is Intel Ready To Make Money On Optane?
The following information is from a blog by Jim Handy, a colleague and analyst covering memory technologies and shows why Intel may finally have achieved enough production volume to reach manufacturing break-even on its Optane memory.
Spin Memory spins benefits of Universal Selector
Jim Handy of Object Analysis, an analyst firm, said: “This is a very clever use of the vertical transistors that are the basis of 3D NAND flash.
Samsung thinking of becoming a stakeholder, acquiring ARM
Even if Nvidia has that money, it will have to get “approvals from fair trade authorities in countries that are doing business with the British company” according to Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy.
Report: Samsung may take a small stake in ARM, sale likely to go to consortium
According to Jim Handy, a U.S.-based seasoned semiconductor analyst for Objective Analysis, ARM will likely be purchased by a consortium comprised of fabless companies or intelligent system design companies such as Rambus, Cadence and Synopsys.
Samsung mulls buying stakes in Arm
But Jim Handy, a U.S.-based seasoned semiconductor analyst working for Objective Analysis, said Arm will be merged by a consortium comprised of fabless companies or intelligent system design companies such as Rambus, Cadence and Synopsys.
Samsung Eyes Up Stake in Arm Semiconductor Company
US semiconductor analyst Jim Handy believes ‘a consortium comprised of fabless companies or intelligent system design companies’ is a far more likely outcome than a single company taking full ownership of Arm.
Neither Samsung nor Apple will buy Arm from SoftBank
Jim Handy, a U.S.-based renowned semiconductor analyst guru working for Objective Analysis, said Samsung and Apple won’t try to acquire Arm,…
Softbank putting ARM up for sale is a complicated matter…
The Korean publication doesn’t have first hand knowledge of the matter and has relied on Jim Handy, a U.S.-based renowned semiconductor analyst guru working for Objective Analysis.
Samsung Probably Won’t Be Snapping Up Chip Designer Arm – Analyst
Or at least it won’t according to Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy.
Report: Samsung has no intentions of buying chip designer Arm
… contrary to reports from various industry watchers, Samsung has no intentions of becoming its owner, according to a report citing Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy.
Kioxia’s wafer-scale SSD. What about the packing density?
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis watched a recording of Oshima’s presentation. With reference to the wafer-scale SSD section he told us: “There wasn’t a lot of…
Flash und DRAM ausgereizt: Diese Speicher werden in Zukunft wichtig
(Elektronikpraxis, Invited Article, 7/10/20)
Flash und DRAM beherrschen seit vielen Jahren den Speichermarkt. Doch in den nächsten Jahren werden zunehmend neue Techniken Anteile erobern – und auf lange Sicht die etablierten Player verdrängen.
Chiplet Uptake Creates Demand for Best Practices
Another appeal of chiplets is you can build them using components and techniques that are tried and true, thereby minimizing the likelihood of a failure, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
In the quest for faster storage, Intel hopes that Optane’s time has come
Jim Handy, Chief Analyst at Objective Analysis, sums it up here when he says that: “Intel has a ‘chicken and egg problem’ with Optane.”
Samsung heir leads localization of high-tech parts
“… it’s questionable whether this investment will pay off for the company,” said Jim Handy, a semiconductor industry analyst.”
Western Digital will package new NVMe SSD into NVMe-oF JBOF
“If you just want fast and you don’t need the SAN [storage features] or fancy management, then JBOF’s the way to go to save some money,” said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Emerging Memory Market is Finding its Direction
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 6/25/20)
Emerging memories have been relegated to niches for decades, but that scenario has taken an abrupt turn. Recent market dynamic changes are suddenly opening the door to their widespread use.
Gen 2 Intel Optane memory modules claim bandwidth boost
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said Intel sells the 512 GB Optane PMem module for about the same price as the highest capacity 256 GB DRAM DIMM from Samsung.
Dusting the pandemic off
According to Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst with market research firm Objective Analysis, the semiconductor business will struggle with supply chain issues, but the bigger impact will stem from any demand lapse that happens.
Advanced secured NOR Flash memory for multiple markets
“As flash moves outside of the host processor, it has grown increasingly important to find ways to secure embedded systems,” said Jim Handy, president of Objective Analysis.
Infineon adds Semper Secure to its Semper NOR Flash memory platform
“As flash moves outside of the host processor, it has grown increasingly important to find ways to secure embedded systems,” said Jim Handy, President of Objective Analysis.
Inside India: The world’s IT powerhouse
Jim Handy, a semiconductor expert from Objective Analysis, is worried that the pandemic will cause a macroeconomic collapse.
Kioxia gives hyperscalers new custom flash drive options
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said hyperscalers and other sophisticated flash users that want to “eke out every last bit of performance” out of their flash…
The future of storage administration: 4 key questions answered
Instead, they’re “making the job more productive, removing the boring, iterative parts of the job and freeing admins to do more of what they do best,” said Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis.
US government imposes restrictions on Micron customer Huawei
(Idaho Business Review, 5/21/20, Subscription Required)
Jim Handy, a veteran Micron analyst and general director of Objective Analysis, based in Los Gatos, California, said Micron shouldn’t “suffer any more harm than…
Huawei tears into new U.S. sanctions
(Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, 5/19/20)
“Every electronics system that Huawei produces could be negatively impacted,” Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst for Objective Analysis, said in an email. “Most China-based alternatives haven’t yet been established.”
Huawei Will ‘Inevitably’ be Damaged by Latest US Crackdown, But Will Resolve Problem, Exec Says
Guo was echoed by Jim Handy, semiconductor expert with the website Objective Analysis, who was cited by the AP news agency as saying in an email that “every electronics system that Huawei produces …
U.S. restriction on chipmakers deals critical blow to Huawei
“Every electronics system that Huawei produces could be negatively impacted,” Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst for Objective Analysis, said in an email. “Most China-based alternatives haven’t yet been established.”
New Intel Optane SSDs, DIMMs, flash remain on track for 2020
“It’s progress,” said Jim Handy, a general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis. “I said early on that they were going to lose money on it for two years, and I think I way underestimated.”
China’s Memory Ambitions Yield Competitive NAND
As Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis told EE Times last fall, it won’t be the country’s lack of funds that get in the way so much as its lack of experience and sophistication in semiconductor manufacturing.
DDR5 memory promises a significant speed boost
“What’s important about DDR5 is the high level of integration it provides,” says Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, an analyst firm specializing in the memory market.
COVID-19’s Impact on the Semiconductor Market
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 4/13/20)
2020 will be a down year in the chip market, yet this is something that Objective Analysis was already predicting based on excessive capital spending in 2018. The anticipated CapEx-driven oversupply will be accompanied by a demand downturn…
What Is DRAM’s Future?
(Semiconductor Engineering, 4/9/20)
“Over 10 years ago, the ITRS roadmap said 90nm would be it for DRAM. Now we’re at 16nm (1z),” says Jim Handy, general director of Objective Analysis,
Inside The New Non-Volatile Memories
(Semiconductor Engineering, 4/7/20)
Says memory analyst Jim Handy, general director for Objective Analysis, “NOR flash [typically used when embedding] seems incapable of getting to 14 nm.”
FRAM’s Future is Higher Densities
Last year’s annual report on emerging memory, Emerging Memories Ramp Up, co-authored by Jim Handy of Objective Analysis and Thomas Coughlin of Coughlin Associates, touted ReRAM, MRAM, and PCRAM as the three key emerging memories to keep in an eye on.
The future of flash memory promises unprecedented speed, capacity
“Something cool about 3D NAND is that it has kept the cell size and capacitance about the same over several generations, and that has supported the development of good QLC,” said Jim Handy, general director at Objective Analysis.
Micron announces results, $35 million COVID-19 donation
(Idaho Business Review, 3/30/20)
“While the current quarter has a concerning economic outlook, Micron’s reaction to this situation seems well thought through,” wrote Jim Handy, General Director at Objective Analysis.
Chipmakers Prep for Pandemic Threat on Supply Chain
According to analyst Jim Handy in a blog post on The Memory Guy, there is a strong relationship between memory revenue and the overall semiconductor market.
Laptops are becoming harder to find in stores and online due to the coronavirus
Jim Handy, an IT analyst with research firm Objective Analysis, said the tight laptop supply situation has been going on since COVID-19 appeared in China at the end of 2019.
A history of flash memory and its rise in the enterprise
(TechTarget, Invited Article, 3/25/20)
Over the past decade and a half, the advent of flash memory has remade the enterprise. SSDs, which 16 years ago were a costly curiosity, have become prevalent. …This history of flash memory in the enterprise looks at how and why these major changes happened as flash memory emerged.
Will COVID-19 Drive Data Center Memory Shortages?
Although DigiTimes is very bullish on the outlook for DRAM prices thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jim Handy of Objective Analysis has the opposite sentiment.
Intel secures new Optane supply deal from Micron – at a price
Jim Handy, a senior analyst at Objective Analysis, told Blocks & Files: “Intel is losing money in its NVM Solutions Group (NSG) because 3D XPoint is proving very unprofitable to produce.
Can DRAM be stacked better?
… it’s hard to tell if what Xperi has with the Invensas IP will be a significant step forward, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis…
Coronavirus outbreak could impact NAND flash prices
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said he always viewed the early 2020 increase in NAND flash prices as temporary.
HBM Flourishes, But HMC Lives
HBM is an open standard, so anyone can dive in create a product, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis…
New enterprise PCIe 4.0 SSDs from Kioxia, Samsung double Speed
When it does, the migration of NVMe SSDs to PCIe 4.0 should be pretty swift,” said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Chipmakers Are Standing Still Even in Coronavirus Break Out
(Semiconductors Industry, 2/17/20)
Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst from Objective Analysis in California, mentioned the “extremely clear and uncrowded” office in chip fabs would most likely restrict the unfold of any illness.
Speed is 2020 theme in NVMe flash storage, persistent memory
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst, Objective Analysis: 2020 will be an interesting year because we will finally start to see applications that use what SNIA calls persistent memory…
Emerging Memories: Why Now?
(Linley Newsletter, Invited Article, 11/12/19)
Emerging memory technologies have been waiting to take over the market for decades, but that change seems closer today than it has in the past.
China’s chip makers proving more resilient amid coronavirus supply chain shocks thanks to automation, clean room environment
(South China Morning Post, 2/15/20)
Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst from Objective Analysis in California, said the “incredibly clean and uncrowded” workplace in chip fabs would probably limit the spread of any disease.
Legacy DRAM Finds Its Way to the Edge
The fact that a customer has found merit in the technology and has incorporated it into a product is a sign the Etron concept has potential, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Flat Pricing, Minimal Transitions for Memory in 2020
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, is expecting the market to be somewhat flat for 2020…
Data Centers Drive DDR5 Demand
Putting out a DDR5 part on a 1Znm process likely puts Micron in a leading position as a DRAM maker, according to Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis
Brit brainiacs say they’ve cracked non-volatile RAM that uses 100 times less power
Jim Handy, a semiconductor researcher at Objective Analysis, said: “It could be a replacement for DRAM but has the same issue that a lot of alternatives do – it uses more chemical elements…
New Report: China’s Memory Ambitions
“China found that its semiconductor imports exceeded even its petroleum imports, motivating this cash-rich nation to seek self-sufficiency,” said Jim Handy, General Director of Objective Analysis.
Is ReRAM Ready to Leave the R&D Phase?
“I’d say the most progress is being in R&D,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, and co-author of the report Emerging Memories Ramp Up.
Innovation Wrap: Renewable Milestones, Tokenising Contracts, Profiling Canva
In a 2019 Flash Memory Summit presentation, Jim Handy of Objective Analysis predicted revenues of 3D XPoint—the non-volatile memory technology that Intel branded as Optane—in excess of $3.5 billion through 2023.
Persistent memory is coming to a workstation near you
In a 2019 Flash Memory Summit presentation, Jim Handy of Objective Analysis predicted revenues of 3D XPoint—the non-volatile memory technology that Intel branded as Optane—in excess of $3.5 billion through 2023.
Kioxia expects fab fire will have no flash production impact
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said he has seen no market impact from the recent Samsung power outage and he expects none from this week’s Kioxia fire.
Price of NAND memory chips projected to rise up to 40%
But Jim “The Memory Guy” Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, says it’s all overblown, especially the Toshiba reports.
Les 5 grandes tendances du stockage pour 2020
LeMagIT, 1/7/20«Ces acteurs, qui n’ont pas à supporter le passif des fournisseurs historiques, sont en effet les mieux placés pour mettre au point les pilotes qui permettront d’exploiter toute l’efficacité des Optane entre la mémoire et une baie de disques traditionnelle », estime Jim Handy, un analyste expert en semi-conducteurs et en SSD au bureau Objective Analysis.
5 data storage trends to watch in 2020
Intel DIMMs will help nudge storage class memory (SCM) closer to the mainstream, said Jim Handy, a semiconductor and SSD analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
Blog Review Dec. 18
(Semiconductor Engineering, 12/18/19)
In a video, VLSI Research’s Dan Hutcheson chats with Jim Handy of Objective Analysis about what will happen to the memory markets for DRAM and NAND in 2020, China’s progress in memory, and emerging memories.
EERAM Eliminates SRAM Battery Backup
“For want of nail, a shoe was lost,” the saying goes; it’s applicable in many of these scenarios, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
2019 Was Down! Will 2020 See a Chip Recovery?
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 12/16/19)
As 2019 winds up we can look back on a year that was very difficult for the semiconductor industry, in particular for manufacturers of NAND flash and DRAM. The big question for these companies is now: Will 2020 be any better?
Toggle MRAM Readies for 5G
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said it makes sense that Everspin is capitalizing on something it has already done at a time when the company could use extra revenue.
ChangXin Emerging as China’s First & Only DRAM Maker
Jim Handy, principal analyst at Object Analysis, views ChangXin as “having a better level of expertise than most people would expect to find in a Chinese DRAM maker.”
GlobalFoundries division sale leads to layoffs of 78
At the end of 2018, semiconductors entered one of those busts, said industry analyst Jim Handy, who works for a firm called Objective Analysis in Santa Clara, California.
Does PCRAM Have Potential Beyond Optane?
Jim Handy, principal with Object Analysis, said the reason the technology continues to hold such promise is its really small crosspoint cell and its ability to be stacked.
New Memories Create New Ways to Compute
(PIRL Blog, Invited Article, 11/7/19)
Emerging memories have been around for decades. In fact, one of the earliest emerging memory chips was a 256-bit phase-change memory (PCM or PRAM) prototype designed by a team led by Gordon Moore of Moore’s Law fame. PCM is the basis for the Intel/Micron 3D XPoint Memory which Intel merchandises using the Optane brand name.
Micron 3D XPoint SSD uses new controller to boost speed
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said he was surprised to see Micron announce a 3D XPoint product before Intel becomes profitable in the Optane market.
Can China Become Memory Self-Sufficient?
It’s the second year in a row the research firm has released a look at China’s memory growth strategy, said principal analyst Jim Handy
Chinese Memory, Kioxia, Micron, Xilinx And SDC
According to Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, with an investment of over $150 billion China has shown its determination to become self-sufficient in memory…
Hardware recycling has a new excuse for those looking for one
Jim Handy, analyst, Objective Analysis also observes the security implications of recycling with a serious gaze.
China’s DRAM push will hurt Micron, Samsung and SK hynix. Who will fold?
This is the nub of China’s Memory Ambitions, a report by semiconductor analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Intel roadmap includes faster Optane SSDs, 144-layer NAND
“With Alder Stream, they’re going to be able to put a whole lot more traffic into the SSD before the latency hits a brick wall,” said Jim Handy…
Why Micron fears Optane will eat its server DRAM lunch
“The revenues of 3D XPoint memory are likely to be matched by similar-sized sales declines in the server DRAM market,” writes Objective Analysis’s Jim Handy…
Dell-EMC Combines Optane, NVMe
While Dell may be bullish on Optane SSDs, Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said they’ve not really lived up to expectations…
Greenliant Sampling 6Gb SATA ArmourDrive EX Series SSD
“SSD and memory card users that need super-high endurance and long-term data retention over a broad temperature range have limited options, since today’s NAND flash marketplace is highly focused on consumer applications,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst, Objective Analysis.
NAND flash pricing drop slows; experts disagree on forecasts
Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, predicted the decline in NAND flash pricing would slow from an annual rate of 60% to 30% in the fourth quarter now that chips are selling for close to manufacturer’s cost.
Intel-Micron 3D XPoint revenues to hit $3bn+ in 2023
Jim Handy, the memory guy at Objective Analysis, showed a chart of predicted XPoint revenues in his FMS 2019 presentation:
NVMe flash hot; Optane, SCM still warming up
Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis, said Intel has a “chicken and egg problem” with Optane.
The Next New Memories
(Semiconductor Engineering, 8/15/19)
“They ended up not doing that until 2019,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
HBM2E: The E Stands for Evolutionary
(Semiconductor Engineering, 8/8/19)
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Research, estimates the cost of a DRAM wafer at $1,600. HBM2 adds another $500 to that cost, a 30% premium.
Experts caution low NAND prices won’t keep array prices down
Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis, opened the conference by predicting the current oversupply will last at least into 2021 and maybe into 2025.
Flash Stacks Sloooowly Rise
“Samsung and others are still saying recovery is around the corner, but they don’t have a good idea when it will end,” said Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
New flash memory technologies promise faster, denser storage
The 96-layer 3D NAND technology should help to drive down costs for enterprise SSD customers, according to Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Startup Claims Edge in Performance, Price, Size
“It costs about $50 million to develop a controller,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst of Objective Analysis.
Memory Makers and Foundries Step Up to Hyperscale Demands
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said the clout hyperscalers have today is unprecedented.
LPDDR5 Pushes Power Down as Performance Demands Multiply
While Samsung is touting its latest LPDDR5 as readying smartphones for 5G and AI, Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said the real story is the reduction in power while providing more memory with fewer DRAM chips.
There is Still a Healthy Market For Hard Drives
Jim Handy, a widely recognized semiconductor analyst in Objective Analysis, said, “There are a lot of people who say the whole world is going to move to flash but, you know, I’m not one of them.
Toshiba to rename flash memory business Kioxia
Enterprise customers searching the web for replacement drives could also experience confusion during the transition period, said Jim Handy, a semiconductor and SSD analyst at Objective Analysis.
The flash memory “flying up” is no longer, why is the price of mobile phones not falling?
(Tech.Huanqiu.com, 7/10/19 (Google Translation))
At the flash summit in 2018, Jim Handy, an analyst at semiconductor research institute Objective Analysis, said that the typical 64-layer 3D stacked NAND Flash flash memory costs only 0.55 yuan per GB.
When Will the Semiconductor Market Finally Start to Grow Again?
Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst with Objective Analysis, called the 2019 cycle the “worst downturn in semiconductor history…”
Are Emerging Memories Finally Emerging?
But although the $20 billion figure sounds impressive, it’s important to remember that it’s the market for all emerging memories, with MRAM and PCRAM primarily in the form of Intel Optane being the dominant types, according to Jim Handy, principal with Objective Analysis.
Q. Does Optane DIMM access have to be so complicated? A. Yes
This article is largely based on four articles by Jim Handy of Objective Analysis…
Lots of Spin Left for Hard Drives
“There are a lot of people who say the whole world is going to move to flash but, you know, I’m not one of them,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst of Objective Analysis.
Falling Chip Forecasts
(Semiconductor Engineering, 6/20/19)
“It’s simply too early to tell what’s going on with the U.S. trade war with China,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Does a SCM Controller Need a Translation Table?
Wolley is not the first company to come up with notion of a controller without a translation table, noted Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Scaring Ghost Data Away from SCMs
Rather than consume power and time to reprogram and erase data, it might make more sense to rely on robust encryption, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Intel Combines Optane Options with New Processor Class
Jim Handy, principal with research firm Objective Analysis, has always been bullish on the Optane DIMMs.
Enduring Optane DIMM question; Is its endurance good enough? Yes; Intel has delivered.
Jim Handy, the General Director at Objective Analysis, said: “My first impulse was to double-check the figures, but then I decided not to, and to instead consider whether it’s at all likely that Optane will be used in such a write-intensive environment.
LPDDR5 Aims to Boost Input/Output By Half
While LPDDR4 may be getting a little long in the tooth, the specification has lasted longer than originally thought, noted Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Long-awaited Intel Optane DC persistent memory module debuts
Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said the Optane density would be a significant benefit because the highest capacity DRAM DIMM is 128 GB and “wretchedly expensive.”
Optane No Big Boost for DRAM
“My 2015 forecast was Intel could get up to $2 billion in revenue in the first two years of introduction, but it is likely to be significantly smaller now,” said Jim Handy, a memory market watcher with Objective Analysis.
Intel Gangs Up on the Data Center
Users “don’t want to go from depending on Intel for processors to depending on them for memory, too,” said Jim Handy, a memory market watcher at Objective Analysis.
5G Needs More Memory to Compute
Despite its longevity, it is “exotic” in that it’s quite expensive and there are limited suppliers, according to Jim Handy, principal at Objective Analysis,
As memory prices plummet, PCIe is poised to overtake SATA for SSDs
There used to be a significant price difference between PCIe and SATA drives with the same capacity, but they have come into parity thanks to Moore’s Law, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, who follows the memory market.
Samsung Doubles HBM Density with FlashBolt
Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, said HBM is squarely aimed at applications that put so much value on bandwidth that they are willing to pay a significant price premium.
The Optane Persistent Memory mystery. Can it last the course?
At 30DWPD, the P4800X Optane SSD has total write/erase cycles of 32,850 per cell, Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy has calculated.
ISSCC: 9 of the Best Demos
The company should not have been allowed to give a paper before it taped out a chip, said memory analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Hynix Details First DDR5 Chip
Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, said he found the Samsung presentation short on technical details about the LPDDR5 chip.
Intel top semiconductor revenue dog again as Samsung slumps
Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy says; “When Samsung’s semiconductor revenues rose above Intel’s that was big news.”
Tech sector turns wary as ‘chip dip’ hurts sales
Memory chips “behave like onions or steel or any other commodity,” said Jim Handy, a market researcher at Objective Analysis.
Smartphones Eschew Emerging Memories
For the consumer who’s buying the latest and greatest smartphone, it’s the 3D NAND that’s the bigger factor in their decision, says Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Enterprise flash storage price drop tops 2019 predictions
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst, Objective Analysis: NAND is more affordable than in the past, and the cost of dynamic RAM is about to undergo a very steep collapse, selling at less than one-third of its 2018 peak.
SNIA Persistent Memory Summit Futures
Tom Coughlin and Jim Handy finished the day providing insights on the memory market and projections for the growth of PM as shown in the graph below.
Pliops to Customize Fast Solid State Storage to AI/ML Workloads
In this way, Pliops technology is designed to remove abstraction layers that slow down the performance of flash memory (which stores the bits in an SSD), Jim Handy, an analyst for Objective Analysis, said.
Embedded Phase-Change Memory Emerges
(Semiconductor Engineering, 1/24/19)
“It’s too early to tell,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis. “MRAM is making the most noise, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it has won the battle.”
3D XPoint needs to be bigger and cheaper. But how will it get there?
Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, sees 3DXP’s market situation: “as a competitor to DRAM, not NAND flash.”
JEDEC Looks To Push HBM2 Limits
As previously noted by Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, HBM is a niche technology for now because it remains relatively expensive due to …
Etron Blazes New DRAM Trail
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, told EE Times, “Something interesting about DRAMs is that the major manufacturers focus solely on the parts that sell in…
Crossing the Chasm, MRAM Style
(GLOBALFOUNDRIES Foundry Files, 1/11/19)
Jim Handy, a memory analyst at Objective Analysis, said consumer devices, such as a heart monitor, rarely go much above a human’s body temperature.
The Digital World Faces Uncharted Waters, Too
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 1/7/19)
How should one operate in the current political, social, and economic climate while keeping pace with technological change? Objective Analysis highlights issues facing…
Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test
(Semiconductor Engineering, 1/4/19)
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, released his 2019 semi forecast. “The industry has already entered the first stages of its collapse…
Researchers Explore Emerging Memories for AI
“The neuromorph crowd is excited about this type of thing,” said Jim Handy, a veteran memory market watcher who is principal analyst at …
Intel Architecture Day Highlights Manufacturing, IP and Integration Innovations
In fact, some knowledgeable analysts (including Jim Handy of Objective Analysis), are anticipating a collapse of DRAM prices in 2019.
Micron Sees Weak Market Ahead
“He’s certainly still giving a very bullish outlook,” said Jim Handy, principal at Objective Analysis, of Mehotra’s view. “He’s looking to trim capital …
Intel, Samsung Describe Embedded MRAM Technologies
But Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said that he is not aware of any commercial products shipping the Globalfoundries’ …
What Will Replace DRAM and NAND, and When?
Here’s a chart presented by Tom Coughlin and Jim Handy at SNIA’s Storage Developer Conference this year.
What’s The Outlook for Memory?
(Semiconductor Engineering, 11/5/18)
“DRAM prices have just started to fall, right on schedule,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Intel Combines Optane Options with New Processor Class
Jim Handy, principal with research firm Objective Analysis, has always been bullish on the Optane DIMMs.
Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test
(Semiconductor Engineering, 11/4/18)
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, released his 2019 semi forecast. “The industry has already entered the first stages of its collapse …
Federal government gets involved in ongoing Micron-China case
(Idaho Business Review, 11/2/18)
“It’s not too big a surprise,” said Jim Handy, general director of Objective Analysis, in Los Gatos, California, attributing …
$60 billion in investments by South Korea’s semiconductor giants
“We are on the eve of a big downturn,” said Jim Handy at Objective Analysis, a California-based research firm.
Connected Devices Need More Secure Memory
Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, attended an Intel session at last year’s Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) Storage Developer Conference outlining firmware upgrade standards for NVDIMMs and how to address vulnerabilities.
Memory…It’s Complicated
Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy notes, “Spot prices, a leading indicator of where contract prices are likely to head, have been on a steady decline through all of 2018.
New memory technologies challenge NAND flash dominance
(TechTarget, Invited Article, 10/3/18)
Flash memory rose to prominence as soon as Intel shipped the first NOR chips in 1988.
The Future Of Emerging Memories
At the 2018 SNIA Storage Developers Conference Jim Handy and I gave a talk about the prospects for emerging memory technologies that could eventually replace SRAM, NOR, DRAM and possibly NAND flash.
DRAM Cycle Hits New But Familiar Phase
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said that as much as China wants to be a major player in the semiconductor market and has deep pockets, Chinese players haven’t been executing well on…
Macronix Plans Low Cost 3D NAND
Macronix “has a good opportunity to focus on lower-density parts that major vendors obsolete — in a shortage, that’s a great place to be,” said analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis…
The Latest Battleground for Chipmakers: Self-Driving Cars
“Renesas and IDT have complementary technologies,” says Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy.
Adesto Touts ReRAM for Automotive
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Object Analysis, said that a recurring theme is that companies that make emerging memory technologies are saying that they have a technical benefit that people will be …
Market analyst predicts $0.08 per GB for 3D NAND next year
Market analyst Jim Handy has predicted during the Flash Memory Summit that prices of NAND will be as low as $0.08 per GB next year.
Near future of NAND: 512-layer 3D NAND and 512 Terabyte QLC SSDs
While SK Hynix doesn’t provide a time frame and doesn’t indicate when it expects to start production of 500+ layer NAND, analyst Jim Handy from Objective Analysis did provide an indication during a presentation.
Why Flash Storage Will Remain Dominant for Several Years
These are all findings from “Emerging Memories Poised to Explode: An Emerging Memory Report,” a study conducted by Coughlin Associates and Objective Analysis and released July 25.
Optane DIMMs Are Worth the Wait
(EE Times, Invited Article, 6/7/18)
We may need to wait for broad availability of Intel’s Optane on DIMMs, but when it arrives it should bring an important cost/performance improvement to servers.
3D NAND Flash Wars Begin
(Semiconductor Engineering, 8/20/18)
It’s a different story today, as the 3D NAND market is expected to “collapse at the end of this year,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
NAND flash manufacturers showcase new technologies
Z-NAND is another attempt to reduce costs by shifting periphery logic to a place that doesn’t take up space on the flash chip, said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Analisten voorspellen verdere daling NAND-geheugen per GB in 2019
Jim Handy, een analist die zich al jaren bevindt in de semiconductor industrie, heeft nu een daling van prijs voorspelt tijdens het Flash Memory Summit.
Analysts say we are headed for a flash memory price crash
Jim Handy, a market analyst with Objective Analysis, predicts that the flash memory industry is headed for a “downward pricing correction” in 2019, if not a full-on collapse.
NAND Prices To Hit Historical Lows of $0.08 Cents/GB in 2019 According To Jim Handy At FMS
Big news out of FMS last week, Objective Analysis’ Jim Hand spoke about with The Register, confirming that we are in a Flash oversupply which is why pricing has dropped at such a steady rate, but according to Handy, it will get even better in 2019.
Flash NAND Memory Price Set to Crash in 2019, Could See SSD Costs Plummet 75%
According to Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy, the market is set for a huge downward pricing correction or, potentially, even a collapse.
NAND prices set to drop drastically as analysts warn of oversupply
At the Flash Memory Summit last week, Objective Analysis’s Jim Handy told attendees that the SSD market was cruising towards a price crash.
NAND Oversupply Could Crater SSD Pricing To 8 Cents Per Gigabyte Next Year
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said he expects the market for NAND flash memory to correct itself, or even bottom out altogether, to actual cost of production of 64-layer 3D NAND flash, The Register reports.
Analyst: NAND pricing could hit 8 cents per gigabyte next year
It credits Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy, speaking at the recent Flash Memory Summit, with this assertion.
MRAM Makes a Move into the Embedded Space
Objective Analysis and Coughlin Associates contributed the chart at the beginning of the article
Next-Gen Memory Ramping Up
(Semiconductor Engineering, 8/16/18)
In comparison, MRAM was a $36 million business in 2017, according to a report from Coughlin Associates and Objective Analysis. Other memory types are barely on the radar.
Disk will eat itself: Flash price crash just around the over-supplied block
Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy, speaking at last week’s Flash Memory Summit, confirmed we are in a flash over-supply situation…
New Seagate Nytro SSD line uses Toshiba 3D NAND chips
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, a research firm in Los Gatos, Calif., thinks flash supply is the least of Seagate’s worries.
Smells like machine spirit: L’ Optane, Unity, NVMe and QLC. Take a sniff of a week in storage
Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy said: “It seems like it takes longer and longer to go from one number of level to the next, so I have no hopes that 5 bits will ever be put into production.
YMTC Adds Detail to NAND Plans
“I am not sure whether the market will adopt something that has a high-speed interface in front of a slow memory technology — NAND flash is really slow,” said Jim Handy, memory analyst at Objective Analysis.
NAND flash shortage end could lead to dramatic price drop
Impending NAND flash oversupply will lead to price collapse of NAND flash chips and higher capacity enterprise SSDs, according to semiconductor analyst Jim Handy.
NAND we’ll send foreign tech packing, says China of Xtacking: DRAM-speed… but light on layer-stacking
Analyst Jim Handy from Objective Analysis said: “Toshiba and PMC Sierra pioneered the use of a separate logic chip for stacked NAND speeds two to three years ago, showing a stacked NAND at the Flash Memory Summit.
The Latest in NAND
“Storage is getting significantly more complex, so drive vendors can no longer supply a simple storage device and leave the remainder of the system design to the OEM,” said Jim Handy, veteran storage analyst at Objective Analysis.
Semicon Emerging Memory
Jim Handy from Objective Analysis said that a predominant driver for one memory to replace another is that its manufacturing volume increases to the point that its cost declines faster than the incumbent.
Intel’s 3D XPoint Plans Clearer Than Micron’s
As Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, notes, it didn’t take long to figure out that the SSDs weren’t going to be able to take advantage of 3D XPoint’s speed.
Embedded Flash Scaling Limits
(Semiconductor Engineering, 7/19/18)
Those are perfectly fine with embedded NOR,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Intel, Micron end 3D XPoint memory joint development
“Seeing this relationship go in separate ways casts a shadow on the future of 3D XPoint,” said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
NAND the beat goes on: Samsung to fling out 96-layer 3D NAND chip
Object Analysis’s Jim Handy discussed the problem of “connecting the peripheral logic to all of those control gates…”
NOR Flash is Road Tested
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said that “instant-on” is why NOR flash is used in dashboards because it can bring up the basic functionality right away…
SLC vs MLC vs TLC NAND Flash
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 6/29/18)
“MLC is arguably just as good as SLC” in enterprise use cases, he concluded, a sentiment shared by Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis. “Today’s MLC is better than yesterday’s SLC,” Handy declared.
New 12 Gbps single-port Toshiba SAS SSD takes aim at SATA
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said Toshiba is taking advantage of the fact that 12 Gbps SAS sockets are plentiful in servers…
New Memories Seek Embedded Use
“At some point the door is going to close on NOR because of scaling issues, and all MCU and ASIC makers and their logic foundries will need a new non-volatile memory technology for code storage–whether it will be at 40nm or 14nm may depend on the foundry’s logic process,” said Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis, who will give a market overview in the emerging memory program at Semicon West.
Crossbar ReRAM hits 1x nanometer process milestone
“The big trick is to get into high volume production because the most important thing in semiconductors is to get the volume high enough so you can drive the costs out,” said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Microsemi Deal May Spur Broader ReRAM Adoption
“This is one of those things that kind of feeds off itself,” said Jim Handy, principal at Objective Analysis.
13 Sextillion & Counting: The Long & Winding Road to the Most Frequently Manufactured Human Artifact in History
(Computer History Museum Blog, 4/5/18)
In 2014 industry analyst Jim Handy estimated that 2.9 sextillion transistors had been manufactured by the industry since the first one sprang to life in late 1947.
MRAM Uptake Spurs MCU Design
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said that, to date, emerging memories on MCUs haven’t been too popular because of the higher cost of the new technology when compared to NOR flash or SRAM.
How a Boise Company Thrives in the Global Chip Business
Most important, says Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy, it’s patented technology that customers won’t be able to get anywhere but Intel and Micron.
Cypress Sees a Future for FRAM
Cypress is one of very few companies currently exploring applications for FRAM, said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Storage Networking — Boring No More
(Enterprise Networking Planet, 2/22/18)
Of course, all of this is assuming that storage fabrics will continue to be the primary drivers of speed and connectivity in advanced data architectures. But this might not necessarily be the case, says Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy.
Why are NVDIMMs Suddenly Hot?
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 2/14/18)
The NVDIMM exists to leverage the speed of the DRAM bus and of memory accesses. This is because the memory channel is the fastest bus in the system.
Samsung set to make decision on Pyeongtaek investment
“Semiconductor investments happen in cycles,” said Jim Handy, CEO and analyst of US-based Objective Analysis at 2018 Semicon Korea held last month.
IoT Security Getting Well-Deserved Attention
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 1/10/18)
Ultimately, the designers of our modern electronic systems and digital services must continue in their role of responsibility for building the best products they can while being good stewards for their safety and security. Unfortunately, there are growing numbers of people intent on devising new ways to circumvent established preventative measures, so staying on top of security is a never-ending task.
Besides the XPoint: Persistent memory tech is cool, but the price tag … OUCH
Object Analysis analyst Jim Handy explained this at the SNIA’s Flash Memory Summit in January and it starts with the memory hierarchy idea.
What’s the Difference Between All Those Emerging Memory Technologies?
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 1/24/18)
Even though the flash and DRAM businesses have enjoyed these breakthroughs, NAND and DRAM makers continue to expend significant research efforts to develop alternative technologies.
Third NAND dimension makes quad bit bucket cells feasible
A briefing document by Jim Handy from Objective Analysis says things get easier with 3D NAND.
AI Fuels Next-Gen HBM Demand
But even if HBM is the winner, it’s still a niche technology, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Are Hybrid Drives Finally Coming of Age?
“We expect the hybrid drive market to nearly double every year for the five years following its initial adoption, reaching 600 million units by 2016,” said the report’s author Jim Handy.
A New Memory Contender?
(Semiconductor Engineering, 1/2/18)
And each byte can be erased or re-programmed,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, in a recent interview.
Impact of Intel and Micron ending their NAND partnership is negligible
What does it mean for you, the Intel SSD buyer? Pretty much nothing, according to Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Intel, Micron to Shelve NAND Flash Partnership
According to Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, the ramp up of Intel’s 300-mm fab in Dalian, China to produce 3D NAND — which began two years ago — has made Intel less reliant on Micron as a supplier.
Get Ready for a Wealth of Embedded Design Hardware and Software Options for 2018
“In 2018 Intel is due to introduce the Optane DIMM based on the company’s 3D XPoint Memory,” says Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Micron’s Momentum Continues Into New Fiscal Year
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said the autonomous vehicle boon for memory is on the horizon, but we’re not going to get there as fast as Micron is touting.
Blog Review: Dec. 13
(Semiconductor Engineering, 12/13/17)
In a video, VLSI Research’s G. Dan Hutcheson chats with Jim Handy of Objective Analysis on how long the DRAM and NAND boom will last…
Toshiba, WD Settle Dispute, Extend JV
“It’s really a very positive thing,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, of the settlement.
Cypress HyperBus Set to Get Standards Stamp
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said the foundation for its success in the latter goes as far back as Fujitsu, which spawned Spansion, now part of Cypress, and started the HyperRAM-HyperFlash-HyperBus troika.
4DS Enlists IMEC to Advance ReRAM
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said IMEC has an advantage because of its wide array of sponsors that enable it to afford better equipment and justify having a large number of tools on hand that a commercial production environment can’t justify.
3D NAND: Can it Bridge the Endurance Gap?
(Embedded Systems Engineering, 11/22/17)
“Objective Analysis expects for NAND flash gigabyte consumption to grow 45 percent annually over the long-term.”
Startup Demonstrates ReRAM Retention, Endurance
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said the fact that Weebit is using standard materials is a big plus.
Winbond Bolsters Flash Security
Memory security started attracting attention in the early 2000s ago due in large part to Spansion, now part of Cypress Semiconductor, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Automotive, IoT Continue to Boost Cypress
…favorable pricing in the NAND flash segment helped boost revenue for Cypress, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis…
Flash in the enterprise is in a solid state. Where is it going next?
This SLC/TLC distinction was a big thing a few years ago, but the distinction has largely gone away, says Jim Handy, general director at specialist semiconductor analysis company Objective Analysis.
Toshiba memory business sale faces bumpy road
“The whole purpose of a statement like that is to get Toshiba’s attention and make sure that Toshiba is not ignoring them,” said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Toshiba Inks Acquisition Deal with Bain-led Group
But Jim Handy, principal analyst with market research and consulting firm Objective Analysis, believes that a deal would not necessarily spell doom for the
Partnership Puts ReRAM in SSDs
The Mobiveil/Crossbar collaboration is not the first attempt to make SSDs out of something other NAND flash, said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, including failed attempts to make DRAM-based SSDs.
NOR Flash Standard Meets Instant-On Expectations
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said many IoT applications need a richer complement of memory than most MCUs offer.
Everspin Technologies ready to ship nvNITRO ST-MRAM SSDs
“The most important thing is that they’re moving into higher densities so they’re going to be able to drive the costs down to make [MRAM] attractive to a broader range of applications,” said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Memory Market Tightens in Wait for 3D NAND Flash
Expert memory guru Jim Handy from Objective Analysis answers questions about planar NAND shortages, 3D NAND, Bit Cost Scaling, Optane and more.
The Week In Review: Manufacturing
(Semiconductor Engineering, 9/1/17)
How will Samsung improve its overall 3D NAND costs? In a blog, Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, explains how.
Waiting Game Could Strengthen Toshiba’s Hand
According to Jim Handy, principal analyst with memory focused research firm Objective Analysis, the longer that Toshiba waits to consummate a sale, the higher the valuation of Toshiba Memory may ultimately be.
Another dimension, new galaxy. Intergalactic planar-tary: Join us on our 3D NAND journey
Jim Handy tells us, “TSVs do go all the way through the die/wafer.
683 Capital Management LLC Has Lowered Its Micron Technology INC (MU) Stake by $35.19 Million; Stock Price Rose
Seekingalpha.com published: “Micron Technology: Jim Handy Is Wrong On The End Of The Cycle” on August 25, 2017.
Micron Technology: Jim Handy Is Wrong On The End Of The Cycle
Jim Handy, “The Memory Guy” is a memory chip analyst who has been predicting the peak of the NAND market for a couple of years.
The Ironic – And Fleeting – Volatility In NVM Storage
Jim Handy over at Objective Analysis gave an interesting presentation at the summit, and showed off how past shortages due to technological issues caused spikes in pricing on DRAM main memory, and that we should expect for these things to happen with all memory technologies because transitions are hard.
NAND Clash Spans Chip to Code
The thickness of individual layers is the gating item for the chip design, said Jim Handy, market watcher with Objective Analysis (Los Gatos, California).
Semiconductor Pioneer George Perlegos Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award
George Perlegos (second from left) wins FMS Lifetime Achievement Award for Innovations that fostered the development of smartphones and IoT. (From left: Brian Berg, George Perlegos, Jim Handy, Sanjay Mehrotra)
Samsung Promises 2018 Tbit NAND
Given the latencies of the PCI Express bus that SSDs use, the most disruptive opportunities for such chips will be in cards expected next year riding faster memory busses, said Jim Handy, market watcher with Objective Analysis.
Seagate unveil new Nytro 5000/3000 SSDs at FMS 2017
Jim Handy, General Director of Objective Analysis said: “Large-capacity SSDs are in high demand in hyperscale computing, a market that is growing faster than any other sector.
HDD vs. SSD: Is there room for disk in a solid-state world?
(TechTarget, Invited Article, August 2017)
Since the middle of the last decade, solid-state drive advocates have argued that SSDs would completely displace HDDs over the following few years. Yet here we are in 2017, and the HDD vs. SSD controversy continues.
Samsung passes Intel as world’s No. 1 chip maker
A 16 gigabyte NAND chip that typically would go into a smartphone costs about $4, according to Jim Handy, a memory-chip analyst with Objective Analysis. Common half-gigabyte DRAM chips cost around $2.75, he said.
Viking Technology Claims to Ship 6Gb SAS 50TB SSD
AT FMS 2016, Jim Handy, director and chief analyst, Objective Analysis, guesses it [Seagate’s 60TB SSD] will around $20,000 and it could be the same one for the UHC-Silo SSD and even more as NAND chip prices are increasing these past months.
Viking Technology ships 50TB SSD for the datacenter
Jim Handy from Objective Analysis explained: “Some system administrators are looking for a way to extend the useful life of existing hardware, since it may function perfectly but support too little overall capacity.”
Toshiba Debuts Quadruple-Level Cell 3D Flash
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 6/29/17)
Jim Handy, general manager of Objective Analysis, expects flash prices to remain flat or jump slightly until 3D NAND is mastered.
Tight Memory Supply Drives Micron’s Record Sales
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said the favorable pricing environment is a big contributor to Micron’s current success.
Federal Agencies Look to Flash Storage to Maximize Efficiency
“One of the places SSD caught on in a big way was with Visa and its automated transaction process,” says Jim Handy, a semiconductor market analyst with Objective Analysis.
4DS ReRAM Hits DRAM Speeds
Jim Handy, principal with Objective Analysis, said the proof of the pudding is always in the eating when it comes to emerging memory technologies.
NAND Market Hits Speed Bump
“The shortages have become worse,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
64 Layers is 3D NAND’s Sweet Spot
The next step for 3D NAND will likely be string stacking, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
More Flash Layers
Flash analyst Jim Handy has created a table comparing 64-layer NAND from Micron, Toshiba/WD and Samsung.
Samsung Ramps Up Production on 64-Layer V-NAND Flash Chips
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 6/15/17)
One of the factors keeping enterprise flash storage prices from dropping below 30 cents per GB is the “enormous difficulty of producing economical 3D NAND,” Jim Handy, general manager of research firm Objective Analysis recently told Enterprise Storage Forum’s Drew Robb.
All-Flash Array Market Grows 48% in Q1
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 6/7/17)
Jim Handy, general manager of semiconductor research group Objective Analysis, recently told Enterprise Storage Forum’s Drew Robb that he expects a manufacturing breakthrough in the next year that will enable flash providers to crank out high-capacity 3D NAND chips, further lowering AFA prices.
Apple, Amazon to Join Foxconn’s Toshiba Bid
“Toshiba needs to face the hard reality that WD will want a say in who its next partner will be and will fight hard to have that right,” said Jim Handy, a veteran memory chip analyst and principal at Objective Analysis.
3DXP’s Memory Role Unclear
Embedded Computing Design, 5/23/17
Flash-memory analyst Jim Handy is bullish on SCM in general and 3DXP in particular.
SSDs push further down into the HDD space
(Embedded Computing Design, 5/23/17)
This fact is confirmed by the self-proclaimed SSD Guy, Jim Handy, who says that the latest announcements “provide solid evidence that that HDD costs will continue to stay an order of magnitude cheaper than SSD costs, thwarting the price-per-gigabyte crossover that others have been predicting for years.”
All-Flash Array Economics
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 5/12/17)
Jim Handy, general manager of semiconductor and flash storage research firm Objective Analysis, said flash has been making major headway over the past decade in terms of overall cost.
Intel Ramps up 3D NAND, NVMe SSDs
Intel initially developed its 3D NAND technology in collaboration with Micron, opting to leverage floating gate technology that has been easier to manage than the problematic charge trap approach being used by everyone else, said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Optane and the Specification Game
My calculations were confirmed by Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, who then produced a more comprehensive chart of his own,
Micron Makes Mehrotra Next CEO
I expect he’ll put stronger focus on the Crucial consumer brand,” said Jim Handy, principal of Objective Analysis (Los Gatos, Calif.).
30 nanoseconds is way too slow, down with the latency gap!
“Jim Handy of Objective Analysis writes about this: “Furthermore, there’s a much larger latency gap between the processor’s internal Level 3 cache and the system DRAM than there is between any adjacent cache levels.””
Has Intel Invented a Universal Memory Tech?
“Everyone seems to think it’s phase-change memory,” says semiconductor analyst Jim Handy. “I don’t care.”
Toshiba’s memory biz sale attracts many, including Apple
“It seems like they are selling the Golden Goose and keeping the money pit,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis, referring to Toshiba.
Toshiba Rumor Mill Runs at Full Capacity
As Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, told EE Times this week, “This whole deal has been so full of rumors and leaks, it’s hard to tell what’s real.”
Prefetch Engine Recovers Lost Performance
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said what Performance-IP is doing is a smart idea that used to be only used in supercomputers and similar to the pre-fetching technique used in hard drives. “It’s migrated down a lot,” he said.
Optane Boasts Embedded Potential
“Embedded designs, thanks to their custom application software, are probably more ready to use persistent memory than are more standard applications,” said Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis,
Inside Intel’s Optanical garden
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy writes, “This interface would limit even an infinitely fast memory technology’s speed to about 5‑10 times that of NAND flash behind the same interface …
Intel’s Bold Plan to Reinvent Computer Memory (and Keep It a Secret)
For Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis who follows the memory and storage markets, the technology only makes sense as memory if it’s significantly cheaper than DRAM.
Micron and Intel Compete for 3D XPoint Market Share
The new SSD costs less than DRAM, which costs $4.50–$5.00 per gigabyte but higher than NAND, which costs $0.20–$0.25 per gigabyte, according to Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Intel starts shipping Optane SSD to select customers
Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., said the 3D XPoint-based DIMMs could perform close to 1,000 times faster than NAND flash if the vendor’s chip performance claims hold true.
New Intel Technology Bridges Gap Between Speedy Conventional Memory, Longer-Term Storage
(Wall Street Journal, 3/19/17)
That is 3% of total global memory sales, which amount to roughly $80 billion a year, according to Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, a semiconductor-market-research firm.
Is There a Future for Proprietary Solid State Storage Systems?
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 3/3/17)
On the face of it that’s a good strategy for a company competing with the likes of Texas Memory Systems (now part of IBM) and Fusion-IO (which was acquired by SanDisk in 2014) for the top end of the market, as Jim Handy, solid state storage expert and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, explains.
NAND flash shortage has SSD supply, pricing impact
“It’s anybody’s guess as to when that problem’s going to be solved,” said Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
How Will Politics Impact the Semiconductor Industry and Overall Business Climate?
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 2/23/17)
It’s difficult to determine how the overlay of new policy will play out in the near term, so Objective Analysis will apply traditional techniques to forecasting 2017, while pointing out new factors that could cause turbulence in 2017 and coming years.
Tosh doubles 64-layer 3D flash chip capacity with a bit of TLC
Analyst Jim Handy has produced a table comparing Toshiba/WD, Samsung and Micron 64-layer 3D NAND devices.
Highway to HBLL: The missing link between DRAM and L3 found
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis writes about this: “Furthermore, there’s a much larger latency gap between the processor’s internal Level 3 cache and the system DRAM than there is between any adjacent cache levels.”
MRAM development gains momentum
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, told EE Times that there is interest around using MRAM to replace SRAM in some applications, but that for other applications the higher cost of MRAM makes it less appealing.
New Embedded Memories Ahead
“That’s been a leading cause of difficulties for many of these new technologies to get off the ground,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Persistent Memory Will Revolutionize Computing
The Figure below from Jim Handy and Tom Coughlin’s presentation shows a comparison of input/output operations per second (IOPS) of various digital storage and memory devices.
Can all-flash arrays, spinning disks and hybrid really live together?
Jim Handy, general director at semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis, agrees.
NRAM set to spark a ‘holy war’ among memory technologies
NRAM is up against an abundant field of new memory technologies that are expected to challenge NAND flash in speed, endurance and capacity, according to Jim Handy, principal analyst with semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis.
Intel Optane a Poor Fit for PCs
(EE Times, Invited Article, 1/6/17)
Given that Intel is a leading SSD supplier, it is odd that the company would work to sell a technology that would serve to undermine its SSD business.
Micron’s Successful Quarter Reflects 3D NAND Progress
“What’s encouraging is where they are with their 3D NAND,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis
These Trends Will Shape Embedded Technology in 2017
Tom Starnes, analyst with Objective Analysis, notes, “One country’s loss is another’s gain as corporations try to hold on to as much of their revenues as they can in very complex and competitive markets for sophisticated technology.”
Storage Class Memory: The Revolution Has Begun
Jim Handy, solid state storage expert and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, believes that the speed gain from using NVDIMM-N in block mode (compared to a fast SSD) will have niche applications…
Rolling out flash in the enterprise? It’s a matter of application
Some rarified high-performance applications such as stock trading were particularly attractive from the early days of enterprise SSD when the equipment cost far more than it does today, says Jim Handy, general director at semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis.
2016 MacBook Pro’s Storage Is Blazing Fast
The Objective Analysis analyst of Computerworld, Jim Handy believes Apple decision to opt for the PCIe SSD will soon be followed up by the rest of the PC market in the coming years.
Apple’s new MacBook Pro may be the world’s fastest stock laptop
The best consumer SATA III SSDs today become saturated at about 500MBps, according to Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Where Do M.2 High Capacity SSDs Fit in the Data Center?
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 10/11/16)
“…if you have more devices you also have more points of failure,” points out Jim Handy, solid state storage expert and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Why XPoint SSDs won’t meet original speed claims: A guide
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy has come up with a theory which he claims explains why Intel and Micron’s 3d XPoint memory will not meet its original performance claims.
High capacity SSDs: How Big Can They Grow?
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 9/27/16)
“Today’s SSDs are more reliable and have better wear than ever,” says Jim Handy, a solid state storage expert and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
pMTJ Is Where the MRAM Action Is
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said STT is technically behind in the MRAM market…
Sorting Out Next-Gen Memory
“I’m expecting it to be a money-losing proposition for the first couple of years after it comes out,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Fujitsu now making DRAM killer with 1000x performance boost
“My understanding is that Nantero plans to bring NRAM to the market as an embedded memory in MCUs and ASICs for the time being,” Jim Handy, principal analyst with semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis, said in an email reply to Computerworld.
Enterprise SSD Vendors: 8 Leaders
“Enterprise” SATA SSDs are difficult to define, notes Jim Handy, principal analyst for Objective Research, who follows the SSD market.
Micron Moves 3D NAND Into Mobile
In the here and now, power consumption is a significant selling point for 3D NAND, said EE Times 8/16/16
Solid-state drives bulk up for capacity
“It’s a surprise to me that Seagate hasn’t taken its dominance in hard drives and moved that to SSDs,” Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy said during flash market update at FMS.
Samsung Debuts 3D XPoint Killer
“It’s a gamble,” said Jim Handy of market watcher Objective Analysis (Los Gatos, Calif.).
New All-Flash from Nimbus, Storage-Class Memory from Netlist
“The promise of SCM is to bridge the price-performance gap between DRAM and NAND,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst, Objective Analysis, who said the SCM market could exceed $2 billion by 2020.
What is the Best Enterprise SSD Format?
Jim Handy, General Director at Objective Analysis, outlined which vendors he reckoned were the leaders in some of the major categories.
3D XPoint Enterprise SSD Speeds Will Disappoint
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 8/2/16)
“Do we view this type of persistent memory as memory or as storage?” asks Jim Handy, solid state storage expert and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
The Soft Banking of ARM
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 7/20/16)
Enterprise Storage Forum, 8/2/16ARM has done a superb job of running its business over all these years, and all efforts should be made to stay the course.
Cypress Aims Low-Pin Memory at Automotive, IoT
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, believes that Cypress no longer wants to be just a memory company.
Smart interposer drives high-performance, low-energy 3D IC
Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis, told EE Times, “It’s confusing to a lot of people that the term ‘3D’ is used for two very different technologies.”
Leti Unveils New 3D Network-on-Chip
Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis, told EE Times, “It’s confusing to a lot of people that the term ‘3D’ is used for two very different technologies.”
With APFS, Apple focuses on storage efficiency in its OSes
“As for the software automatically moving old files into the cloud, isn’t this the same new feature of iTunes that got users so upset recently?” said Jim Handy, principal analyst at market research firm Objective Analysis.
Printed Memory to Secure IoT
ThinFilm’s printed memory is not the only option on the market, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
« La Flash NAND 3D est là pour 20 ans », Jim Handy (Objective Analysis)
Jim Handy, le directeur général et analyste d’Objective Analysis une société de conseil en semi-conducteurs basée à Los Gatos, dans la Silicon Valley a pronostiqué l’extinction de la mémoire Flash planaire (NAND 2D) dans les cinq prochaines années.
Analyst: 3D NAND technology could stick around for 20 years
(Search Solid State Storage, 5/31/16)
That’s the prediction for the future of NAND flash technology from Jim Handy, general director and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, California.
IBM Works On A Cheaper Alternative To DRAM
According to Jim Handy, analyst at research firm Objective Analysis, this new PCM iteration could transform it into a broader success.
How and Why the New iPhone Affects Micron
Semiconductor market researcher Jim Handy of Objective Analysis foresees utilization of XPoint as a persistent, fast memory storage rather than a replacement for NAND, taking sales away from DRAM.
How To Make 3D NAND
(Semiconductor Engineering, 5/23/16)
“In fact, the floating gate is seeing an undesirable reduction in the capacitive coupling to the control gate,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
What’s Next For NAND?
(Semiconductor Engineering, 5/19/16)
“Our outlook is for a shortage in NAND in general,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
IBM claims breakthrough with TLC phase-change memory
Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said IBM revealed its latest PCM work to try to increase interest from memory manufacturers.
Maximizing SSD ROI
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, points out that the Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) has a useful tool dating back to 2009 that can help you work out which of your applications can get you the biggest SSD ROI.)
IBM’s latest move may have cracked the code on a cheaper DRAM alternative
This iteration could do the trick to make PCM a broader success, according to Jim Handy, analyst at research firm Objective Analysis.
DRAM Goes Hot and Cold
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said all of today’s and tomorrow’s computers are now DDR4-based, so it makes sense that any systems Virtium wants to sell into are DDR4 systems, regardless of industry.
Does 3D XPoint Spell the End for Flash Storage?
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 4/21/16)
Jim Handy, solid state storage expert and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, believes that it’s the former use case that will be the most popular.
Storage with the speed of memory? XPoint, XPoint, that’s our plan
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis charted XPoint’s position on a log-scale graph;
The Solar Business Is Like The Microchip Business. Same Problems, Same Solutions
(The Daily Reckoning, 4/21/16)
As Jim Handy writes in Forbes: “For half a century this business has been running and churning every year, year after year, devouring significant bank-loads of capital, and, in return…
Analysts: Intel’s changes mean the outlook for Rio Rancho is grim
(Albuquerque Business First, 4/20/16)
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis Semiconductor Market Research, says that while nearly any plant can be retrofitted, “the bigger picture is, does Intel need to have as many…
Everspin Technologies touts 256 Mb ST-MRAM storage
Being early in volume production gives Everspin Technologies time to reduce costs during manufacturing, said Jim Handy, a semiconductor industry analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
Winbond Stacks NOR, NAND Flash
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said it’s the first time he’s encountered a company that’s mixed NOR and NAND SPI in a single package.
10nm DDR4 DRAM Could Defy Moore
Quadruple patterning lithography has been used for NAND flash for number of years, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis in a telephone interview with EE Times.
Bit by bit, Intel looks to quadruple SSD storage
Intel’s technique is one way to expand the life of flash storage, which will likely run its course by 2023, said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Software-Defined Flash Improves SSD Performance
And a significant part of the cost of SSDs comes down to the fact that they are not designed to work at maximum efficiency, explains Jim Handy, a solid state storage expert and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis.
Samsung’s 15 TB SSD sets new flash record
Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, based in Los Gatos, Calif., said it will be interesting to see how Samsung handles resistance from customers who don’t want to pay premium flash prices for high-capacity SSDs.
XPoint Memory Chips Positioned for Rapid Adoption
Jim Handy, director of market research firm Objective Analysis, says that chip companies continue to develop new kinds of memory in the hope that the established technologies will eventually be unable to shrink any further.
IBM Spectrum Scale, Tegile IntelliFlash use SanDisk flash
Adding Tegile as a partner should aid SanDisk as it seeks penetration with InfiniFlash, said Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
New ReRAM chip consumes 50-100 times less power for IoT
“Samsung was recently quoted by BusinessKorea as having their own version of this,” said Jim Handy, director of market research firm Objective Analysis.
Flash technologies remain hot in 2016, experts predict
Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis: Solid-state drives are replacing high spindle-speed HDDs following a certain dynamic that we identified back in 2007.
Memory Market Holds Key to Semiconductor Forecast
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 2/12/16)
Objective Analysis relies heavily on CapEx to predict how the semiconductor market will behave. This has led to a consistent…
Micron, Samsung in Flash Battle
“…its size is not a show-stopper,” said Jim Handy of Objective Analysis
An Objective Analysis of the Industry Outlook for 2016
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 2/8/16)
The electronics industry in 2015 was marked with continued effort to assemble the infrastructure, platforms, and things of the Internet of Things…
Silicon Motion Proactively Launches 3D NAND Controllers
The reason Samsung’s 3D is only shipping in its SSDs, says Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, is that it’s not performing as well as
Netlist launches new DDR4 NVDIMM
Although today’s main application is logs or journals in storage arrays, the growth of in-memory databases will create a much larger market,” said Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, California.
Hey, Intel and Micron: XPoint is phase-change memory, right? Or is it? Yes. No. Yes
Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, said: “Intel and Micron insist that 3D XPoint is not phase-change memory, but they give very strong indicators that…
Can HPE’s “The Machine” Deliver?
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, says he suspects those companies could well have convinced then HP that their memory is “a better or more timely solution.”
Performance, Power, and Security Top Digital Hardware Trends
According to Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, Intel’s new 3D XPoint memory technology fills a gap between DRAM and flash storage.
3D XPoint: A New Revolution in Memory?
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 12/3/15)
By adding 3D XPoint to a system, the apparent size of the DRAM may increase by as much as 10 times, freeing the processor to perform at its peak.
Notebook hard drives are dead: How SSDs will dominate mobile PC storage by 2018
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis thinks that won’t always be necessarily true. “I’m thinking of doctors, lawyers, schoolteachers, and firefighters,” he said, who buy on considerations like price, the processor speed, and the amount of storage—not the storage technology.
Memory Advances HMC, HBM Gain Momentum
While development of HMC has been driven by the predicted limits of DRAM, “it’s not hitting the wall that quickly,” observed Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, in a telephone interview with EE Times.
Apple, GoPro, FitBit Chip Suppliers Enter IoT Melee
(Investor’s Business Daily, 11/17/15)
Tom Starnes, Objective Analysis processor analyst, questions whether the IoT frenzy is anything more than fancy phrasing for the natural technological evolution.
Scaling Down Semi Process Nodes for IoT Apps
Not so fast, said Tom Starnes, semiconductor industry analyst at Objective Analysis. He points out that most of these announcements have more to do with standard microprocessor architectures…
SanDisk: Western Digital’s $19 Billion Baby
Jim Handy, a storage industry analyst with Objective Analysis, said WD’s Unispelendor stipulation is more about an exit strategy from the SanDisk deal if things go south than about ensuring it has sufficient funds to make the acquisition.
Spate of Deals Reshape Chip Industry
(Wall Street Journal, 10/21/15)
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said many disk drive executives feel that cost pressures in data storage make it important to supply all components internally.
How WD installed a circuit breaker in its SanDisk deal
Jim Handy, a storage industry analyst with Objective Insights, said WD’s Unispelendor stipulation is more about an exit strategy from the SanDisk deal…
Storage giants get bigger, but prices will stay small as Western Digital buys SanDisk
…according to analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, buying hard drives and flash won’t get harder or more expensive…
OCZ Pushes SSD Control to Host
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said what OCZ is doing with HMS is “kinda cool,” but it’s not the first vendor to raise the idea..
OCZ Storage Solutions previews Saber 1000 for SATA SSDs
Jim Handy, an analyst with Los Gatos, Calif.-based Objective Analysis, said: “It’s pretty unholy to put flash behind a disk interface.”
Chinese SSD maker eyes U.S. market for 8TB drive intro
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said that while the drives are slower than other SSDs, there’s still a market for high capacity flash drives…
SanDisk, HP take on Micron and Intel’s faster-than-flash XPoint
Analyst Jim Handy has written an XPoint report which said HP had abandoned its Memristor technology.
NANDフラッシュとSSDの市場動向
講演者は、半導体の調査会社Objective AnalysisでアナリストをつとめるJim Handy氏、講演タイトルは「Flash Technology : Annual Update」である。
Memory is dirt cheap at a time when it should be expensive
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had this conversation with Jim Handy at Objective Analysis
Thanks for the memory: XPoint put under the analyst microscope
Semiconductor market researcher Jim Handy of Objective Analysis has produced an 80-page report looking into what XPoint memory is, how it could be used and what its prospects are.
New Intel PCIe SSD rides eight lanes for improved throughput
Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, California, said he expects Intel’s leading competition in enterprise PCIe SSDs to come from SanDisk (with its Fusion-io acquisition), Western Digital’s HGST (through its Virident acquisition) and Samsung.
Memory Hierarchy Shakeup
(Semiconductor Engineering, 9/16/15)
“They are still a long way from volume production,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
4K Video Drives Up LPDDR4 Densities
“It’s interesting that Samsung used the LPDDR4 to introduce the next density,” observed Objective Analysis principal analyst Jim Handy
Storage Industry Group Tackles SSD Data Recovery
Functions such as wear-leveling and bad block management re-map everything on an SSD all of the time, elaborated Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Intel’s radical Optane next-gen SSD
At last week’s Flash Memory Summit, semiconductor analysts Jim Handy and Dave Eggleston, whose work I respect, offered their educated guesses on the Xpoint technology.
Micron Upbeat About Turbulent 3D NAND Market
The memory business has changed, it hasn’t changed as dramatically so much has shifted, Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, told EE Times…
What We Learned From Keynote Speakers – Flash Memory Summit 2015
Flash Technology Annual Update, Jim Handy – Objective Analysis – Since Janaury 2011 to July 2015, the price per gigabyte of NAND has decreased from approximately $1.00 to $0.25…
Tomorrow’s Memories: A Cost Game
(The NVM Insider, Invited Article, August 2015)
Today new memory advocates tell us that the market for alternative memories is about to explode. But that’s the same thing they have been saying for the past few decades.
3D NAND Flash和NVDIMM的第一手消息
Objective Analysis的首席分析师Jim Handy在全球闪存峰会(Flash Memory Summit 2015，以下简称FMS2015)上提到，2004年NAND Flash在成本效益上超过DRAM之后，闪存技术的发展就进入了快车道，而随着处理器、内存的性能越来越好，而传统HDD的性能差距越来越大，NAND Flash被追求性能的企业客户接受的速度在最近几年明显加大。
Micron, Intel boast a new way to store data
Even Micron’s new 3D NAND has a limited life span, said Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
Intel Preps Crosspoint Server
The Intel/Micron Crosspoint “shows promise, but needs a lot of software support and will face challenges hitting a price significantly below DRAM, so I am not expecting big changes anytime soon,” said Jim Handy, a principal analyst for Objective Analysis (Los Gatos, Calif.).
Seagate launches PCIe SSDs, flash accelerator card
“They’re certainly going in with guns blazing on the PCI business,” said Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
Samsung Drives Up 3-D Flash
Samsung is shipping its V-NAND SSDs at a loss, and most vendors say a big ramp for 3-D NAND won’t come until 2017, said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis (Los Gatos, Calif.)
Today’s NAND flash has hit a development dead-end
Jim Handy, principal analyst with semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis, about a year ago said he spoke with An Steegen, the vice president of semiconductor research and development at Imec, “and there was a clear path to 13nm for planar NAND.”
Seagate and Micron launch SAS SSD with capacity, endurance choice
I don’t think that SAS users are as interested in that as they are in the redundancy,” said Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
3D XPoint内存技术本质大猜
市场研究机构Objective Analysis首席分析师Jim Handy也在英特尔与美光新内存发表会的现场，并询问两家公司的代表，究竟3D XPoint最接近哪种内存？
那里面就算是ReRAM也不丢脸啊
市场研究机构Objective Analysis首席分析师Jim Handy也在英特尔与美光新记忆体发表会的现场，并询问两家公司的代表，究竟3D XPoint最接近哪种记忆体？
Intel and Micron Announce “Revolutionary” Mystery Memory
“They’re being pointedly vague,” says Jim Handy, a memory analyst of Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
There’s No Shame in ReRAM
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, was on-site for the [3D XPoint] announcement…
This new 3D XPoint memory could last forever
“It’s more expensive than NAND and cheaper than DRAM, and faster than NAND but slower than DRAM,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis. “This suits it well to create another layer in the memory hierarchy.
15 ans à 15 000 tr/min : le disque dur ne passera plus à la vitesse supérieure
Si vous consultez Jim Handy du cabinet Objective Analysis, qui a interrogé à ce sujet des ingénieurs travaillant sur les disques durs, celui-ci ne vous dira pas autre chose.
U.S. memory maker buyout by Chinese firm not likely to succeed
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., however, is surprised that the company would plan to enter the market via an acquisition versus organic development.
China’s Bid for Chip Giant Signals Lofty Ambitions
(Wall Street Journal, 7/14/15)
“If they were to acquire Micron, they would automatically get onto the leading edge of technology,” said Jim Handy, a market researcher who focuses on memory at the firm Objective Analysis.
Flash Storage Prices Have a Long Way to Fall. Here’s Why.
According to Jim Handy, a solid state storage expert and semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, the main difference between eMLC and standard MLC is just that the firmware in the hardware controller that manages the flash cells writes to the cells more “gently.”
ISSI Acquired: An Analyst’s Thoughts
“It was definitely an auction,” industry watcher Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, told EE Times last week about the outcome.
MRAM Maker Everspin Remembers Its Industrial Roots
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, told EE Times in an interview that Everspin is still the only company actually producing MRAM.
Cypress and ISSI: On Again, Off Again
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, didn’t completely agree that IoT would necessarily become a large boon to the SRAM market, as low-power SRAM has been…
The Takeaway: SSD prices continue to fall for OEMs
Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, attributed the lower prices to continued downward pressure on NAND flash memory,
A 128GB SSD now costs PC makers just $50
Still, that’s significantly less than what you would have paid two years ago or even a year ago, according to Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Fab plants are now making superfast carbon nanotube memory
NRAM is up against an abundant field of new memory technologies that are expected to challenge NAND flash in speed, endurance and capacity, according to Jim Handy, principal analyst with semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis.
OCZ Announces Z-Drive 6000 Series – High-Performance NVMe …
Jim Handy, of widely-recognized semiconductor analysts Objective Analysis, observes that “The NVMe SSD market is poised to take off, now that …
FRAM’s Slow, Unending Journey to Dominance
“It just never happened,” semiconductor analyst Jim Handy (Objective Analysis) told EE Times in the wake of Cypress acquiring Ramtron.
No, you won’t lose data on your SSD if you leave it off for a week.
As Jim Handy, an analyst who specializes in memory and SSD technology put it, “That’s a lot of ‘ifs’.”
Two HPs, One Dream
(Bloomberg Businessweek, 5/3/15)
Whether one company or two, HP also needs to think about the reputational costs of failure, says Jim Handy, an analyst with researcher Objective Analysis.
Buying Guide to All Flash Arrays: Visionaries
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 4/17/15)
“SanDisk’s InfiniFlash is not really comparable to the flash arrays that are currently sold by vendors that largely focus on the enterprise,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis
Micron Investors Should Follow Baupost’s Lead
According to Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy, the enterprise SSD market will potentially generate $4B in revenues in 2016
Cypress Expands Error Correcting Code For SRAM
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, doesn’t think IoT is necessarily going to be a large boon to the SRAM market, as many wearables have already snuck into the lives of consumers…
Netlist Extends NVDIMMs with EXPRESSvault
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analyst, told EE Times via phone that technologies such as Netlist’s EXPRESSvault are at least 10 times more expensive than SSDs.
Two HPs, One Dream
Whether one company or two, HP also needs to think about the reputational costs of failure, says Jim Handy, an analyst with researcher Objective Analysis.
ARM Injected with Low Power API
Tom Starnes, a processor industry analyst at Objective Analysis, said a chip-specific API is good, but it would be nice to have a uniform set of power management APIs for all ARM users.
Elite Eight Flash Data Storage Tips
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 4/1/15)
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis sees people making a big mistake when they obsess on price per GB.
Intel and Micron Move 3-D NAND Into Production
But analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., who has been covering 3-D NAND in depth on his website, advises taking the delivery dates that companies have been giving with a grain of salt.
Toshiba Ups Ante in 3D NAND Fray
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, told EE Times that the move to 3D NAND is going to be most complex transition in the world of semiconductors.
Bit by bit, Intel looks to quadruple SSD storage
Intel’s technique is one way to expand the life of flash storage, which will likely run its course by 2023, said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
SanDisk Goes For Big Data Flash Market
SSDs have always been a “botched” use of flash, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Is Micron Technology Inc. and Intel Corporation’s New 3D Memory a Game Changer?
According to semiconductor analyst Jim Handy, charge traps have some significant advantages over floating gate NAND.
Intel, Micron Join Shift to 3-D Storage Chips
(Wall Street Journal, 3/26/15)
Samsung Electronics Co. announced 3-D NAND chips in mid-2013 and recently has been selling them in storage devices called SSDs, or solid-state drives, said Jim Handy, an analyst specializing in memory technology at the research firm Objective Analysis.
Micron, Intel Flash 3D NAND
“The only reference I had seen to a floating gate 3D NAND so far was an IEDM paper SK Hynix delivered in 2013,” said Jim Handy, of Objective Analysys.
A day may come when flash memory is USELESS. But today is not that day
A respected consultant in this area, Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, says: “I see 2023 as the year that RRAM or some competing technology will displace flash or DRAM.”
SanDisk, Samsung Ramp Up Smartphone Performance
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said the primary benefits of UFS is that is supports much faster communication rates and larger data sizes.
Q&A: Tom Starnes Examines the NXP-Freescale Union
NXP will nearly double its revenues by buying Freescale but what changes will really take place? Objective Analysis’ Tom Starnes discusses the acquisition.
Spansion Adds RAM to HyperBus
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said designers using MCUs are always looking to reduce the pin count, and DRAM has a pretty high pin count.
3D NAND Market Heats Up
“In fact, the floating gate is seeing an undesirable reduction in the capacitive coupling to the control gate,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Google Glass or Hololens, There’s many a slip
Jim Handy, a veteran on the semiconductor space from Objective Analysis, a Semiconductor Market Research firm, slices the world of IoT, new-era wearables, new prototypes, drones and printers etc from another angle.
Rambus ReRAM Attracts First Commercial Customer
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis places ReRAM in category he calls “exotic memory,” which has three key characteristics…
Triple-Level Cell Memory Makes Gains in Storage
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis said TLC has “come out from under a rock” in that it used to be relegated to low-write applications…
Are PC hard drives destined to die at the hand of the cloud? Maybe …
But that only works if the prerequisites of cloud storage are available, said Jim Handy, president of Objective Analysis, a semiconductor research firm.
SanDisk stock drops after earnings warning
(1590 KLIV Silicon Valley News 1/13/15)
Analyst Jim Handy at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos tells KLIV he doesn’t believe the warning is an alarm for the entire semiconductor industry…
SanDisk Reports Weaker Revenue Outlook
(Wall Street Journal, 1/12/15)
Jim Handy, who tracks the market for the research firm Objective Analysis, said chip prices have been relatively stable since July 2012.
Quel avenir pour le stockage sur disque ? Aucune tendance claire …
Pour Jim Handy, président d’Objectives Analysis, cabinet d’analyse dédié aux semi-conducteurs, la forte croissance des services cloud au Japon, en Corée du Sud et aux États-Unis n’a rien d’étonnant…
Hoe lang blijft een harde schijf nog gebruikelijk?
Maar werken met zo’n laptop is alleen prettig als aan een aantal randvoorwaarden voldaan wordt, zegt directeur Jim Handy van onderzoeksbureau Objective Analysis.
Armazenamento tende a diminuir nos dispositivos
(Computerworld Portugal, 1/5/15)
Contudo, isso só funcionará se os pré-requisitos de armazenamento em cloud computing estiverem assegurados, defende Jim Handy , presidente da Objective Analysis, empresa de pesquisa para o mercado de semicondutores.
云时代到来硬盘已死？
半导体调研公司的首席分析师Jim Handy如是说，“云端服务在日本、韩国和美国都是非常普遍的，可以看到在这些国家的宽带和无线网络是非常普遍 …
Crossbar says it’s ‘one step’ from delivering miracle RRAM
Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy attended the meeting and tells us: “In essence, the thing that limits the smallness of a memory bit for RRAM, MRAM, CBRAM, Memristors, etc, is the select device.”
Experts make enterprise flash technology predictions
Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst, Objective Analysis: Samsung will be joined by most of its competitors in the 3D NAND SSD market.
Open Silicon Announces The World’s First HMC 2.0 Controller IP
“Stacked DRAM and logic solutions, such as HMC 2.0, break through the memory bottleneck and deliver the performance and low-power needed by next-generation computing systems,” said Jim Handy, memory analyst with Objective Analysis.
SanDisk won’t commit to Fusion-io’s ioControl hybrid array
Jim Handy, a research analyst with Objective Analysis, said SanDisk needs an array that fits better with its long-range flash strategy.
Industry adoption begins for new HMCC specification
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, says the progress of the specification and growing participation in the consortium by various vendors indicate that HMC has the potential for widespread adoption…
Hybrid Memory Cube Consortium releases new specification
“With 150 members, the Hybrid Memory Cube Consortium has gained considerable momentum since its inception and, as a result, has more and better inputs on how the interface can best fit tomorrow’s applications,” said Jim Handy, director, Objective Analysis.
Dense Flash Arrays Find New Niches
“Cramming the most storage in a box is where Skyera really shines,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Chinese Startup Halves Cost of SSD
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said the parallel architecture in Sage’s controller is reminiscent of supercomputers and may, in fact, be really fast.
Skyera launches 136 TB skyHawk, delays meatier skyEagle
“They’re going at it from a price angle, but I think that the real attraction is the size,” said Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, California.
Has NetApp solved the TLC for biz puzzle? We look at its MYSTERY SSD Mars sauce
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said: “Once NetApp gets TLC, then so will everyone else, so I can’t imagine why that would provide any competitive edge for FlashRay.”
Some Memories Never Die
… but as Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, tells me, there are a number of industries employing equipment with significantly long life spans that have specific memory requirements…
Want to upgrade your PCs to SSD? SanDisk will make a house call
SSD analyst Jim Handy notes that this is not a new idea. Back in 2010, Kingston Technology hosted 500 events in different cities where CIOs …
SSDs push further down into the HDD space
(Embedded Computing Design, 10/23/14)
This fact is confirmed by the self-proclaimed SSD Guy, Jim Handy, who says that the latest announcements “provide solid evidence that that HDD costs will continue to…
Racetrack Is Making Slow but Sure Progress
Jim Handy, principal with Objective Analysis, said Racetrack does have the potential to be a significant technology someday…
PCM Has Muddy Future
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, offers a similar prediction: “PCM is more expensive than NAND, and once NAND goes 3D…
Seagate Has Shipped Over 10 Million Storage HHDD’s
Jim Handy over at Objective Analysis has this interesting post discussing Hybrid Drives Not Catching On. The following is an excerpt from Jim’s post. Why were our expectations higher?
HGST Fires Up Flash Fabric
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said HGST is one of two companies doing well in the enterprise SSD space,
Choose The Best SSDs For Your Enterprise
Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis, says first and foremost, doing so can get enterprises out of a bind.
HGST Includes First 10TB HDD in New Product Rollout
solid-state storage industry analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told eWEEK that “there are a number of sides to HGST.”
Brand new old: SONOS takes on IoT
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, says SONOS was a technology that was initially not cheaper to make, but agreed that floating gate technology doesn’t scale as well.
Compression, Deduplication Come to Violin Concerto 2200
Despite the growing popularity of flash storage solutions compared to traditional HDDs (hard disk drives), many CIOs are still hesitant to commit to the technology due to the significant difference in price per gigabyte between the two, said Jim Handy, Director at Objective Analysis.
FMS 2014 — Jim Handy speaks on the future of storage technology
Jim Handy breaks down the current storage market and fills us in on possible trends in the future.
Silicon Motion SSD Controller Anticipates TLC Growth
Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, says Silicon Motion is well positioned to gain traction in this segment…
PMC Plugs DRAM Into PCI Express
The card “fits well into the high-end space,” Jim Handy, market watcher at Objective Analysis, tells us.
Western Digital/HGST updates FlashMax PCIe SSDs, cache software
Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, California, predicted most business will migrate to PCIe and perhaps to NAND on the motherboard.
Why doesn’t Intel put DRAM on the CPU?
I asked my friend and fellow analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, who’s been following semiconductors for decades, why chip vendors don’t.
6 Things to Expect at Flash Summit
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis tells me Cypress/Agiga, Viking, and Micron already offer a class of non-volatile DIMMs that plug flash into the memory bus.
How to Catch a Memory Copycat
Jim Handy, a semiconductor market analyst at Objective Analysis, says that cases of outright trade secret theft are uncommon, but they happen…
Micron Makes Monolithic 8Gb DDR3
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, says it’s difficult to build an 8 Gb part cost-effectively unless you use a 20 nm class process…
Choosing The Right Storage For Your Application
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis (report co-author) will be talking about data from the report during the 2014 Flash Memory Summit August 4-7, 2014 in Santa Clara, CA .
Medical Devices Require Radiation-Tolerant Memory
Radiation has always been a threat to memory technologies, but historically the use cases have applied to vehicles travelling at very high altitudes and satellites and other equipment being launched into space, noted Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Crossbar Provides Further Details on Non-Volatile Resistive RAM Technology
“The memory technology that replaces NAND flash must have a compelling cost structure, and this means that everything will have to shrink beyond NAND’s limits: not only the bit cell, but also the select mechanism,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Flash storage faces challenge from Crossbar’s RRAM
Crossbar’s RRAM has solid technological foundations and the potential to replace NAND, which may last a decade before manufacturing challenges catch up, said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Magnetic RAM Remains Niche Memory – for Now
Jim Handy, principal analyst of Objective Analysis, said ultimately price and density will determine whether MRAM becomes a viable replacement for DRAM or SRAM on a wide scale.
Power-Conscious Controllers Reduce Energy Consumption
It’s the application that determines whether the power consumption in an SSD controller is a critical system feature, said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
SanDisk Acquires SSD Maker Fusion-io for $1.1 Billion
“It was no surprise that SanDisk is the buyer,” solid-state IT analyst Jim Handy of Objective-Analysis told eWEEK.
Semiconductor boffin: 3D NAND don’t need NO STEENKIN’ TSVs
Chip analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis took exception to several issues raised in a recent 3D NAND story, and El Reg storage desk asked him a few short questions for clarification.
Intel launches NVMe PCIe flash cards up to 2 TB
“Most companies bring out PCIe (drives) with certain performance levels and then offer capacity upgrades,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, California.
3D NAND Transition: 15nm Process Technology Takes Shape
Moving to 15nm is all about cost, said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Do Auto MCUs Need Proprietary Flash?
As Jim Handy, director of Objective Analysis, told EE Times, “IDMs use a variety of technologies, from the SST-Microchip SuperFlash split-gate design, which is very popular, to Freescale’s proprietary silicon nanocrystal flash which is only used in a few Freescale MCUs. One or two IDMs use MirrorBit technology from Spansion.”
Mixed Media: Why SSD vs. HDD Misses the Mark
And when it comes to market growth, there is no denying that solid state still has room to run, says Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy.
Enterprise SSD: Are Seagate and SanDisk Poised for Overperformance?
Objective Analysis estimates that the market for enterprise SSDs will reach $3.5 billion by 2016 — a terrific annual growth rate of 59%.
Why storage unit shipments are shrinking?
(Computer Dealer News, 4/24/14)
But industry experts like Jim Handy, of Objective Analysis, sees more wishful thinking than reality.
SanDisk Finds Profit Behind the Tech Curve
SSDs are not, as Samsung implies in its CloudSpeed press release, the future of storage in the cloud or datacenter, according to Jim Handy, director of analyst firm Objective Analysis
Niche SRAM Sees Steady Demand From Network Gear
Jim Handy, principal at Objective Analysis, says at the moment there is nothing that can match the performance of SRAM for networking equipment…
XP Users Have a Bad Headache Coming On
“The issue isn’t whether XP can be used,” pointed out Jim Handy, director of Objective Analysis. The problem is “there will be no further updates …
Chip-makers Push Memory Into the Third Dimension
“It involves technologies that have never been put into production before,” says analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
Supercomputer uses flash storage drives
SSDs could be better storage technology than hard drives as scientific research is time-sensitive, said Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis, a semiconductor research firm.
DDR4 Heir-Apparent Makes Progress
HMC is not the only contender that might take the reins from DDR4, says Jim Handy, principal at Objective Analysis.
OCZ Storage Solutions Bundles PCIe SSD With Software
In an interview with EETimes earlier this year, Jim Handy, Objective Analysis, noted that “SSDs will continue to penetrate the datacenter.
Roundup: Next-Generation Memory
Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, recently authored comprehensive series of blogs looking at 3D NAND development and its challenges.
Shift to 3D NAND Will Benefit Samsung, Micron, and Seagate
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis explained that, since the fabrication process of 2D NAND is not shrinking, planar flash drives will continue to cost 10 times more than equivalent hard drives.
3D NAND: To 10nm and beyond
(Semiconductor Manufacturing & Design, 1/29/14)
As Jim Handy, from Objective Analysis, points out: “The entire issue of 3D NAND is its phenomenal complexity…
Analyst: SSD prices don’t necessarily drop in 2014
Storage analyst Jim Handy expects price per GB of SSDs will be around $0.75 per GB this year, however supply shortages might drive up the price.
SSD prices face uncertain future in 2014
In short, expect to spend about 75 cents per gigabyte (GB) on an SSD in 2014, according to Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Forbes previews embedded gun chips in hands as developer courts Obama
“Is it Time to Put Chips in Guns?” semiconductor market industry analyst Jim Handy asks in a Tuesday report for Forbes.
Avago/LSI combo to boost NoCo tech sector
(Northern Colorado Business Report, 1/10/14)
The acquisition could lead to cuts in LSI administrative positions as Avago seeks to lift LSI’s lower net profit margins while profiting from the company’s higher gross margins, said Jim Handy, chip analyst for Los Gatos, Calif.,-based semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis.
Chipmakers Push Memory Into the Third Dimension
“It involves technologies that have never been put into production before,” says analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
Big Data, Big Move for Micron with New Processor
It’s like a freeway with thousands of lanes to handle traffic, compared to conventional processors that have fewer lanes and a fixed regimen for processing, said Jim Handy, founder of Objective Analysis, a California company that watches the semiconductor industry.
Micron Breaks into Computer Processing
(Twin Falls Times-News, 12/22/13)
It’s like a freeway with thousands of lanes to handle traffic, compared to conventional processors that have fewer lanes and a fixed regimen for processing, said Jim Handy, founder of Objective Analysis,
Nonvolatile memory on the horizon for PCs
The most likely replacement for volatile DRAM is nonvolatile spin torque transfer (STT) RAM, said Jim Handy, memory analyst at Objective Analysis.
Forecast for Semiconductors and Things in 2014
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 12/18/13)
2014 should be a banner year for semiconductors with revenue forecast to grow 20% or more.
Demand, an outage and a market shift will all conspire to keep prices high for the next few years.
Memory analyst Jim Handy has issued this warning before: memory prices are headed up and will stay there until at least 2015.
Data Protection Leading Topic at Storage Visions Conference Panel with Trusted Computing Group
The session also will look at the use of metadata for finding content and how standardized security products are making data security easier while enabling content sharing. Panelists also will discuss data recovery. Jim Handy, Objective Analysis, will moderate the session.
4.3% semi growth in 2013, says Cowan
Top of the estimate range is Jim Handy’s ‘approaching 10%’, followed by VLSI Research’s 7.7%, Merrill Lynch’s 7.6 % and Databeans’ 7.1%.
Toshiba Plans $35M Acquisition Of Ailing SSD Pioneer OCZ
OCZ has depended on Toshiba as its primary NAND supplier, according to Jim Handy, an analyst with Object Analysis.
Mass 3D NAND Production May Not Mean Mass Adoption
As Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, wrote in his ongoing blog series covering the why and how of 3D NAND, it’s not stacks of chips, although many have that misconception.
Small SSD makers losing business to larger rivals
“Just based on capex [retrenchments], today’s budding NAND shortage should run from 2H13 to mid-2015,” said Jim Handy, a veteran flash analyst at Objective Analysis.
LSI releases dual interface flash controller, 12 Gbps SAS cards
Jim Handy, solid-state disk (SSD) analyst with Los Gatos, Calif.-based Objective Analysis, thinks the dual-interface design will benefit end users down the line as OEMs are able to streamline their inventory and pass economies-of-scale savings on to customers.
Micron challenges conventional computer architecture with new chip
The Automata DRAM DIMM must be thought of as a black box, said Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis.
Semiconductor market could grow 15% in 2014
In June Jim Handy of Objective Analysis projected 2014 growth of over 20%.
Micron Reveals New Parallel Processing Architecture
“Intel has been watching its PC business erode and has fortunately been able to rely on servers to bolster the company’s revenues,” analyst Jim Handy wrote for Forbes.com.
Violin gangs up with Microsoft: Psst, big biz, want an all-flash Windows Server box?
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy said: “A data centre with a number of memory nodes with compute capacity should provide significant performance advantages over one in which …
Violin adds native Microsoft business app support in memory arrays
(Datacenter Dynamics, 10/15/13)
… Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, saying, “The Violin announcement shows a new approach to computing that we are likely to see more of …
Violin Scale-out Memory Platform Accelerates Windows Applications in the Enterprise Cloud
According to Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, “The Violin announcement shows a new approach to computing that we are likely to see more of in the future…
What is 3D NAND? Jim Handy launches new series to educate us
Jim Handy launched a new 9-part series aimed to educate the masses on everything 3D NAND.
Micron Technology Ships First Samples of Hybrid Memory Cube
HMC is an exciting alternative,” said Jim Handy, a memory analyst at Objective Analysis.
Micron Technology Ships First Samples of Hybrid Memory Cube
“The Hybrid Memory Cube is a smart fix that breaks with the industry’s past approaches and opens up new possibilities,” said Jim Handy, a memory analyst at Objective Analysis.
The Hynix fire and memory prices: What you need to know
“I expect the third report will be that the situation is even worse,” commented Jim Handy, principle analyst with Objective Analysis
Violin Plans IPO With Losses Mounting as HP Business Dips
Violin and other flash-storage companies have to more effectively promote the long-term cost savings of the technology to encourage businesses to pay more up front, according to Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis
Flash memory’s $1 billion week is good news for just about everyone (except maybe customers)
For Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, seeing two flash memory companies acquired within a day of each other came as a bit of a shock.
Despite the competition, NAND flash has at least another decade of life
That was the good news in a talk at Hot Chips last week by Jim Handy, president of Objective Analysis
Western Digital adds Virident Systems PCIe flash; will Seagate follow?
“It sounds like they put together a plan and now they’re executing on it,” Jim Handy, SSD analyst for Objective Analysis, said of Western Digital.
SK Hynix fire not as bad as first thought, one plant re-opened
We had Jim Handy from Objective Analysis on the show talking with us about the SK Hynix factory fires.
Industry analyst still unsure of the significance of Hynix fire
When news of the fire broke, I reached out to Jim Handy of Objective Analysis and asked for his thoughts on the impact the fire may have on the tech industry as a whole.
Flash Storage Is Ready To Drive Out HDDs
And demand is very high at this time, NAND flash analyst Jim Handy has said.
NAND flash, SSD price drops slow as chip supply tightens
Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., predicted the NAND flash price drops probably won’t happen until the middle of 2015
SSDs Still Maturing, New Memory Tech Still 10 Years Away
“It’s going to be a long time until NAND flash runs out of steam,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis
Samsung’s cooking 3D NAND flash chips. WHAT did you say the specs were?
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said: “The benefit of V-NAND over standard NAND comes from its use of a charge trap instead of a floating gate.
SMART Storage Systems Unveils ULLtraDIMM Low Latency Storage Device
(High Frequency Traders, 8/15/13)
Objective Analysis director Jim Handy said: “For many applications, low, consistent and scalable latency is of greater importance than IOPS performance.
RAM wars: RRAM vs. 3D NAND flash, and the winner is… us
…according to Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, Crossbar has a huge leg up on other developers.
Crossbar Enters Race to Change Memory Chips
By comparison, the highest-capacity NAND chips now on the market store 128 gigabits of data, or 16 gigabytes; storing a terabyte would require 64 of those chips, notes Jim Handy, a market researcher with Objective Analysis.
Startup pits RRAM against DRAM and flash storage
Crossbar’s technology is very interesting and could be useful as manufacturing technologies improve and chips get smaller, said Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Diablo Technologies Introduces Solid-State Drives in DIMM Form Factor
“Diablo is on the right path by providing a way to plug flash right into the DDR memory buses on today’s servers,” said Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis.
How Crossbar wants to jolt memory capacity and cut power use
The laws of physics are getting in the way of to producing NAND flash in smaller sizes each year, and Crossbar’s resistive RAM technology is one possible solution to the problem, said Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Flash DIMMS Invade DDR3 Slots
“If everything lines up right for them they could take as much as half the $30 billion market for system DRAM,” Jim Handy, a principal at Objective Analysis told EE Times.
Diablo’s memory solution surpasses existing accessible levels 100x
(Electronic Product Times, 7/30/13)
“Flash SSDs boost system performance and flash over PCIe is even faster, but the best performance will come from flash on the memory channel,” says Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis.
Flash breakthrough promises faster storage, terabytes of memory
Enterprises are more likely to use MCS as high-capacity memory than as low-latency storage, said analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Micron To Profit From New Memory Environment
According to memory expert Jim Handy, NAND currently sells at $.50/GB and costs $.32/GB to manufacture, but should cost about $.23/GB to manufacture with the transition to the smaller process.
Intel roadmap adds low power, high density chips for micro servers
Indeed, the issue of power consumption coupled with a new challenger in ARM in the server space has forced Intel to rethink its strategy, said Tom Starnes, a microprocessor analyst also with Objective Analysis.
SanDisk starts beating path to 3D NAND flash
We asked Objective Analysis consultant and analyst Jim Handy how this was being done, and he said: “BiCS is not stacked chips, which is expensive. It’s stacking bits on the same chip.
OCZ’s Going Nowhere Fast
And its 2011… acquisition of South Korea-headquartered Indilinx… gave OCZ an ability to control the quality and durability of its products, according to Jim Handy, a director with semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis.
Western Digital/HGST acquires sTec SSD technology, PCIe cards
Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst for Objective Analysis, said that while there is overlap in the product lines, sTec owns SSD technology that HGST lacks.
LSI Adds 256-Bit Opal-Compatible Encryption to SandForce SF-2200 SSD Controllers
“LSI is addressing both of these needs at once,” said Jim Handy, SSD analyst for Objective Analysis.
LSI SandForce Flash Storage Processors Simplify Data Security for Corporate Mobile Computing
“Businesses around the world have strong incentives to protect sensitive data by converting notebook PCs to encrypted drives,” said Jim Handy, SSD analyst for Objective Analysis.
Six Hot Storage Startups
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 3/27/13)
“Most SSDs are fast a very high percentage of the time, but suffer slowdowns of a few orders of magnitude from time to time as internal conflicts cause all operations to come to a halt,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Big Data Storage Buying Guide
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 3/21/13)
“It’s time for data center managers to seriously consider the approach they need to take — does it need to be all flash, or should they use caching and a smaller amount of flash storage, perhaps in the form of solid state drives (SSDs)? asked Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Freescale Semiconductor looks to ARM strategy
Tom Starnes, analyst at Objective Analysis, which focuses on semiconductor market research, said firms can still deliver differentiated products with the ARM architecture…
EMC Unveils New Lineup of Xtrem Flash PCIe Storage Cards
Solid-state storage analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told eWEEK in a forecast 18 months ago that the PCIe interface would become dominant in the…
Violin Memory expands its strategic alliance with Toshiba for Flash-based data centers
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said that the more deeply Toshiba is involved with Violin Memory, the less trouble it will be for…
Violin Memory moves into server-side flash with low-cost PCIe cards
SSD analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said the Toshiba relationship will help Violin if there is a NAND shortage, which he expects to happen this year.
Analysis: Expect consolidation, uptick in flash arrays in 2013
Jim Handy, SSD analyst for Objective Analysis, said all-flash array startups will have a tough time surviving…
Don’t Miss This Sector in 2013
Even Forbes columnist Jim Handy – an industry analyst and former chip-industry insider who predicted a flat 2012 in the face of industry bullishness – is expecting a strong semi-sector showing in the New Year.
32-Bit Microcontrollers Hit New Lows
(Microprocessor Report, Invited Article, 1/7/13)
Microcontrollers have continued to play a large role in managing and controlling power consumed by other components and systems while, like other electronic components, reducing their own power consumption.
New SNIA Solid State Storage Initiative Projects Featured at Storage Visions 2013
Jim Handy (Objective Analysis) who will examine how new storage developments are driving new storage systems with SSSI member panelists Jim Pappas (Intel), Paul Wassenberg (Marvell), Mike Fitzpatrick (Toshiba), Paul Luse (Intel), and Sumit Puri (LSI).
Ancient Aliens Fail: Electronics Industry Looks to 2013
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 12/17/12)
Is the PC becoming the WC – the Work Computer?… Many silicon vendors have backed away from the cutthroat smart phone industry…
Industry View: Objective Analysis on Cypress, Ramtron
We talked with analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis to get his take on the dynamics of the deal and what it might mean for the memory market.
Violin Plays Requiem for the Dying Hard Drive
“Violin has gone from being a very technical company run by engineers to being a company that knows business and PR,” says Jim Handy, an analyst with research outfit Objective Analysis.
The 3D die stack tack: Toshiba builds towering column of flash
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said; “It makes sense that ReRAM would be used in performance applications
NetApp OEM deal helps GridIron widen SAN accelerator platform
Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis, said the NetApp partnership gives GridIron credibility.
Cadence Reveals World’s First 28nm DDR4 Memory Controller
“ASIC designers who want to take advantage of that pricing are likely to need a lot of help putting a reliable interface on their products,” said Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Shortages Surface in NAND Flash
Prices for NAND hit $0.31/GB in June, but they went back up to $0.36/GB in August, according to Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis, a research firm.
Cadence Announces Industry’s First DDR4 Design IP Solutions Are …
“DDR4 is going to be the next big thing in DRAMs, but its signaling is challenging to handle,” said Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Swissbit Readies Next Growth Phase
(Chip Design Magazine, 8/31/12)
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis, a research firm, said that Swissbit is well positioned in the market.
MLC NAND-based Embedded SSDs operate from -40 to +85°C
“Until now, embedded systems that required industrial temperature solid state storage had to use more expensive SLC NAND,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst, Objective Analysis.
IBM buys solid-state storage maker Texas Memory Systems
“This acquisition will give leading solid state performance to a company that firmly believes that solid state will become a new layer between storage and memory,” said Jim Handy of analyst firm Objective Analysis.
LSI SandForce SF-2200/2100 Client Flash Storage Processors Debut
“Client computing customers are increasingly turning to the benefits of flash-based products to accelerate application performance and deliver an enhanced user experience,” said Jim Handy, SSD analyst for Objective Analysis.
Micron’s Elpida acquisition: Analysts weigh in
(Solid State Technology, 7/7/12)
Micron expects to grow to 21% market share in memory semiconductors, overtaking Hynix (16%) and drawing closer to #1 Samsung (34%), estimates Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy and Lane Mason.
Micron ‘fesses up: Yes, we plan to eat limping DRAMurai warrior
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis says Micron “will also increase its mobile DRAM share to about one quarter of the market, which would be a few percentage points ahead of Hynix and about half of Samsung’s share.”
With Micron buy, less boom and bust in DRAM chips
“Hopefully Micron can align the DRAM processes better than in their last two corporate acquisitions,” said research firm Objective Analysis.
Elpida, Rexchip purchases will make Micron second-largest DRAM Manufacturer
(Idaho Business Review, 7/2/12)
“Size matters in this business these days,” said Lane Mason, memory market analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
Micron’s DRAM buyout makes it a key Apple supplier
Jim Handy, director of research firm Objective Analysis, said that with DRAM marketplace revenues growing at rate of about 5% year over year, Micron could not have afforded to build a new fabrication facility.
Micron buying Elpida: report
(Idaho Business Review, 6/29/12)
Whether Micron buys Elpida depends on how Micron pays, such as with additional stock or debt, said Lane Mason, memory market analyst with Objective Analysis, Los Gatos, Calif.
Flash Drives Replace Disks At Amazon, Facebook, Dropbox
In 2011, according to Jim Handy, an analyst with research outfit Objective Analysis, businesses purchased an estimated 7.9 million SSDs that connect to servers using the serial-ATA interface — i.e., the interface that traditional hard drives use.
LSI First to Publicly Demonstrate SSDs with Toshiba 19nm and Intel 20nm Flash Memories
“SSD users want to benefit from the significant cost advantages of the leading flash processes, but most SSD controllers can’t support the complexities of the most advanced chips,” said Jim Handy, SSD analyst for Objective Analysis.
Foundries Expand Embedded Memory Portfolios
Given those scenarios, embedded memory is becoming even more important in designs, said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis, a research firm.
Flash Drives Replace Disks At Amazon, Facebook, Dropbox
In 2011, according to Jim Handy, an analyst with research outfit Objective Analysis, businesses purchased an estimated 7.9 million SSDs that connect to servers using the serial-ATA interface — i.e., the interface that traditional hard drives use.
LSI First to Publicly Demonstrate SSDs with Toshiba 19nm and Intel 20nm Flash Memories
“SSD users want to benefit from the significant cost advantages of the leading flash processes, but most SSD controllers can’t support the complexities of the most advanced chips,” said Jim Handy, SSD analyst for Objective Analysis.
Foundries Expand Embedded Memory Portfolios
Given those scenarios, embedded memory is becoming even more important in designs, said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis, a research firm.
Will Power Problems Curtail Processor Progress?
“Facing the challenges of power forces us to be far more efficient in everything about our designs,” said analyst Tom Starnes of market research firm Objective Analysis.
Talk from the hip at Microchip
Tom Starnes, embedded processor analyst at Objective Analysis, believes that Microchip has always done a good job “of making their MCUs accessible to ‘the little guy’…
Intel Ships New SSD 330 Series, but Limits It to 180GB Storage
The new drives could be targeted at those who want to upgrade storage on older PCs from hard drives to SSDs, said Jim Handy, director at analyst firm Objective Analysis.
Who wants Elpida and why? Analysts weigh in
(EE Times, Invited Article, 4/11/12)
No one needs more DRAM capacity. No one needs to make DRAMs in Japan with the yen at 82. No one needs the tool set that Elpida has…
PCIe Encroaching On SAN Space
Jim Handy, an SSD analyst at Objective Analysis, calls PCIe “an interesting and complex issue.”
There’s More To Enterprise SSDs Than Just Speed
Organizations that are purchasing solid-state storage are doing so typically to solve speed problems, remarks Jim Handy, analyst, Objective Analysis
Intel ships SSDs that help laptops boot faster
Offering smaller SSDs that act as a temporary storage cache to get computers started is a cost-effective way of getting SSD performance into laptops, said Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis.
LSI Launches New Nytro PCIe Product Line
Solid-state storage analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis has forecast that the PCIe interface will become dominant in the enterprise SSD market in 2012…
Intel cashes in its chips with Micron, bets on post-flash riches
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis reckons the explanation is straightforward.
ISSCC from a memory analyst’s view
(ElectroIQ, Invited Article, 3/2/12)
As happens every year, ISSCC included several intriguing papers that showed not only directions that the market is heading, but also the challenges confronting chip makers as we approach the end of scaling for both NAND and DRAM.
Silicon Valley companies grapple with rising costs in China
(San Jose Mercury News, 3/2/12)
Jim Handy, principal analyst at Objective Analysis, said Apple can use its market dominance in certain products to drive down costs.
New White Paper on Achieving Enterprise Reliability With Solid-State Speed
Jim Handy, an analyst with the market research firm Objective Analysis, discusses how enterprises are increasingly turning to solid-state storage as their data volumes and performance needs intensify.
Texas Memory Systems Releases 24TB 1U Flash Storage Appliance
“Flash memory has gained a lot of acceptance in the data center, but many don’t use it today for a very good reason – the technology is worrisome,” said Jim Handy, SSD analyst at Objective Analysis.
Japan’s big memory chip maker Elpida files for bankruptcy protection
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said, “Elpida has good technology, but is simply unable to compete…
SanDisk Says Latest Chip Leads Data-Packing Pack
(Wall Street Journal, 2/22/12)
Jim Handy, an analyst who tracks the memory market for the firm Objective Analysis, estimates that SanDisk should have a cost per gigabyte of data in the range of 28 cents…
SanDisk makes 128-gigabit flash chip, crams three bits per cell, takes afternoon off
Analyst Jim Handy estimates that the price per gigabyte for the tri-bit breed of flash could be as low as 28 cents…
EMC Unveils Solid-State Memory Card for Servers
Analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said his firm is forecasting that the NAND flash-powered PCIe interface will become dominant…
Micron (MU) CEO dies unexpectedly; company shares succession plan
Appleton was “a great leader” and accomplished aerobat, said Jim Handy of OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS, Semiconductor Market Research, in an alert compiled with help from Lane Mason.
USB: 3.0 Taking Hold and Gearing for the Future
Tom Starnes, senior analyst for Objective Analysis, added that the USB design itself is cumbersome—what he calls “awkward compatibility.”
Chip Maker Elpida Looks Fried
(Wall Street Journal, 1/29/12)
But to be viable in the capital-intensive chip business, revenue must keep pace with the 12% yearly rise in the cost of building a plant, says analyst Jim Handy at semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis.
Confidence returns to oft-troubled Hynix
“This year is likely to be a time when the DRAM market consolidates a little bit more,” said Jim Handy from Objective Analysis.
Micron Bolsters PCIe Virtualization With Virtensys Acquisition
Analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said his firm is forecasting that the NAND flash-powered PCIe interface will become dominant in the enterprise solid-state disk market in 2012, with unit shipments greater than the combined shipments of its SAS and Fibre Channel counterparts.
Forecast season gets underway
The forecast season is well underway. Forbes contributor Jim Handy has compiled this useful list of where they stand as of now.
LSI Contributes as Everspin Realizes In Excess of 300% Growth in 2011 MRAM Shipments
“MRAM has gained acceptance as a superior alternative to non-volatile SRAM for RAID controllers, allowing Everspin to capitalize on its unique position as a high-volume MRAM supplier,” said Jim Handy, analyst with Objective Analysis.
MRAM firm claims 250 design wins in 2011
A statement released by Everspin Wednesday (Jan. 18) quoted Jim Handy, an analyst with market research and consulting firm Objective Analysis, saying MRAM has gained acceptance as a superior alternative to non-volatile SRAM for disk array controllers.
Memory Considerations for Faster MCUs
(DigiKey, Invited Article, 1/18/12)
Flash memory completely dominates microcontrollers (MCUs) now, but memory considerations have become more complex as the processors have advanced to 32-bit architectures and peripherals have become much more capable.
Could MRAM ultimately replace DRAM?
MRAM has promise as a memory technology as it can scale down more effectively than DRAM and NAND flash, said Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis.
Everspin triples growth for magnetic RAM chips in 2011
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said that MRAM has gained traction as a superior alternative to non-volatile SRAM chips for RAID controllers…
Dell plots PCIe-flash with memory pooling
If Dell is planning a piece of kit that marries PCIe flash cards with RNA software, then substantial development work will have been required, Objective Analysis’s Jim Handy said.
IBM Discovers How to Store Data in a Dozen Atoms
“What’s interesting about this is, people have wondered where the brick wall is — the maximum amount of data that can be stored magnetically,” Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, told TechNewsWorld.
Falling memory prices may bring irritating, intrusive devices
NAND flash memory prices are expected to decline by half by the end of the year, from 70 cents a GB to 35 cents, keeping with historical price declines, said Jim Handy, chief analyst at market research firm Objective Analysis.
Fading Memory Saps Chip Makers
“Since the market isn’t growing as fast as the companies need to grow to be able to afford the next fab, the companies pretty much have to savage each other and take market share away from each other,” says Jim Handy, analyst at semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis.
2012: Flash To Supplant Disk?
The flooding in Thailand is not the only economic driver for SSDs, notes analyst Jim Handy, Objective Analysis.
Clouds Loom On The 2012 Semiconductor Horizon
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 12/27/11)
Overall, 2012 will be characterized by a contraction in semiconductors compared to a weak 2011.
Apple’s Purchase of Anobit Will Give It a Leg Up on Rivals
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy said Apple won’t be saving much money by owning its own controller technology.
Apple Buying Anobit as it Builds IP Portfolio
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said Apple wants to “prevent other companies from having access to the technology.
UCSD lab studies future changes to non-volatile memory technologies
Jim Handy, founder and chief analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., noted that Fusion-io and Schooner Information Technology Inc. have been writing code optimized for NAND flash technology.
New memory technologies generate attention as successors to NAND flash
“These absolute geniuses in the R&D labs keep coming up with ways to push it just one or two more process steps, and they’ve been doing that for almost 10 years,” said Jim Handy, founder and chief analyst at Object Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
LSI to buy flash controller maker SandForce
“SandForce has sold SSD controllers to market leading companies including LSI’s partner Seagate,” said Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy.
What flash needs is a little TLC
According to Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, SanDisk is the TLC market leader.
New RAM shunts data into flash in power cuts
Jim Handy, an analyst for Objective Analysis, said: “Data centres have addressed certain needs in the past by using battery-backed DRAM, an approach that leaves most data centre managers feeling vulnerable.”
Tablets, Smartphones to Get Speed Boost With New Memory
In prior renditions of synchronous DRAM such as SDRAM, DDR and DDR2, JEDEC pushed hard on speed without worrying too much about power, said Jim Handy, director of Objective Analysis.
Flashy Stuff – Storage is All About Performance
(Consumer Electronics Net, 9/16/11)
Troy Winslow, of Intel, and Jim Handy, of Objective Analysis, agreed that even this growing market can’t support all of the players and there will be consolidation and weak players will disappear.
MLC drives, PCIe technology give SSDs run for their money
“The drive makers have found ways to get past MLC’s limited endurance,” said Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis
Texas Memory Systems challenges high-end hard drives with new flash product
According to Jim Handy, an analyst at market research firm Objective Analysis, TMS has been one of the last holdouts in the enterprise MLC (eMLC) space, sticking with SLC-only products longer than others.
STEC Newest Flash Vendor to Move Into PCIe Market
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told eWEEK his firm is forecasting that the PCIe interface will become dominant in the enterprise SSD market in 2012
eBay goes big on Nimbus all-SSD system
Jim Handy, chief analyst with Objective Analysis, told Computer Weekly chief information officers are looking to replace their traditional disk drive systems with flash because of the significant performance advantage it offers.
LSI SSD Caching Software 2.0: The Write Stuff
There are very few systems that already do this the way that CacheCade does, an approach commonly called automatic data placement, says analyst Jim Handy, Objective Analysis.
eBay Bets On Flash
Jim Handy, chief analyst with Objective Analysis describes the eBay implementation as a “testimonial to the merits of flash in large-scale environments.”
Spansion Announces Industry’s First 4Gb NOR Flash Memory
“Spansion has executed well delivering differentiated NOR Flash memory products based on its MirrorBit charge-trapping technology,” said Jim Handy, president, Objective Analysis.
Data Storage: Huge Digital Media Demand, PCIe Adoption Lead Storage Trends in Mid-2011
Solid-state storage analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told eWEEK his firm is forecasting that the PCIe interface will become dominant in the enterprise SSD market in 2012…
Samsung-Grandis spotlights MRAM potential, and NAND’s chokehold
Unfortunately for them, current memory technologies have continued to scale well enough to keep next-gen memory technologies at bay. Intel famously said back in 2003 that NAND flash wouldn’t be able to scale past the 60nm node, and now it’s at 20nm and counting, Jim Handy from Objective Analysis told SST.
Five Key Storage Trends Causing Talk in Mid-2011
Analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told eWEEK his firm is forecasting that the NAND flash-powered PCIe interface will become dominant in the enterprise solid-state disk market in 2012…
OCZ’s New PCIe Flash Card Can Serve as Tier 1 Storage Layer
Industry analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told eWEEK his firm is forecasting that the PCIe interface will become dominant in the enterprise SSD market in 2012
eBay goes big on Nimbus all-SSD system
“That’s not the kind of price that people think of when they think of solid-state storage,” said Jim Handy, chief analyst at semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis.
OCZ Technology Launches Next Generation Z-Drive R4 PCI Express Solid State Storage Systems
“Objective Analysis forecasts that the PCIe interface will become dominant in the enterprise SSD market in 2012, with unit shipments greater than the combined shipments of its SAS and Fibre Channel counterparts,” said SSD analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
IBM Validates Violin’s 37X Faster Flash Memory Array
This is a significant development, said analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Recovery in Japan’s Supply Chain
(Kojo Nnamdi Show, WAMU Radio (NPR), 7/19/11)
“Think about the extraordinary power of this earthquake. It was a 9.0. It was 100 times as large as the earthquake that struck San Francisco back in 1989.”
Seagate Shipping Pulsar XT.2 Solid State Drive
“Most SSD suppliers aren’t fully aware of the needs of the enterprise,” said Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Could NAND flash kill DRAM in PCs?
“Over time, the price/performance gap between these two technologies will widen, driving NAND to become the memory of choice in the PC,” said Jim Handy, the author of the study.
Seagate Begins to Ship Pulsar Solid-State Drives.
“Seagate’s undeniable leadership in the enterprise HDD market has given the company a deep understanding of the necessity of data integrity and endurance,” said Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Toshiba, SanDisk build fab to withstand earthquakes
Toshiba and competitor Samsung build “megafabs” for NAND flash, and Fab 5 is a very advanced manufacturing facility, said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
FlashSoft raises $3M for software that speeds data center processing
…sales of enterprise flash memory (solid state drives) are growing to 4 million units in 2015, up 50 times from 2010 numbers, according to market researcher Objective Analysis.
Mac OS X update supports SSD optimization
Jim Handy, an analyst with market research firm Objective Analysis, said Apple’s build-to-order systems will benefit from the TRIM command because the SSDs will no longer need to guess at what is valid data and what is no longer needed by the OS.
OCZ Introduces New Solid State Drive That Clocks 80000 IOPS
However, Jim Handy, an analyst with the research firm Objective Analysis, cautions that these benchmarks are not from an independent firm because there aren’t yet firms that do performance benchmarks on SSDs, as there are for, say, semiconductors.
OCZ Introduces Deneva 2 SSD-Series for Enterprise Applications
Objective Analysis forecasts for enterprise SSD unit shipments to grow at an average annual rate of 83%, nearly doubling every year,” said Jim Handy, an SSD analyst with Objective Analysis.
Memory’s next big leap: solid-state drives
The market research company Objective Analysis has forecast the hybrid HDD market will grow to 600 million units by 2016, with $34-billion in revenue.
Probability chip start-up bought by Analog Devices
“Analog Devices is pretty solid in high-quality analogue, though they seem to have backed away from the digital signal processing and microcontrollers/processors space that they were into five to 15 years ago,” Tom Starnes, an analyst at Objective Analysis, told ZDNet UK.
Future Of HDD Market Lies In Hybrid Drives
The drive has been very successful and Seagate anticipates that in five years, 80% of drives shipped will be hybrid drives, said Jim Handy, analyst with Objective Analysis, in an interview.
Intel Nips at Smartphone Market
“Medfield is a small step closer,” Tom Starnes, an analyst at semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis, told TheStreet. “[But] it’s not like the grappling hook is over the wall and you know that you’re in.”
IO Turbine Solves VMware I/O Bottlenecks
SSDs bring something to the party that’s not well aligned to existing system architectures, but Accelio is designed to help work around this problem, says Jim Handy, semiconductor market research, Objective Analysis.
Freescale Semiconductor Launches IPO
“It’s a relief of debt burden for them, but it’s not the magic bullet for them either,” said Tom Starnes, an analyst for Objective Analysis.
Kingmax Claims First 64-GB MicroSD Card
However, Kingmax’s chips would barely fit into a microSD card since a microSD measures 15 by 10 millimeters at its narrowest point, Jim Handy, an analyst for Objective Analysis, said in an InformationWeek interview.
Enterprise SSD testing spec released
Jim Handy, an analyst at market research firm Objective Analysis who was in the specification’s technical working group, said, “The SNIA test specification is not an end-all, but it is certainly a big step ahead of the specifications that are commonly used by SSD makers.”
Chip Start-Up Joins With Russia In Memory Deal
(Wall Street Journal, 5/17/11)
The popularity of MRAMs will depend on how quickly manufacturers can drive down the price relative to other products, noted Jim Handy, an analyst with the market-research firm Objective Analysis.
SanDisk buys SSD firm
“Until today SanDisk was doing nothing to participate in this market,” added Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
Microcontroller supply chain is out of control
“I have heard of (MCU) shortages, indeed some from Renesas,” said Tom Starnes, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
A Japanese Plant Struggles to Produce a Critical Auto Part
“These microcontrollers are different in small but important ways,” said Tom Starnes, an analyst at Objective Analysis, a technology research firm.
SanDisk-Toshiba reclaim NAND lead
“Note that the (SanDisk-Toshiba duo) are not yet sampling the 19-nm part,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
Seagate-Samsung Analysis: The Book Drops to Three Letters
(Bright Side of News, 4/20/11)
In 2009 Objective Analysis compiled a brief: Why the DRAM Market Must Consolidate.
Toshiba claims flash record with 19nm process
EETimes also quotes Objective-Analysis analyst Jim Handy as saying the 19nm technology is “impressive.”
Intel, Micron Shrink NAND Flash
“There is no other semiconductor manufacturer using a 20-nm process,” Jim Handy, analyst for Objective Analysis, said in an interview.
Your MCU is Just Starting to be Connected
(Tech-Zone Magazine, Invited Article, April 2011)
Microcontroller vendors have been taking care of your connectivity and communications needs.
Pro Audio Reacts to Japan Disaster
Researcher Tom Starns of Objective Analysis explained, “Of the $300B of semiconductor chips sold last year, nearly $50B were sold to or within Japan…”
10 Hot SSD Implementations
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 4/22/11)
But Jim Handy, an SSD analyst for Objective Analysis said that is never going to happen. SSD prices may be dropping rapidly, but hard drive prices are falling just as fast.
Japan disasters may ripple in NZ channels
The NAND market reacted strongly because Japan supplies as much as 40 percent of the world’s NAND flash chips, according to Jim Handy , at Objective Analysis.
Insider trading sting reverberates throughout the tech industry
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, which conducts market research on the semiconductor industry, has been a consultant for Gerson Lehrman Group since 2003.
NAND supply still unstable
“I would think that, at the latest, it would slip into 1Q ‘12,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
Experts see wide use of flash-hard disk hybrids by 2016
For that reason, most PCs will still have hard disk drives in the years ahead, said Tom Coughlin, president of Coughlin Associates, and Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Japan’s Disasters Leading to Higher Priced Electronics
Contrary to what Dauvin is saying, semiconductor analyst Jim Handy doesn’t think that the ripple effect will extend to the consumer.
A Tale of Two iThings
The processor could be produced at multiple sites so supply won’t be impacted by one or more sites’ going down, for example, Tom Starnes, an analyst at Objective Analysis, told MacNewsWorld.
Micron’s CEO unsure of quake’s net effect
Tom Starnes, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said in a report circulated earlier this week that infrastructure problems and rolling blackouts could continue to affect semiconductor and end-equipment manufacturers even far from the earthquake area for some time to come.
Two Weeks After Japan Earthquake, IT Industry Faces Hurdles
“Products like microcontrollers and DSPs can’t simply be swapped out for another chip, whether from the same vendor or another,” said Tom Starnes, an embedded processor analyst at Objective Analysis in Austin, Texas.
Effect of Japan Quake on Semiconductor Industry Still Unclear
… the two variables undeniably in need of stability are people and industry, said Tom Starnes, author of the Objective Analysis report.
On Semi says two fabs still down
“Semiconductor manufacturing requires consistent, high-quality electricity, and disruptions in water and power look may continue to affect semiconductor and end-equipment manufacturers even far from the earthquake area for some time to come,” said Tom Starnes, an analyst with consulting firm Objective Analysis
Magid: U.S. needs to rein in energy use and re-think nuclear power
(San Jose Mercury News, 3/24/11)
Although it’s unlikely to result in bare shelves at the retail level, there is concern about shortages of flash memory and other electronic components manufactured in Japan, according to Jim Handy, a Los Gatos-based analyst with Objective Analysis.
Samsung offers a peek into mobile trends of the future
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, noted that Samsung’s progress on chip manufacturing is not unique.
Japan: Power cuts impact semiconductor manufacturers (Japan: Stromausfälle setzen Halbleiterherstellern zu)
Even if only a small proportion of Japan’s electricity demand was supplied by the decommissioned nuclear power plants – about 2%, according to the American analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, the state of the network and the associated losses has greater meaning.
Japan Earthquake Rattles Chip Production: Report
Market research firm Objective Analysis claimed March 11 that more than 40 percent of the world’s NAND flash memory chips and 15 percent of global DRAM supplies hail from Japan.
Magid: U.S. needs to rein in energy use and re-think nuclear power
(San Jose Mercury News, 3/21/11)
…there is concern about shortages of flash memory and other electronic components manufactured in Japan, according to Jim Handy, a Los Gatos-based analyst with Objective Analysis.
Analysts: Half of PCs to incorporate flash memory plus HDDs by 2016
… Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, in a report published by the Storage Networking Industry Association, said that pairing flash memory with HDDs will result in better overall performance…
Japan disasters could result in gadget shortages
(San Jose Mercury News, 3/19/11)
“It’s probably going to be another week before we have a clear picture of where everything is and where everything is headed,” said Jim Handy, principal analyst and director at Objective Analysis.
Experts See Wide Use of Flash-hard Disk Hybrids by 2016
Although the quieter, faster, more shock-absorbent SSDs are replacing HDDs in new computers, their relatively high cost will keep HDDs in most PCs over the years ahead, said Tom Coughlin, president of Coughlin Associates, and Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Japan Earthquake Affecting Flash Storage Production, Especially for iPad 2s
(Yottabytes: Storage and Disaster Recovery (Blog), 3/18/11)
While Japan is no stranger to earthquakes, the power of this one dwarfed previous quakes, said Jim Handy of Objective Analysis in a report on March 11.
Intel, Qualcomm Say Japan Disaster Won’t Hurt Chip Production
Jim Handy, an analyst with market research firm Objective Analysis, said in a March 11 report that given the size of the computer component industry in Japan—more than 40 percent of the NAND flash memory chips and about 15 percent of the global DRAM supplies are made in the country, he said—any blip in the manufacturing schedule could have a ripple effect throughout the tech industry.
Now, a Weak Link in the Global Supply Chain
If the crisis leads to extended shutdowns, “then we just have an almost apocalyptic shortage,” says Jim Handy, an analyst with research firm Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
Japan’s effect on recovery a worry
Jim Handy, the principal analyst at Objective Analysis, a research firm in California’s Silicon Valley, said several semiconductor plants in southern Japan, hundreds of miles from the epicenter of the earthquake, have closed temporarily to make safety checks and adjustments to sensitive equipment.
Magid on Tech: How the Japanese tsunami is affecting tech supply
(San Jose Mercury News, 3/15/11)
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said that he is concerned about components shortages, including flash memory, which is essential for smart phones, tablets and digital cameras.
How the Quake Affects the Chip Supply Chain
“We expect phenomenal price swings and large near-term shortages as a result of this earthquake,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Japanese crisis takes toll on Electronics cos
The daily spot market for those chips rose 10 to 27 per cent, said Jim Handy , founder of Objective Analysis, a semiconductor manufacturing research firm in Silicon Valley, who has been tracking these prices.
Will Japan’s Disaster Hurt The Global Economy?
“I’m talking about things like cell phones that have fancier graphics on them,” says Jim Handy, who follows the semiconductor industry for the market research firm Objective Analysis.
Tech, business fallout from Japan disaster
A Wall Street Journal article quotes Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis: “We expect phenomenal price swings and large near-term shortages as a result of this earthquake.
Flash, DRAM prices spike on worries over supplies from Japan
The NAND market has reacted so strongly because Japan supplies as much as 40 percent of the world’s NAND flash chips, according to Jim Handy , at Objective Analysis.
Japan Disaster Another Worry For Global Economy
Prices for the chips jumped 10 percent from before the earthquake to Monday and another 3 percent Tuesday, according to Jim Handy, a director at Objective Analysis and an expert on the electronics and semiconductor industries.
Japan Moves 8 Feet Over And 633 Points Down
the earthquake could seriously affect worldwide semiconductor supplies, according to analysts such as Jim Handy of research firm Objective Analysis.
Quake Sparks Tech Supply Shortage Concerns
(Wall Street Journal, 3/14/11)
“We expect phenomenal price swings and large near-term shortages as a result of this earthquake,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
In Silicon Valley, no immediate threat to supply chains from Japan disaster
“It’s really too early to tell what is going to change and what is not,” said Jim Handy, the principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Ripple effect of Japan disasters on consumer electronics (podcast)
While most Japanese wafer fabrication plants (“fabs”) are located in the southern part of the country, hundreds of miles from the epicenter, at least one manufacturer is still shut down after last week’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, according to Jim Handy, an analyst with semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis.
In Silicon Valley, no immediate threat to supply chains from Japan disaster
(San Jose Mercury News, 3/14/11)
“It’s really too early to tell what is going to change and what is not,” said Jim Handy, the principal analyst at Objective Analysis.
Local Analyst Describes Impact of Japan Quake on Silicon Valley
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis in Los Gatos is warning that the earthquake in Japan will undoubtedly affect Silicon Valley.
Japan Disaster Could Lead to Considerable Supply Chain Issues
“We expect phenomenal price swings and large near-term shortages as a result of this earthquake,” Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, told the Wall Street Journal.
DATE 2011 in context
In an email report received just hours after the earthquake hit, Jim Handy at Objective Analysis said, “Over 40% of the world’s NAND flash and roughly 15% of the world’s DRAM are manufactured in Japan.”
Chip Prices Rise As Japan Quake Sparks Supply Shortage Concerns
(Wall Street Journal, 3/14/11)
“We expect phenomenal price swings and large near-term shortages as a result of this earthquake,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Freescale, Texas Instruments feel affects of Japan disaster
(Austin American-Statesman, 3/14/11)
Industry analyst Jim Handy with Objective Analysis said details on the exact impact from the quake remain sketchy from many companies.
Japan Reactor Problems Seen Affecting Chip Industry
“Japan is a significant source of chips to support consumer electronics devices,” Objective Analysis, a chip research house, wrote Friday.
Japan Earthquake Could Shake Up Semiconductor Industry
According to Jim Handy, an analyst with semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis, more than 40 percent of the NAND flash memory chips and about 15 percent of the global DRAM supplies are made in Japan…
Earthquake in Japan jolts global supply chain
(NPR Marketplace, 3/14/11 (Podcast Transcription))
Jim Hardy follows the semi-conductor market for the firm Objective Analysis. He estimates about a dozen semi-conductor plants have been knocked out of production, at least temporarily.
Japan Earthquake Halts CE Production
(Home Media Magazine, 3/14/11)
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., said the quake/tsunami and ongoing concerns regarding radiation leaks near affected nuclear power plants could easily halt CE production at least two weeks, resulting in higher retail prices.
How Badly Will the Japan Quake Hurt the Global Economy?
Supplies from Japan, he says, could be disrupted for months. And Jim Handy, an executive at the semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis, has said he expects “phenomenal” price swings and large near-term shortages as a result of the quake.
Disruptions of Power and Water Threaten Japan’s Economy
“There will be a lot of nervousness,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, a semiconductor research firm.
Memory-Chip Prices Surge On Asia Spot Market Following Japan Earthquake
(The Wall Street Journal, 3/13/11)
According to market research firm Objective Analysis, more than 40% of the world’s NAND flash and roughly 15% of the world’s DRAM chips are manufactured in Japan.
The Economic Impact of Japan’s Monster Quake
Because Japan produces more than 40% of the world’s NAND flash memory chips — and 15% of its DRAM — the earthquake could seriously affect worldwide semiconductor supplies, according to analysts such as Jim Handy of research firm Objective Analysis.
Northern quake spared industrial heartland
Japan, for example, produces 40% of lightweight memory chips most commonly used for storage in digital music players, smart phones and tablet computers, estimated Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, a research firm.
Initial assessments of the Japanese earthquake show little impact on the PV supply chain
Market research firm Objective Analysis provided location map for the semiconductor plants in Japan in relation to where the earthquake epicentre was and greatest impact from the tsunami that followed.
Japan quake may hit flash memory chip supply
Over 40 percent of the world’s NAND flash and roughly 15 percent of the world’s DRAM are manufactured in Japan, according to a report released today by Objective Analysis, a firm that does semiconductor-related market research.
Japan earthquake’s impact on semiconductor community
(Solid State Technology, 3/11/11)
Jim Handy, a director of Objective Analysis semiconductor market research, shares his insights into Japan’s semiconductor fabs and the quake’s impact range.
Japan quake could hit semiconductor production, prices
According to Jim Handy, an analyst with semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis, it would not take a large drop in wafer production to cause prices to increase dramatically.
Japanese Quake’s Impact on Wafer Fabs
The total damage caused by today’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan is unclear, but analyst Jim Handy at Objective Analysis questions the impact on the country’s semiconductor wafer fabrication plants.
Japan Earthquake Predicted To Cause Semiconductor Shortages
“There’s fabs (fabrication plants) all over Japan,” Handy said in an interview. “Some are close to the epicenter of the earthquake and there’s been building damage all the way from the east coast to Tokyo.” …according to market researcher Objective Analysis.
Japan Quake Prompts Memory Chip Price Hike
Meanwhile Jim Handy, an analyst from Objective Analysis is predicting large repercussions globally from the earthquake in the technology industry: “We expect phenomenal price swings and large near-tern shortages as a result of this earthquake.
Internet, Japan Tech Firms Withstand Quake
(Investor’s Business Daily, 3/11/11)
About 40% of the world’s NAND flash memory and 15% of DRAMs — the most popular flash and computer memory chips — are made in Japan, Jim Handy, director at research firm Objective Analysis, wrote in a research note Friday.
How will Japan earthquake affect Apple’s iPad supply chain?
According to analyst Jim Handy at Objective Anaysis Semiconductor Market Research, a number of Fujitsu and Toshiba manufacturing sites are located near the earthquake epicenter.
Los Gatos Analyst Predicts Chip Shortage in Wake of Japan Earthquake
Making the rounds is a map produced by Los Gatos resident Jim Handy that shows semiconductor plants in Japan that have stopped operations or could shut down after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake.
Japan’s Quake, Tsunami Could Disrupt Semiconductor Supplies, Raise Prices
(Computer Reseller News, 3/11/11)
“Objective Analysis anticipates phenomenal price swings and large near-term shortages as a result of this earthquake,” the analyst firm wrote.
Japan Earthquake Could Deal Blow to Semiconductor Industry
Japan also is a key source of chips that support such booming consumer electronics devices as smartphones, tablets and PCs, Jim Handy, an analyst with semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis, said in a March 11 report.
Analysts Predict Major Impact From Japan Quake
(Semiconductor Manufacturing & Design, 3/11/11)
Jim Handy, principal analyst at semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis (Los Gatos, Calif.), … noted that Japan also is a significant source of consumer electronics devices.
Earthquake Impacts Semiconductor Industry
I spoke with Jim Handy of Objective Analysis to find out how the earthquake will impact the semiconductor industry.
Analyst: Micron to retake NAND lead
At a recent event, Micron showed the 64-Gbit, “20-nm” part, which is expected to ship this year, said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
Analyst: NAND market to ‘collapse’
“We’ve been calling for a collapse (in the NAND market) in the second half of this year,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Tough years seen ahead for NOR flash
On Tuesday (Feb. 22), Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said his firm expects NAND ASPs to collapse in the fourth quarter of this year.
The brand-new Spansion flashing memory products offer for embedded application and break through the characteristic
The president Jim Handy of Objective Analytics Company shows: “Spansion carries out company’s strategy all the time, keeps in the particular embedded market leading position, and offer the solution out of the common on the basis of the appropriate MirrorBit technology of Spansion Company.
Spansion CEO pushes NOR for embedded
“Spansion is back and is in fine form to compete aggressively in this market,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
Why SandForce Is Fast Moving Up the SSD Value Chain
Jim Handy, the respected SSD analyst at Objective Analysis, has bought into SandForce’s story.
Spansion aims for a comeback with innovative flash memory
Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analytics, says the new chip family shows that the company’s technology has room to grow and that Spansion is executing well.
SandForce: More than one million SSD processors in first year of production
Jim Handy, SSD analyst at Objective Analysis, said: SandForce-based SSDs have received accolades from leading reviewers…
New Spansion GL Flash Memory Family Delivers Breakthrough Performance for Embedded Applications
“Spansion continues to execute well against its strategy to lead in its target embedded markets and deliver differentiated solutions based on its proprietary MirrorBit technology,” said Jim Handy, president, Objective Analytics.
Why SandForce Is Fast Moving Up the SSD Value Chain
Jim Handy, the respected SSD analyst at Objective Analysis, has bought into SandForce’s story…
Memory Industry Shakeup: Q&A with Jim Handy
For some clarity I spoke with memory expert Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Study: Market for hybrid hard drives doubled every year until 2016
Jim Handy, writes: “We expect to double the hybrid hard drive market every year…
Analysts look at Storage Drivers – Storage Visions 2011
(Media & Entertainment Technologies, 1/20/11)
Handy stated memory has two constants; prices always go down and technology changes.
2011 Semiconductor Memory Market Forecast with Jim Handy of Objective Analysis
A video with Jim Handy of Objective Analysis. We look into the boom of 2010 and the dynamics behind it as well as his projections for 2011.
Hitachi to ship SSDs with high-end arrays
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis, said the cost of SSDs is only five to ten times higher than enterprise-class hard disk drives.
Microsoft’s Windows on ARM Better for Partners Than Us
“People are used to how cell phones operate,” said Tom Starnes, an embedded processor analyst with Objective Analysis.
2011 heralds correction, analysts agree
Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis, pointed out that a lot of people are hanging their hats on tablets…
Toshiba, others invest $20M in flash memory array maker Violin …
According to Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., Toshiba’s backing of Violin is key to the company’s continued growth since it will become a preferred customer.
A New Memory Company
(Affiliates in Training, 12/29/10)
Numonyx is in a good position to lead the industry in phase-change memory, says Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis
NVELO Demonstrates Flash Cache Storage Solution at Storage Visions 2011
Jim Handy, SSD analyst at Objective Analysis, notes, “By making SSD performance affordable, caching solutions like Dataplex have the ability to drastically change the landscape for SSD in client computing.”
Cheaper MLC NAND flash drives poised to drive enterprise SSD adoption
The SLC chips cost approximately five times more per GB than MLC chips, said Jim Handy, founder and SSD analyst at Los Gatos, Calif-based Objective Analysis.
Micron ramps NAND fab without Intel
“Intel has a different opinion about how to time their capital spending than Micron does, and their contract is written to accommodate that,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Analysis: As SSD of 100GB realizes price of 50 dollars is checked
People clasp the wrong expectation to SSD, the analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis Company points out.
Toshiba NAND Fab Suffers Power Outage Last Week
(Storage Newsletter, 12/15/10)
Objective Analysis anticipates a modest and temporary price increase…
DRAM And NAND Prices Will Collapse Later In 2011
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 12/14/10)
It’s bad enough when only one company adds production capacity, but in the world of semiconductors, all manufacturers add capacity simultaneously, causing a very sudden and dramatic shift from an undercapacity to a significant overcapacity.
Power Glitch Hits Toshiba’s Flash Memory Production Line
The impact on chip prices won’t be big, said semiconductor market research company Objective Analysis.
SEMICON Report: Toshiba Plant Outage Supports Nand Flash Prices
(Wall Street Journal, 12/10/10)
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said he expects NAND flash prices will trend upwards for the next month or two.
Toshiba NAND shipments to slow due to power outage
(Electronics Advocate, 12/10/10)
Shipments of Toshiba’s NAND flash memory could be 20 percent lower through February due to a brief power outage on Wednesday at the company’s manufacturing fab in Yokkaichi, Japan, reported Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Ixys revives Zilog amid a power trip
“This might be the approach being taken at Ixys, but they are not the only ones that are doing it,” agreed analyst Tom Starnes, who follows the microcontroller market for Objective Analysis.
Payment Applications Make E-Commerce Mobile
(IEEE Computer, December 2010)
Mobile-payment services must work on many types of phones and via the networks and billing services of many cellular-service providers, which adds complexity to the transaction process, said Tom Starnes, principal of market research firm Objective Analysis.
Anobiy Selectionnée par Intel Capital
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said it makes sense that Anobit’s proprietary technology would be able to offer dramatically lower prices…
Hitachi GST Enters Enterprise SSD Market
SSD analyst Jim Handy, Objective Analysis, says the enterprise SSD market is the faster growing of the two SSD markets — enterprise and client — with expected average annual unit shipment growth of almost 90 percent.
Violin adds NFS cache with Gear6 software – Storage Soup
“If Flash is good, then more Flash is better,” said Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy, who sees Cache as a way to avoid buying extra servers to run databases.
Analysis: Solid-state drives may be set for wider PC use
“If the big issue is changing the consumer mind-set, then Steve Jobs has the clout to have initiated that process,” said Jim Handy, a semiconductor expert at market research firm Objective Analysis.
Does the new MacBok Air predict the ending of the traditional disk
The objective-analystis Jim Handy pointed out that the price of NAND flash memory will decrease as it’s oversupplied.
Opinion: MacBook Air could foretell death of laptop hard drives
Typically, NAND flash prices undergo a dramatic collapse at the onset of an oversupply, according to Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Are Hybrid Drives the Next Big Thing?
According to a new report by market research firm Objective Analysis, hybrid drives are primed to dominate the market.
Hybrid (flash + HDD) drives make a comeback
The biggest problem was that the early models didn’t have onboard data management for the flash component, according to Jim Handy, director of the Objective Analysis research and consulting firm
Apple MacBook Air or indicating traditional hard disk era ends
Objective-Analysis analyst Jim’s Chinese of market survey is guided (Jim Handy) Point out NAND the intersection of flashing memory and price support, while asking will glide notably while being large, supply exceeds demand to accompany by manufacturers, raise the output, increase capital investment, appear always.
Hybrid hard-disk market set to take off
The hybrid hard-disk drive market is expected to reach 600 million units in 2016, according to market researcher Objective Analysis.
Renesas readies mixed-signal MCUs
According to Tom Starnes, an analyst at market research firm Objective Analysis, companies like Microchip Technology Inc. and Freescale Semiconductor Inc. offer microcontrollers that incorporate some analog circuits.
SandForce rolls SSD processor line
“Samsung uses a proprietary controller (for their SSDs). So do SanDisk, Toshiba, Intel, and Micron,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
Multicore processors: Now a movement
(EE Times, Invited Article, 9/27/10)
…to stay on the performance treadmill that Moore’s Law so aptly described, multicore is the only viable option.
STEC adds DRAM SSD for appliances; Violin launches MLC device for capacity
Analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said the fast write-commit feature makes ZeusRAM a good fit for online transaction processing (OLT) applications.
Flash in the Can? More Powerful Next-Gen Memory Chips Wait in the Wings
(Scientific American, 9/14/10)
“HP’s memristor is made using a titanium oxide, which is not common to put on semiconductors and appears to be difficult to manage today,” says Jim Handy, an analyst with the semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis.
Pliant Technology introduces multi-level cell (MLC) solid-state drives
Jim Handy, SSD analyst at semiconductor industry analyst firm Objective Analysis, said he thinks it’s just a matter of time until MLC flash catches on in the enterprise.
Will Elpida shake up NAND market?
…future computers will include a NAND memory layer that will cause DRAM growth to slow down in all computing systems, from PCs to mainframes,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
SSDs: Still not a ‘solid state’ business
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said SSDs are growing at about the rate he expected, but that this rate is slower than many had hoped.
NAND flash memory pricing to plummet to $1 per GB
Objective Analysis research analyst Jim Handy disagreed with iSuppli’s forecast, saying NAND flash memory is still suffering from a shortage and that prices are going to stay pretty flat till the second half of next year.
Down with Digital? New Circuit Design Promises to Take the Guesswork out of Probability Processing
(Scientific American, 8/17/10)
“We’ve been heading down a road of using digital logic more and more. If things become complicated, we just add transistors,” says Jim Handy, an analyst with the semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
SSDs may give you more bang for your DRAM
There are key advantages to this type of implementation, especially cost savings. DRAM costs about 12 times as much per gigabyte as flash, and that gap is growing, according to analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Intel-Hitachi SSDs Fall Behind Schedule
The enterprise flash business as a whole, which has faced some stumbling blocks over the years, is still growing fast, according to analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Chip startup Smooth-Stone raises $48M in backing
(Austin American-Statesman, 8/15/10)
ARM-based designs “are the natural thing to put in there,” said analyst Tom Starnes with Objective Analysis, “because the ARM architecture from day one has been focused on power consumption.”
Good news in the chip industry
Jim Handy with Objective Analysis says the first half of 2010 saw a 50-percent growth from the first half of last year.
Memcon: ASML, vendors to blame for shortages
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, sees the dreaded oversupply situation in the memory market “in mid-2011 or 2012” timeframe.
Dell Revamps Hardware Testing in Wake of Malware Issue
Motherboards also could have solid-state drive units for data storage, said Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis, a semiconductor research company.
Samsung, Toshiba Seek Big Increase in NAND Flash Speeds
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said speedier interfaces for NAND chips are important because of their growing use for data processing…
Samsung and Toshiba to Develop a New Type of NAND Flash
An analyst at the Objective Analysis – Jim Handy said that speedy interfaces for NAND chips are important because of their growing use for memory and data processing units.
SanDisk CEO Harari to retire
“He’s leaving at a high point,” added Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Samsung, Toshiba Seek Big Increase in NAND Flash Speeds
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said speedier interfaces for NAND chips are important because of their growing use for data processing, and not just music, photos, videos and USB drives.
Dell Revamps Hardware Testing in Wake of Malware Issue
… instructions to start a system originate from a NOR flash chip, which would also imply that the malware is “pretty small,” said Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis said.
Israeli Start-Up Claims Huge Boost to SSD Reliability
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said it makes sense that Anobit’s proprietary technology would be able to offer dramatically lower prices…
Kingston Suggests New SSDs for Old Desktops to Speed Up Performance
The cost per gigabyte on storage is about 20 times lower for HDDs, and that relationship will remain the same for the next 20 years, said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis
Will Spansion succeed or fail again?
“I am bullish on Spansion. They have dramatically reset their goals,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
Anobit Claims Enterprise SSD Performance from MLC
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 6/15/10)
SSD analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told Enterprise Storage Forum that “it’s a little hard to tell how much of a breakthrough this is…”
Virident ships SLC SSDs for PCIe
Virident will compete most directly with Fusion-io, according to Jim Handy, an SSD analyst and director of Objective Analysis, a semiconductor market research firm.
Israeli start-up claims huge boost to SSD reliability
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said it makes sense that Anobit’s proprietary technology would be able to offer dramatically lower prices…
Samsung Factory Shows Surprising Logic
Jim Handy, who tracks the industry for the research firm Objective Analysis, says Samsung has realized that it can’t get to that position on memory alone. Tom Starnes, an Austin-based consultant who also collaborates with Handy at Objective Analysis, said Samsung should have no problem finding people to hire in view of layoffs at some other semiconductor companies in the city.
Grandis: STT-RAM to replace DRAM, flash
it’s in fact tremendously difficult, a challenge that has prevented any of these technologies from reaching critical mass,’’ said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
Seagate’s Hybrid Drive Shoots for Quick-Draw Data Access
“SSDs’ extremely low acceptance can be traced back to their significant cost premium — the cost/benefit ratio simply doesn’t appeal to most consumers,” Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, told TechNewsWorld.
Violin 3000 series pushes SSD capacity pricing toward Fibre Channel SAN
“They started off with technology that was pretty pricey…” said Jim Handy, director at Los Gatos, CA-based market research firm Objective Analysis
V3 – It’s All About the Analysts
…some of the most famous and influential analysts in the world including: Rob Enderle who is the most quoted industry analyst in the world; Charles King who writes much of and facilitates the widely distributed and read Pund-IT, Roger Kay ranks as one of the most oft-quoted PC experts; semiconductor guru Jim Handy; and Altimeter Group which houses an exclusive club of top analysts such as Charlene Li, R “Ray” Wang, Jeremiah Owyang and Michael Gartenberg.
SSDs can improve battery life and provide rugged mass storage
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, says the devices are likely to prove very popular with those in industry as they can withstand heavy falls and other impacts.
Good Times: Micron Closes $1.2 Billion Deal
Jim Handy, a Los Gatos, Calif.-based semiconductor industry analyst for the firm Objective Analysis, estimated that Numonyx could add up to $1.5 billion to Micron’s revenue stream.
SSDs ‘a popular form of mass storage’
Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis, said the technology has a number of benefits for construction and manufacturing workers.
Solid State Drives for Energy Savings
(SNIA Europe Newsletter, Invited Article, 5/10/10)
Once the data center manager incorporates SSD technology to complement existing storage tiering, two important side benefits of SSD storage become apparent:
PCIe and standard interface SSDs will live in perfect harmony
An analyst for Objective Analysis claims that PCIe and standard interface SSDs technology will work together for a long time. Many others claim that SSDs will replace PCIe as soon as the price drops but Jim Handy told Digitimes there is a lot of life in the old hard-drives yet.
For 2010, marketplace optimism abounds
(Solid State Technology, 1/19/10)
Jim Handy: “I am sure that the many hurting vendors and unemployed semiconductor professionals will join Objective Analysis in saying: ‘It’s about time!’”
Renesas tips MCU roadmap, but are rivals worried?
“I asked a couple of MCU competitors about the renewed Renesas and they were unconcerned,” said Tom Starnes, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
Will the Feds Sour Apple’s Juice?
“Sometimes you deal with parts of the world where intellectual property rights are not held in as high esteem as here,” Tom Starnes, an industry analyst at Objective Analysis, told MacNewsWorld.
Analysts: Don’t Expect Intel Inside Smartphones
… according to Tom Starnes, an analyst at Objective Analysis: “They just have not demonstrated a longevity in this space, and this is a critical part of this type of business.”
Objective Analysis: PCIe and standard interface SSDs should coexist for a very long time
Earlier this year, Computerworld Russia had a chance to ask Mr. Handy some questions about solid state drive (SSD) technology.
Memory Startup Gets Vote of Confidence from IBM
Others have been doing the same thing, including STEC and Fusion-io, but they sell complete SSDs that include internally designed controller chips, notes Jim Handy, an analyst at the market research firm Objective Analysis.
Enterprise SSDs to soar through 2015
According to Objective Analysis’ 104-page report, there are 22 key enterprise applications for SSDs with varying uses.
Le recours aux SSD va grimper dans les entreprises d’ici 2015
(Le Monde Informatique, 4/30/10)
Jim Handy, auteur de l’étude d’Objective Analysis, note de son côté que le recours aux SSD a déjà commencé à se développer dans les entreprises.
Numonyx announces phase-change memory for consumer devices
“Serial interface is really the growing market for NOR,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis
Everspin rocks SRAM boat with 16-Mbit MRAM
“Everspin is taking a different approach than most alternative memory companies,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis
Solid State Drives for Energy Savings
(SNIA Europe: Storage Networking Times, Invited Article, 4/15/10)
Once the data center manager incorporates SSD technology to complement existing storage tiering, two important side benefits of SSD storage become apparent…
You Went to Jail … but Howzabout Coming Back to Work for Us?
“…there’s a sense that these people have gone through the strangeness of American society…” said Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos
What’s next for troubled Spansion?
“When they come out of bankruptcy their creditors will all become shareholders of a private firm. This should happen soon,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis.
Toshiba, others invest $20M in flash memory array maker Violin
According to Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., Toshiba’s backing of Violin is key to the company’s continued growth…
Vendors to revive stalled NAND projects
“Prudent or not, it’s a typical move during this kind of a time,” said Jim Handy, a NAND and solid-state drive analyst at research firm Objective Analysis.
Toshiba to go ahead with NAND flash fab
According to Jim Handy, a NAND and SSD analyst at the research firm Objective Analysis, prolonged periods of stable pricing always prompt vendors to add capacity…
Toshiba to add NAND fab in Japan
According to Jim Handy, a NAND and SSD analyst at research firm Objective Analysis, a NAND supply shortage that began last March is expected to keep pricing firm into 2011.
Capacitor-less below 1V operating ZRAM chips made using bulk silicon can replace DRAM
“The DRAM market, the largest of the memory markets, is facing phenomenal challenges in migrating to future process nodes,” said Jim Handy, of Objective Analysis.
Phase Change Memory will Change Memory System Design
(RTC Magazine, Invited Article, 3/22/10)
This technology fits between today’s volatile and nonvolatile memory technologies
Innovative Silicon announces Z-RAM breakthroughs
This new technology could be just the shot in the arm that the memory market needs, according to Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Intel Bolsters Budget SSD Trend With 40 GB Drive
Consumers looking for a new computer have been trained to look for certain things when they are shopping, said Jim Handy, SSD analyst with Objective Analysis
The Future of Internal Hard Drives
“Depending on performance, SSDs can range in cost from $3 to $20 per gigabyte, says Jim Handy, a Los Gatos, Calif.-based SSD analyst with Objective Analysis”
How to Use Flash-Based SSDs in Your Environment
“They have to think of it like storage cache that’s faster than hard disk storage but slower than DRAM,” said Jim Handy, SSD analyst at Los Gatos, Calif.
How to use solid-state disk without crunching your controllers
“They have to think of it like storage cache that’s faster than hard disk storage but slower than DRAM,” said Jim Handy, SSD analyst at market research firm Objective Analysis.
With SSDs, Multi-Level Cell Designs Might Be the Way to Go
Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy has a good run-down on the advantages of MLC this week on Infostor.
Micron to Acquire Numonyx
Objective Analysis anticipates that this will be a good deal for both buyer and sellers.
SSD Maker Micron to Acquire Numonyx for $1.27B
“By acquiring Numonyx, Micron is buying the current leader in the NOR market, a position Numonyx is believed to have held for the past two quarters,” flash industry analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis wrote in a news brief.
Micron challenges Samsung with $1.27 billion acquisition
Jim Handy, of Objective Analysis of Los Gatos, Calif., pointed out that Micron in the past has acquired companies at a low point in the market using depressed Micron stock.
Micron-Numonyx deal: What analysts are saying
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis: ”Micron re-enters NOR. Micron itself participated in NOR starting in the late 1990s, but abandoned this effort in 2006.
Solid-state storage fixes data center bottlenecks — for a price
SSDs can range in cost from $3 to $20 per gigabyte, says Jim Handy, a Los Gatos, Calif.-based SSD analyst with Objective Analysis
Samsung moving ahead of schedule on $500M Austin project
(Austin American-Statesman, 2/7/10)
But analyst Jim Handy, with Objective Analysis in San Jose, Calif., says there is another reason Samsung is pushing hard on the project
Does MLC flash belong in enterprise SSDs?
(InfoStor, Invited Article, February 2010)
There’s a good bit of debate about whether or not enterprise-class solid-state disk (SSD) drives can use multi-level cell (MLC) flash technology, as opposed to single-level cell (SLC) technology, which is currently the dominant technology for enterprise SSDs.
Flying solo
Samsung was in a high-stakes licensing contract negotiation with SanDisk when it began its six-month pursuit, and it was simply cheaper for it to buy the company than pay the royalties, says Jim Handy, an analyst at semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis.
Intel tips NAND strategy, reveals a surprise
“Both also remarked that this was one further step that would help bring SSDs into the mainstream,” said Handy of Objective Analysis.
Phase Change Memory: The Next Big Thing in Data Storage?
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 2/3/10)
PCM could be a strong alternative to flash, as it provides the same benefits as flash with faster speed, said Jim Handy, an SSD analyst at Objective Analysis, a semiconductor market research firm.
Flash capacity to double with 25 nm process
Objective Analysis estimates that the 25 nm flash chips will cost 50 cents per GB to manufacture, compared to $1.75 per GB for an industry standard 40 nm chip.
Analyst take: Inside Intel/Micron’s 25nm NAND device
Jim Handy from Objective Analysis does the math on the new chip…
Intel and Micron Introduce 25nm NAND, Gain Competitive Edge, Says Objective Analysis
With a die size of 167mm² the device can fit into a standard TSOP package, according to semiconductor industry analyst Jim Handy at Objective Analysis.
Intel, Micron intro 25-nm NAND
“At a die size of 167-mm-sq a 300-mm fab should be able to manufacture just over 400 die per wafer,” Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, reported.
Intel and Micron get flash process lead
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis reckons “a manufacturing cost of about $4.00 per chip, or $0.50/GB.”
New chip raises profile of Lehi memory chip manufacturer
Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis of Los Gatos, Calif., said the biggest factor in the flash memory business is the cost of production of memory measured in gigabytes.
Micron and Intel to roll on 25 nano Flash chips
Objective Analysis in a note that said the chips cost of manufacturing will be around 50 cents a gigabyte, that compares to $1.75 a gigabyte for 45 nanometre memory.
Intel, Micron to Shrink NAND Flash to 25 nm
“Since the price of NAND flash has been hovering around $2.00/GB for the past year, and seems poised to continue at that price through 2010, the 25nm process will give the companies a significant margin boost over their current 34nm chip whose cost we estimate at $1.00/GB,” Objective Analysis said.
Solid State Drives Get Faster with TRIM
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 1/27/10)
… TRIM should be widely adopted in the very near future, said Jim Handy, an SSD analyst at Objective Analysis, a semiconductor market research firm.
How Soon Can The New Decade Start?
(Electronic Design, Invited Article, 1/7/10)
Right now it is particularly difficult to see the future. It’s 2010 and everybody is ready for a fresh start. Tom Starnes
Parques Solares de Navarra ofrece instalaciones a EEUU
Terry Peterson y Jim Handy, representantes de la entidad americana, visitaron el parque solar de Villafranca y mostraron su convencimiento de que la concentración es la tecnología de futuro en cuanto al sector fotovoltaico se refiere.
Rambus’ legal wranglings could lead to big payoff
(San Jose Mercury News, 1/2/10)
Without offering an opinion on Rambus’ claims, Jim Handy, of the chip-market research firm Objective Analysis, said it’s important for innovations to be fairly rewarded. Otherwise, he said, “that could pull the plug out of Silicon Valley.”
Seagate jumps into crowded flash drive market
“The company will be a force to contend with once it reaches its stride,” said Jim Handy of Objective Analysis (Los Gatos, Calif.) in a written analysis.
Report: Apple accused of NAND price manipulation
The practice of not buying all of the product originally ordered, semiconductor analyst Jim Handy told CNET, is “not uncommon in the industry.”
Solid State Drives Remove Trash
(Enterprise IT Planet, 12/2/09)
“SSDs suffer from a difficulty that doesn’t exist in HDDs – the flash must be erased before new data can be written into it,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, a market research firm that predicts 148 percent unit growth for the enterprise SSD market.
Solid State Drives Take Out the Garbage
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 12/1/09)
“SSDs suffer from a difficulty that doesn’t exist in HDDs …” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis…
Google Chrome OS will not support hard-disk drives
Jim Handy, an analyst with research firm Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., said if fast boot times were as important as Google is making them out to be, then Apple would own the PC market.
Micron Unveils New Enterprise Flash Technology
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 10/20/09)
SSD analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said the announcement “proves wrong all those people who think that high-endurance devices will never be supported by advancing lithographies.”
IBM adds flash to storage virtualization
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 10/20/09)
SSD analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said the announcement “proves wrong all those people who think that high-endurance devices will never be supported by advancing lithographies.”
Focus On: SSDs and cloud storage
The next debate may be where to put SSDs. That’s what Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy addresses in “Where do SSDs fit: Servers or arrays?”
Where do SSDs fit: Servers or arrays?
(InfoStor, Invited Article, 10/13/09)
Something of a religious war has popped up in the enterprise solid-state disk (SSD) drive space—where do SSDs belong: In the storage array or in the server as direct-attached storage?
Light innovators win Nobel
The common wisdom is that NAND can’t scale below 20 nanometers, according to Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis.
SanDisk Says New Chips Will Lower Production Costs
(Wall Street Journal, 10/13/09)
The flash-memory segment should rise nearly 31% to $18.4 billion after a 13% decline in 2008, predicts Jim Handy, an analyst at the market research firm Objective Analysis.
The Need for Speed: Sorting Out SSD Strengths & Weaknesses
(SNIA Europe: Storage Networking Times, Invited Article, 10/13/09)
SSDs are bursting onto the scene in many forms with a variety of features.
Samsung Sees Major Benefits From Phase-change Memory
It could take many years to make its mark in mobile devices, said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis
Google: DRAM error rates vastly higher than previously thought
Hard errors are most often caused by chip contamination at the manufacturing facility, but they often don’t show up in testing and only surface after the memory chip warms after hours of use, according to Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Bell Microproducts Introduces SSD Seminar Series
The seminar series will feature industry expert Jim Handy, a principal with analyst firm Objective Analysis.
When will emerging memory arrive?
According to Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis: “There are a lot of people focusing a lot of effort on whatever the next technology will be.”
Analysts: Micron may turn corner
(Idaho Business Review, 10/4/09)
Jim Handy, a Los Gatos, Calif.-based semiconductor industry analyst with Objective Analysis, agreed that Micron’s recent performance was “a really strong signal”…
ARM Techcon – Is Cloud Computing Just a Dream and Intel vs. ARM
(GarySmithEDA.com blog, October 2009)
Tom Starnes had an interesting panel at ARM Techcon this year. The topic of the panel was Cloud Computing but at the end the conversation turned into a look at the competitive battle between Intel and ARM.
SSD Makers Wrestle with Performance Degradation
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 9/30/09)
SSDs suffer from a difficulty that doesn’t exist in HDDs — the flash must be erased before new data can be written into it, said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, a market research firm specializing in SSDs and semiconductors.
IBM Produces First Prototype of 32-nm Embedded SOI Chip
“This competes with SRAM on the chip, which accounts for about 50 percent of the die area of all high-performance processor chips,” Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told eWEEK.
Feels like SDRAM, but nonvolatile
(Embedded Computing Design, 9/17/09)
I like the comment Jim Handy of Objective Analysis made to describe the problem of large-scale memory in applications where power can be lost: “DRAM is volatile, flash is slow, SRAM with batteries is unreliable, and alternative technologies are too costly to use in large densities.”
Pliant Delivers
According to Jim Handy, director of the Objective Analysis research and consulting firm (which specializes in the SSD market), one differentiator for Pliant is that its EFDs are based on the SAS interface, which is relatively rare in the SSD market.
Done Deals, and Those Not Taken
(Semiconductor International, 4/27/09)
But as Tom Starnes, an analyst who follows the MCU market at Objective Analysis, points out, bigger is not necessarily better.
Synapse Registers 500th SNAPs User
(Wireless Business & Technology, 9/17/09)
“You no longer have to be a network expert to make use of wireless technology, and can develop an application in a matter of days,” said Tom Starnes, Processor Analyst, Objective Analysis.
NAND Flash and PCs
Recently, analyst Jim Handy released a report on Intel’s Braidwood, which is Intel’s 3rd generation Flash cache for PC architectures.
Cypress PSoC 5 With ARM Cortex-M3
“The PSoC is the only architecture that extends the concept of programmability beyond instructions for the processor to configuring peripherals and customization of digital functions,” said Tom Starnes, principal analyst at Objective Analysis in Austin, Texas.
Solid State of the union: Some SSD inaugurations
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis also thinks that Intel’s NAND-on-motherboard Braidwood technology could have a server implementation coming.
Pliant Hopes to Give STEC Some Competition
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 9/15/09)
… analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis noted, “I don’t think anyone thought STEC would have the field all to themselves quite this long.”
Intel Braidwood is low-cost option for faster PCs
The report – Intel’s Braidwood: death to the SSD – by Objective Analysis has found that Intel’s Braidwood technology offers comparable performance…
Intel’s new flash tech to bring back Turbo Memory, for real
And is a recent, widely cited report by Objective Analysis correct in asserting that Braidwood will nullify any advantages that SSDs offer, thereby killing the latter?
Analyst: Intel’s Braidwood technology could threaten SSD adoption
Braidwood is expected to offer capacities of between 4GB to 16GB, but at an incremental price of just $10 to $20 per system, noted analyst Jim Handy from Objective Analysis.
Is Intel about to Kill the Market for its Own SSDs?
In a massive report called “Intel’s Braidwood: Death to SSDs?,” research firm Objective Analysis points out that Intel’s upcoming Braidwood NAND flash memory…
Report: Intel’s Braidwood flash memory module could kill SSD market
“Intel’s Braidwood: Death to SSDs?,” from research firm Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., said that Braidwood’s flash memory is less expensive…
Supercomputer Uses Flash Storage Drives
SSDs could be better storage technology than hard drives as scientific research is time-sensitive, said Jim Handy, director at Objective Analysis…
Analyst: Intel’s New Flash Cache Negates SSD Performance Edge
…the cost increase will be approximately $10 to $20 per system, according to analyst Jim Handy, who authored a recent report on Braidwood.
Intel’s ‘Braidwood’–Turbo Memory done right?
(CNET News Speeds & Feeds, 9/2/09)
Handy’s report argues persuasively that Braidwood might actually be worthwhile, and that got my attention.
Wintel threads and braids woven for Windows 7
Microsoft has not been working with Intel on Flash in another key area, according to a report by semiconductor analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Will Intel’s Braidwood threaten SSD uptake?
Objective Analysis has a report on this (Intel’s Braidwood: Death to SSDs?) that suggests Braidwood technology could put a severe upset into the plans of vendors such as Samsung.
Intel technology poses threat to SSDs
Intel Corp.’s upcoming Braidwood technology is “likely to stifle SSD acceptance,” according to Objective Analysis
Intel Braidwood Technology May Sap SSD Demand
People expecting Solid State Drives (SSDs) to become more popular may have longer to wait, according to a new report from Objective Analysis.
Analysts, execs tackle NAND, SSD issues
Manufacturers who have the lowest cost structure are in a position to profit at prices that would cause losses to their competition,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
PCM: If Not Now, When?
(EDN, Liebson’s Law Blog, 8/19/09)
Some pundits, including the text in Handy’s White Paper (which is excellent and well worth reading if you’re at all interested in Flash memory), suggest that there may only be two or three scaling generations left in NAND Flash…
STEC Makes Solid State Strides
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 8/12/09)
Analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said the MLC drives “will most certainly be an important factor in enterprise deployments.”
Intel, Micron announce denser, multi-bit SSD tech
“Three-bit allows these guys to aim at the heart of the market with a chip that has a lower cost structure, so when other NAND makers are losing money Intel and Micron could be profiting,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif.
Intel fixes flash and flashes 3-bit NAND
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis thinks that SanDisk’s most recent teleconference indicates that SanDisk and Toshiba will have a 32nm 3-bit chip, which is expected to begin to ship at the end of the year.
Intel, Micron enter 3-bit-per-cell NAND race
“There is a horse race (to show) who can produce the first 3-bit-per-cell” on a sub-40-nm process, said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective-Analysis, a research firm.
Intel, Micron develop flash chips for USB drives
“The chip is not for all markets,” according to Jim Handy of semiconductor market researcher Objective Analysis…
SSDs move into a class of their own
Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis, said enterprise servers have become the single biggest market for SSDs in terms of revenue, amounting to just short of $500 million.
Fusion-io Makes SSDs More Affordable
(Byte and Switch, Invited Article, 7/27/09)
Some argue that SSD prices are falling so quickly that it is inevitable that they will reach a price-per-gigabyte crossover with enterprise-class HDDs in the near future. This comes from a misperception about how quickly flash memory prices can fall.
The ten best ways to use solid state disk
“If you have a good understanding of that, then you can understand how much solid-state storage you’re likely to need to be able to optimize the performance of your system,” said Jim Handy, an analyst who focuses on memory chips and SSDs at Objective Analysis.
Apple Signs Long-Term Pact with Toshiba for Flash Chips
“This is probably a good indication of what Apple thinks is happening in the NAND market,” SSD market analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told eWEEK.
Better Performance In A Flash: Understanding & Implementing Solid-State Storage
Jim Handy, director at semiconductor market researcher Objective Analysis, believes that if manufacturers have “really good error management and wear leveling, then MLC does make a lot of sense.”
Fusion-io Lowers the Price of Solid State Storage
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 7/10/09)
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy noted that in two years, MLC has gone from being viewed as a technology that couldn’t be used in SSDs at all, to being used…
Despite Turmoil in the Chip Industry, Signs of Hope for Micron Technology
…memory makers went on a capital spending binge to expand capacity, said Jim Handy, director of Objective Analysis
DDR3 DRAM Demand Spikes for New Laptops, Servers
Jim Handy, an analyst at market researcher Objective-Analysis, believes the 50 percent figure won’t be breached until the third quarter next year.
Organic Photovoltaics Offer Promise for Future Development
(CircuiTree, Invited Article, 7/1/09)
There are several new technologies in development, any of which may ultimately displace today’s conventional technologies. Perhaps one of the most promising is organic PV (OPV).
Solid State Drive Developers Try to Catch STEC
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 7/2/09)
Analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis thinks it could take even longer for STEC to face real competition.
Toshiba hopes for 3D flash chip within three years
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, confirmed the area advantage of this 3D prototype: “If you used a 66nm process to make a standard MLC NAND it would have a die size almost four times as large…
Samsung Shrinks SSDs for Netbooks
SSDs are expensive, so people have continued to adopt hard drives for laptop storage, said Jim Handy an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Can Solid State Drive Maker STEC Be Stopped?
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 6/22/09)
Analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis says the company’s advantage is likely to continue for some time.
$16.3M flows to company’s ‘cool’ idea
(Triangle Business Journal, 6/19/09)
Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., says a number of companies are working on technologies aimed at offsetting the negative effects of heat in semiconductors.
Hard disk vs. solid-state drive
You can buy $30 worth of flash, though — as long as 16GB is enough for your needs,” said Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis
Spansion finds bankruptcy helps focus its plans
(Austin American-Statesman, 6/8/09)
Analyst Jim Handy with Objective Analysis in San Jose, Calif., says getting out of the cell phone supply market is the right move.
Cell Efficiency is Key to Success of Photovoltaics
(Circuits Assembly, Invited Article, 6/4/09)
Photovoltaic technology is poised to play an important role in the development of renewable energy sources. The largest volume application for photovoltaic (PV) cells is expected to be in power generation for commercial, industrial and domestic use.
Taiwan’s Troubled DRAM Plan
Judging from Micron’s behavior during previous DRAM downturns, the firm is likely hunting for acquisitions among the other four Taiwanese firms, says Jim Handy, a director of the semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis.
How solid state disk is used by business today
“There’s a race among SSD makers to find a way to make it work reliably in an enterprise SSD,” said Jim Handy, a Los Gatos, Calif.-based analyst who focuses on memory chips and SSDs for the market research firm Objective Analysis.
Chip sales looking up…
Jim Handy with Los Gatos-based Objective Analysis is confident the chip sector has hit bottom…
Sun Adds Solid State Drive Management to ZFS
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 6/1/09)
“Sun is taking a very aggressive position here,” said Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy. “SSDs are nice, but without proper software support, they really don’t do much to help the system out.”
Palm: Dead company walking?
Jim Handy, an analyst who specializes in chips, told me Apple has cornered the market on a type of memory that could either show up as something that would speed up a laptop or a new Nano sized low cost iPhone.
New Deal with Samsung Bolsters Flash Maker SanDisk
“…the people who projected this outcome seemed to have a really distorted notion that SanDisk wasn’t collecting royalties from anyone except Samsung…,” NAND flash industry analyst and consultant Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told eWEEK.
AgigA Tech Introduces Battery-Free Non-Volatile RAM
(Embedded Computing Design, 5/26/09)
“Today’s memory technologies all have a problem. DRAM is volatile, flash is slow, SRAM with batteries is unreliable, and alternative technologies are too costly to use in large densities,” said Jim Handy, Director of Objective Analysis.
Consumer electronics storage offers promise of renewed growth
Despite the general hit in consumer electronics there are some types of consumer electronics digital storage that are experiencing growth.” extracted by a report by Tom Coughlin and Jim Handy.
IBM Adds Solid State to High-End Storage
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 5/21/09)
“Special management software for SSDs is really really important, but unfortunately it’s pretty rare,” said Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy.
IBM touts SSD data management software for its servers, arrays
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., said special management software for SSDs is not unique, but it’s pretty rare.
Memory-Chip Alternative Is Unveiled
(Wall Street Journal, 5/19/09)
Jim Handy, an analyst at the market-research firm Objective Analysis, said other NAND alternatives have been proposed before that never met that challenge.
Sorting out SSD strengths and weaknesses
(InfoStor, Invited Article, 5/19/09)
Over the past year, SSDs have transitioned dramatically from a curiosity embraced by only the most adventuresome IT managers to a mainstream technology advocated by leading storage and server OEMs.
The Coming Visual Computing Revolution
Jim Handy, one of the analysts I work with, is convinced that Apple’s processor team and Apple’s purchase of some unique flash memory suggests it’s going to have an amazing PC on the market shortly — one that is unique and will outperform anything else on the market.
SSD performance — is a slowdown inevitable?
All flash drives have some bugs, largely due to the NAND flash memory’s need for excessive write management, said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Consumer Storage Demand Seen Skyrocketing
The findings by Coughlin Associates and Objective Analysis include DVD libraries, and that accounts for a fair amount of the 12TB total.
Online Data Storage to Surge
A joint report by two market research firms predicts that digital content in an average U.S. home could hit as much as 12 terabytes by 2014. The findings are by Coughlin Associates and Objective Analysis.
NEC and Renesas Have Challenges Ahead
Tom Starnes, Objective Analysis: “When the motivation is save-your-skin revenue recovery, the blinders can be devastating.”
8/16bit MCUs claim lowest sleep current
Tom Starnes, embedded processor analyst at the semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis: “The interest in the market for such low-power processors, for use in consumer to industrial applications, is really on the rise.”
A DRAM recovery? Don’t hold your breath.
The oversupply has been prolonged because the global financial crisis stunted demand for PCs, which consume most of the DRAMs, said Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis.
Microchip Technology Debuts nanoWatt XLP™
“The extremely low sleep current and numerous wake-up features of Microchip’s new nanoWatt XLP microcontrollers should be ideal for battery-operated devices, which actually spend most of the time asleep,” said Tom Starnes, embedded processor analyst at the semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis.
PennyPerformers.com: “Penny Stocks that Perform”
“The extremely low sleep current and numerous wake-up features of Microchip’s new nanoWatt XLP microcontrollers should be ideal for battery-operated devices, which actually spend most of the time asleep,” said Tom Starnes, embedded processor analyst at the semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis.
SandForce Attacks SSD Limitations
“There’s both fear and trepidation in the minds of enterprise storage managers when it comes to moving from hard drives to SSDs,” says Jim Handy, semiconductor analyst for research firm Objective Analysis.
Does Renesas-NEC Electronics merger make sense?
“Merging with NEC’s MCU operations would give this one vendor an unheard-of 30 percent market share of microcontrollers in a market where the biggest of 30 vendors barely trip into double-digit market shares,” said Tom Starnes, an analyst with Objective Analysis
TechInsights’ ESC Silicon Valley 2009 Gets ‘Thumbs Up’ From Attendees, Electronics Industry Observers
“The exhibit floor of ESC is like a farmer’s market for programmers and electronics engineers,” said Tom Starnes, processor analyst with market research firm Objective Analysis
Startup Claims Solid State Storage Breakthrough
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 4/13/09
)
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy said the company’s claims are impressive.
Micron fab escapes earthquake damage
According to analysis by Objective Analysis (Los Gatos, Calif.), the Avezzano fab, originally owned by TI and bought by Micron for making DRAMs, is now one of the main facilities for producing CMOS image sensors for Micron’s Aptina imaging subsidiary.
New hope for US memory maker Spansion after big Samsung settlement
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said he believed the settlement was good news for Samsung as well.
Schooner Serves Up Faster Web 2.0 Caches
Jim Handy, president of Objective Analysis, said he thinks Schooner has found itself a good niche in which to operate…
What’s Behind Apple’s Memory Buying Spree?
It’s happened before, noted Jim Handy, president of Objective Analysis. “Apple tends to make these gargantuan purchases.”
Taiwan Memory Chooses Elpida, May Still Work With Micron
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, said building up revenue will be even more important for TMC than deciding on a technology partner.
Find your low-power path
(EDA Tech Forum, Invited Article, April 2009)
The design of a truly low-power electronic system is a multi-level problem and requires a systematic strategy to eliminate unneeded consumption… Tom Starnes
Dell Offers Solid State Drives, New EMC Storage Array
(Enterprise Storage Forum, 3/25/09)
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy noted that STEC has a lower-priced enterprise line…
Micron status uncertain in Taiwan DRAM bailout deals
(Idaho Business Review, 3/16/09)
Talk of mergers independent of Taiwanese government support is not surprising, said Jim Handy, a Los Gatos, Calif.-based semiconductor industry analyst with Objective Analysis.
Rumor mill: Is SanDisk in play?
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said he is “skeptical” that SanDisk will get acquired in the near term.
STEC Rockets on Strong Flash Storage Sales
(EnterpriseStorageForum, 3/13/09)
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy had this to say about STEC’s results: “This really reinforces the notion of a first mover advantage.”
National Semiconductor to cut 25% of workforce
(San Francisco Chronicle, 3/12/09)
By 2008, however, overcapacity was beginning to cause a glut of chips, according to analyst Jim Handy with the market research firm Objective Analysis.
Sun pushes SSDs for the enterprise
The computer maker has been offering SSDs for its systems since last March, said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Is Taiwan DRAM venture already falling apart?
”I would not be surprised if (Taiwan Memory) falls apart,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Sun Proposes New Solid State Storage Spec
(EnterpriseStorageForum, 3/11/09)
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy said PCIe would have been a better choice for an interface.
Cypress Hits Half-Billion Mark in Shipments of PSoC® Programmable System-on-Chip Devices
“Half a billion shipments in such a short period of time proves that the unique approach that PSoC offers in addressing embedded system design has struck a chord in the industry,” said Tom Starnes of Objective Analysis
Texas Memory launches PCIe SSD
Jim Handy, director at the Objective Analysis research firm, notes that with SSDs $/IOPS is a more relevant metric.
Sun, Rivals Seek New Uses for Flash-Based Storage
(The Wall Street Journal, 3/10/09, Subscription Required)
Jim Handy, an analyst at the research firm Objective Analysis, estimates that a 120-gigabyte hard drive costs makers of storage systems around $50 where an enterprise SSD that stores 32 gigabytes would cost them $3,000.
SanDisk Sees Leap for Data Chips
(The Wall Street Journal, 3/10/09)
Jim Handy, an analyst at the market-research firm Objective Analysis, said it “remains to be seen” whether other companies will be able to overcome technical or legal hurdles…
Analyst: Spansion has three options
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said that Spansion has three options: a merger with another company; re-working the company into a new Spansion; getting additional financing options.
Sales collapse puts chips on the skids
Memory prices fell 60 percent last year and could fall 40 percent this year, according to Jim Handy, director of chip research firm Objective Analysis.
Solid-state disks offer performance, reliability in x86 servers
(SearchServerVirtualization.com, 3/9/09)
…you may find 1% to 2% of the HDDs being replaced by SSDs in a ratio of one SSD for every 10 HDDs or so, according to Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, a market research firm.
Taiwan to Consolidate Chip Makers in New Company
(The Wall Street Journal, 3/6/09, Subscription Required)
Jim Handy, and analyst at market researcher Objective Analysis, estimates that costs to build the new factories are rising at 12% a year…
Some analysts say Spansion will face more challenges
(Austin American Statesman, 3/2/09)
Analyst Jim Handy with Objective Analysis said Spansion needs to keep the confidence of its top customers or face a potentially devastating deterioration of its business.
Chip makers watch sales fall sharply
Memory prices fell 60 percent last year and could fall 40 percent this year, according to Jim Handy, the director of the chip research firm Objective Analysis.
Spansion’s Chapter 11 Signals the Erosion of the Flash Memory Market
…as Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy writes, in this market, ORNAND isn’t very handy for Spansion to have around.
Is Apple Snarfing RAM and all of Samsung’s Capacity?
I emailed memory market expert Jim Handy of Objective Analysis and asked him what he knew about the story…
Who uses SSDs, and why?
(InfoStor, Invited Article, 2/18/09)
Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy explains that flash-based SSDs will be hot in the budget PC and enterprise server markets…
Spansion Japan files for bankruptcy protection
Spansion has been taking significant market share from its main rival in the NOR flash memory chip market in recent years, Jim Handy of Objective Analysis, noted in a recent report.
The chips are down for local memory makers
(Austin American-Statesman, 2/7/09)
“Memory has been doing significantly worse than the rest of the semiconductor industry since the middle of 2007,” said analyst Jim Handy with Objective Analysis
Memory Industry Shakeup: Q&A with Jim Handy
It’s a rough time in the industry. For some clarity I spoke with memory expert Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Spansion changes include ex-KLA-Tencor exec as new CEO
“Should the company be forced into bankruptcy several alternatives are available, the best of which will be chosen by the bankruptcy arbitrator,” Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said
Asian DRAM Firms Benefit from Qimonda’s Insolvency
Jim Handy from Objective Analysis said, “The Qimonda move is simply one more step toward the inevitable process of consolidation in DRAM. We anticipate that, by the end of 2009, there will exist at least one less DRAM maker.
Asian chip makers to gain from Qimonda’s troubles
“The Qimonda move is simply one more step toward the inevitable process of consolidation in DRAM,” Jim Handy at research firm Objective Analysis said.
Qimonda’s woes will zap gamers, PC and servers users
“If Qimonda exits the DRAM business, their competitors are likely to prosper while their partners will suffer,” says Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis.
ISS ’09: Semi outlook grim — is boom or lengthy downturn next?
Nevertheless, he cited a recent briefing given to VLSI by memory market expert Jim Handy with some hope for the future.
Memory Markets To Grow 20% In 2009, Analyst predicts
Objective Analysis’ analyst Jim Handy expects the memory market to rebound in the second half of 2009.
Ziptronix raises $2M from previous investors
(Triangle Business Journal, 12/26/08)
Ziptronix’s technology allows for the bonding of chips without wires. That helps a semiconductor company take its chip designs further, says Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst with Objective Analysis in Silicon Valley.
Very tiny ‘chicken wire’ may boost computer memory
“We just don’t understand these other materials nearly as well as silicon,” said Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst with the Los Gatos, Calif.-based firm Objective Analysis.
First Toshiba 512GB Solid State Drive Is Too Slow And Expensive, analyst says
“Unfortunately, most operating systems perform a whole lot of small random writes,” explains Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis.
Sailing into the Flash Doldrums
(MIT Technology Review, 12/16/08)
According to Jim Handy, an analyst for research firm Objective Analysis, Samsung, the world’s leader in flash, uses a 43-nanometer processing technology.
Intel and Hitachi to Co-Develop Enterprise Flash SSDs
(ITworld.com, Invited Article, 12/11/08)
On December 2, Hitachi Global Storage Technology and Intel announced a pact under which …
Samsung Upgrades Could Lower SSD Prices, Executives Say
Samsung’s main aim is to try and reduce NAND flash manufacturing costs and that could ultimately lead to SSD price drops, said Jim Handy, director of Objective Analysis
Global Chip Makers Plan Cutbacks
(Wall Street Journal, 11/28/08)
“I think the chip makers are doing the best they can given the circumstances. What is worrisome is the possibility that demand will decrease significantly for more than one quarter,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at market research firm Objective Analysis.
Inside Taiwan’s proposed gov’t DRAM bailout
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told SST that there’s a good chance any bailout, while providing temporary relief, would “simply prolong the agony.”
Spansion sues Samsung: A bold legal move that could impact Apple, Sony
As Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy put it in a statement this morning, “These companies could not have anticipated being shut out of the US market through the actions of one of their key suppliers — that’s just not supposed to happen.”
Analysis: What’s at stake with Spansion/Samsung flash memory litigation
This litigation has been building since Spansion acquired Saifun in Oct. 2007, and the companies’ current path harkens to a similar situation in 2002 between Saifun and Spansion parents AMD and Fujitsu, notes Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Spansion Files Suit Against Samsung Over 10 Flash-Memory Patents; Could Halt Sales
“They now plan to make an example out of Samsung to help other prospective licensees to understand the wisdom of working out a fair deal,” explains Jim Handy, a market researcher at the firm Objective Analysis.
Samsung is Hit with patent Suits
“These suits are a sign of the strategy that began last year with that acquisition,” said Jim Handy, director of Objective Analysis
Start-up unveils hyper-fast, all-SSD storage array
Texas Memory Systems Inc. also makes an all-SSD storage array, but its array differs in both interface and form factor from Violin’s, according to Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis
Success done in a flash
“They have a process technology that is just head and shoulders above everybody else,” said Handy.
SSDs poised for the enterprise
(InfoStor, Invited Article, 11/06/08)
The enterprise server market is warming up to SSDs faster than has happened in the PC market, and with good reason.
Windows 7 to Boost Performance of Solid State Drives – Microsoft, Research Companies.
“It is pretty widely held that SSDs are unlikely to meet with much acceptance until Windows undergoes significant tuning to take advantage of all the speed that SSDs have to offer,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Holiday spending outlook’s a mixed bag
(Solid State Technology, Invited Article, 10/31/08)
With a global financial meltdown in full swing, and oil prices whipsawing to historic highs and back down again, will consumers be in a buying mood? Jim Handy of Objective Analysis shares his views on what to expect with the holiday market for electronics goods.
2009: The Year for SSDs?
(ITBusinessEdge.com, 10/28/08)
Still, if you are heavily stocked with the most costly types of hard-disk drives, like those that use short-stroking to improve speed, then you might want to consider solid-state technology right now, according to Jim Handy at Objective Analysis.
Samsung-SanDisk Saga May Have an Extra Chapter
“Yes, it’s a very possible scenario for Samsung to pursue SanDisk again because it has a license on SanDisk flash memory patents that expires in August, 2009,” Jim Handy of Los Gatos market research firm Objective Analysis said in an e-mail.
SSDs poised for the enterprise
(InfoStor, Invited Article, 10/23/08)
Although solid-state disk (SSD) drives have seen insignificant adoption in the PC market, considerable excitement exists in the enterprise space for these devices.
SanDisk shares plunge as Samsung drops bid
(San Francisco Chronicle, 10/23/08)
Jim Handy with Los Gatos market research firm Objective Analysis said manufacturers – notably Samsung, Toshiba and SanDisk – added production capacity just as the economy began to soften. The resulting glut has driven down the price of flash memory and SanDisk shares.
Skittish Samsung Spurns SanDisk, But Toshiba Still Feels The Love
(Computer Reseller News, 10/22/08)
“This is good for Samsung,” said Jim Handy, a researcher at Objective Analysis, in a note. “Samsung’s stockholders will be rewarded if the company can acquire SanDisk at the lowest possible price.
Samsung’s bid for SanDisk is off, and so are SanDisk shares
In a bulletin sent to BetaNews this morning, Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy offered his opinion that Samsung’s public withdrawal of its bid for SanDisk…could be the next positive step in its bid to acquire SanDisk.
Samsung drops $5.9 billion SanDisk bid in weak markets
Jim Handy at Objective Analysis said in a note: “Today’s announcement should help Samsung push SanDisk’s share price lower, making it possible to acquire the company at a better deal.”
Samsung withdraws bid to acquire SanDisk
(San Jose Mercury News, 10/22/08)
“This is good for Samsung,” semiconductor analyst Jim Handy of the Objective Analysis research firm wrote after the bid’s withdrawal. “Samsung’s stockholders will be rewarded if the company can acquire SanDisk at the lowest possible price.”
SanDisk Merger With Samsung Off The Table
“Keep in mind that the initial offer by Samsung made SanDisk’s price jumped from $13.50 to $21,” explains Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Toshiba Buys 30 Percent of SanDisk’s Co-op Flash Production for $1B
“This assets-for-cash swap will bolster SanDisk’s coffers during a time when the company’s stock price is depressed, but their cash position was not desperate during their last earnings announcement,” longtime flash industry analyst Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said in an e-mail alert.
Replacing hard-disk drives with solid state: A challenging but opportune prospect for vendors
SSDs consist of NAND flash chips packaged with a controller designed to manage the flow of data between the drive and the computer. They have been around for 15 years, but were expensive and limited to markets willing to pay a premium for high reliability and ruggedness, said Jim Handy, director of Objective Analysis, a market research company.
Handicapping the Micron-Qimonda-Nanya shuffle
Jim Handy, analyst with Objective Analysis, points out that Micron is once again helping to consolidate the DRAM market by acquiring a struggling competitors’ manufacturing capacity, with “some much-needed 300mm capacity.”
Solid state not yet on solid ground
Jim Handy, a semiconductor market analyst at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., estimates that the average cost of a solid-state drive today is $5,000, compared with $300 for a high-speed, platter-based hard drive.
New Chip Technology Is Crucial to SanDisk’s Value
“There isn’t really anything to compete with it,” said Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, a market research firm in Los Gatos, Calif.
Antitrust issues on SanDisk-Samsung center on market
For Jim Handy, a semiconductor analyst at Objective Analysis, it raises a regulatory flag. “If SanDisk weren’t making those chips for its own use, they would be buying them in the open market, and that affects supply and demand.”
Could SanDisk’s plans for a music format get interrupted by Samsung?
“Given that the acquisition, if and when it happens, is several months out, nobody can say,” said Jim Handy, the Los Gatos, Calif.-based director of Objective Analysis…
Samsung-SanDisk deal likely to be nixed by regulators
Analyst Jim Handy at Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., said a Samsung-SanDisk combination would “severely constrain” the negotiating position of major flash memory buyers…
Samsung’s SanDisk Bid May Prove Too Low
… once demand rises to absorb all of today’s overcapacity, which indeed it will, prices will firm, profits will resume, and stock prices will soar,” wrote Jim Handy, a memory analyst with market research firm Objective Analysis…
Samsung bid for SanDisk shows memory market woes
… selling its share in the venture to achieve that might be difficult given the memory glut, said analyst Jim Handy with the Objective Analysis…
Regulators would likely reject Samsung deal for SanDisk
Samsung would likely gain control of the majority of the global supply of NAND flash memory chips and could squelch potent rivals, said Jim Handy, memory chip analyst at researcher Objective Analysis…
Why SSDs Won’t Knock Out Disk Drives Anytime Soon
“Frankly, SSDs for use in laptops are not really a compelling buy at this time,” said Jim Handy, a longtime NAND flash analyst with Objective Analysis.
SanDisk Says ‘No Deal’ to Samsung
Jim Handy, an analyst with semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis, agreed that Samsung was swooping in on SanDisk during a cyclical downturn in the memory chip industry.
Samsung and SanDisk: Q&A with Analyst Jim Handy
BNET: Why did Samsung want SanDisk?
Jim Handy: SanDisk has patents to cover almost every flash card, flash controllers, and some NAND memory technology.
Hardly A Done Deal: Samsung Makes Play For SanDisk
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, a Los Gatos, Calif.-based research firm, wrote in a report Tuesday that SanDisk “has plenty of reason to expect their stock price to rebound to or even rise above their 52-week high,”…
Intel, Samsung Hope To Spark The Flash Data Storage Industry
(Investor’s Business Daily, 9/10/08)
Objective Analysis analyst Jim Handy forecasts fast growth in SSD sales.
Les disques durs à mémoire Flash bousculent le marché
A ce rythme, il leur faudra moins de huit ans avant d’atteindre les limites physiques de la technologie perpendiculaire utilisée dans les disques d’aujourd’hui”, estime Jim Handy, analyste chez Objective Analysis.
The Key to Smaller, More Powerful Gadgets
“RAM is placed on the silicon chips used in electronic devices, and the companies that make these chips have it down to a science,” says Jim Handy, a director with Objective Analysis…
Are SSDs a Security Risk?
Jim Handy, director of semiconductor research and consulting firm Objective Analysis, points out there’s nothing to prevent a hacker from unsoldering NAND chips from an SSD and extracting the data using a flash chip programmer.
Analysis: Shakeout looms in SSDs
Some 50 companies are competing in the overcrowded SSD market, said Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Solid-state disk lackluster for laptops, PCs
The companies are expected to be the first to break the $1.00 a gigabyte barrier with their upcoming consumer SSD products, which will cost about $0.99 cents a gigabyte, according to Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Enterprise servers to rapidly adopt SSDs
Jim Handy, director of Objective Analysis and the report’s author, said that growth is being driven by the recent discovery by IT managers that they can significantly reduce their IT spend by replacing hard drives with a technology that at first flush appears to be significantly more costly.
SSDs are hot, but not without security risks
Many SSDs use industry-standard NAND flash chips that were designed for cameras and MP3 players, so they have no physical security hooks that prevent them from being removed from enclosures, said Jim Handy, director of Objective Analysis…
Security news roundup: The security risks of SSDs
Jim Handy, director of a semiconductor research and consulting firm noted in Network World that: “A hacker could easily unsolder NAND chips from an SSD and read the data using a flash chip programmer.”
IT Managers Choose SSDs Over Hard Disks
The benefits of SSDs, which are made from flash memory chips and have no moving parts, are even helping many IT managers get over their initial sticker shock, says Jim Handy, lead storage analyst at Objective Analysis.
Samsung follows StorageMojo’s lead – finally!
Then Flash analyst extraordinaire Jim Handy, who runs Objective Analysis, saw my post on ZDnet where I talked about the announcement. He reminded me that in October ‘06 I’d written: “Samsung is silly not to adjust their spec upwards, even to 250k.”
Micron scores big on patents, NAND innovation – is it enough?
(Idaho Business Review, 7/21/08)
“I don’t see an automatic translation from the Patent Board’s ranking to any company’s performance,” said Jim Handy, a 30-year veteran of the semiconductor industry”
What the Intel/STMicro deal means for the flash memory industry
Here is a short summary of Objective Analysis’ analyst Jim Handy report on Intel and STMicroelectronics joint-venture deal in the flash memory space.
STEC Sued for SSD Patent Infringement
According to Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis, the royalties, as claimed by Seagate, would become like a tax on SSDs and potentially other flash.
Seagate suit against STEC could raise SSD prices
A settlement, could result in the company winning cross-licensing agreements and collecting royalties not only from STEC, but also from other SSD makers such as Samsung Electronics and Intel, or see them facing similar lawsuits, according to Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis.
Data Storage Seagate Claims SSD Maker Violates Patents
Jim Handy, an industry analyst with Objective Analysis, said the suit is indeed mostly about competition.
Seagate Fires First SSD Legal Salvo
Handy wrote that it is “rare and very costly for such cases to be taken all the way to trial”
Seagate Drops Legal Bomb on SSD Memory Maker
The cost differential of flash drives to hard drives is 20-to-1, Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, told the E-Commerce Times
Seagate’s suit against STEC could change the storage game
A Seagate victory in the suit, or a settlement, could result in the company winning cross-licensing agreements and collecting royalties not only from STEC but also from other SSD makers such as Samsung Electronics and Intel Corp., or see them facing similar lawsuits, according to Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis.
Top Hard-Drive Maker Files Suit Against Rival
“Right now there’s a lot of excitement about the solid-state market, but not a lot of business,” said James Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis.
Intel, STMicro Map Out Flash Venture’s Path
(Wall Street Journal, 4/15/08, Subscription Required)
Samsung has the size and resources to cause Numonyx problems, said Jim Handy, an analyst at market-research firm Objective Analysis.
A New Memory Company
(MIT Technical Review, 4/1/08)
Samsung is also developing phase-change memory. But Numonyx is in a good position to lead the industry in phase-change memory, says Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
Intel, STMicro Memory Spin-off Finally Official
“When they were part of Intel, they had to share memory fabrication with CPU fabrication, which took the focus off making money with memory,” said Jim Handy, director and chief analyst for Objective Analysis.
Intel, STMicroelectronics open doors to Numonyx
Intel and STMicroelectronics will no longer duplicate manufacturing and design or research and development efforts, which should lead to savings, Handy said.
HP Keeps Computing Personal With Digital Storage First and Customizable PC Lineup
By 2013 the average home will require 9 TB storage capacity, of which 5 TB will be needed for commercial digital downloads of music, videos and photos.( Tom Coughlin and Jim Handy, “Digital Storage in Consumer Electronics 2008,” January 2008
Rumor mill indicates SSDs closely watched
Jim Handy: “Although Objective Analysis has faith that SSDs will eventually find widespread use in the PC, we don t expect this to occur until substantial benefits can be realized for a reasonable cost.”
Analyst: Returns, technical problems high with flash-based notebooks
Flash sells for around $3 a GB, about a 50 percent decline from the last quarter of last year, according to Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Micron/Nanya MOU – Qimonda’s Bane Or Boon?
At Objective Analysis we believe that the opposite is more likely – that Nanya’s agreement with Micron may prove to bolster the Qimonda JV.
No white flag: Micron tries another makeover
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said in a recent report that the “new approach marries Qimonda’s unique trench know-how with the stacked capacitors used by most other DRAM makers.
A flash memory notebook: The sounds of silence
Prices rose a bit in 2007, but then dropped 50 percent from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008, says Jim Handy of Objective Analysis.
Getting Past the Hype – Synapse Instant-On Wireless Mesh Network Technology Really Works
Tom Starnes, Processor Analyst for Objective Analysis, visited Synapse to experience the new product line first-hand. Tom said, “Synapse utilizes a scripting language that makes it easy for the non-professional programmer to pull together programs that will wirelessly monitor the environment and control equipment.”
Flash output ramps up at 65nm in Japan
(ElectronicsTalk.com, 3/10/08)
A 300mm fab usually gives about a 30% cost reduction over 200mm, according to Jim Handy, a Principal Analyst with Objective Analysis.
Bloodied Micron tries extreme (re)makeover
Jim Handy, an analyst with Objective Analysis, said in a recent report that the “new approach marries Qimonda’s unique trench know-how with the stacked capacitors used by most other DRAM makers.
Spansion ramps to 25k WPM at 300mm NOR fab
(Solid State Technology, 3/6/08)
Jim Handy, a principal analyst with Objective Analysis, echoed in the statement that ramping production at SP1 enables MirrorBit products with a lower cost structure, boosting Spansion’s market competitiveness.
Spansion Reaches Significant Milestone at Industry’s First 300mm NOR Wafer Fab
A 300mm fab usually gives about a 30 percent cost reduction over 200mm, according to Jim Handy, a principal analyst with Objective Analysis.
Dell Forges Ahead on SSD Notebooks
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis told InternetNews.com that Dell doesn’t seem to be dealing with a major obstacle ahead in its efforts to mix SSD drives into laptop configurations.
Solid state drives still ‘far from practical’
Jim Handy, of Objective Analysis, believes that the chip-based drives may not see significant use in notebook computers for three to five years.
SHIFT: Are solid-state drives really better than hard disks?
Semiconductor analyst Jim Handy of market research firm Objective Analysis says Mac OS X and Windows XP and Vista are designed to take advantage of spinning hard drives, not SSD.
Cell Phone OEMs Want NOR/RAM Stack, says Objective Analysis
“NAND is making great headway in cell phone handsets through both cards and embedded NAND stacks, but the MCP (multichip package) is still largely a NOR/RAM product,” said Jim Handy, founder and principal analyst of Objective Analysis.
Intel doubles phase change memory
Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis, claims that “[mobile] handset manufacturers are excited about phase-change memory”
A Memory Breakthrough
(MIT Technical Review, 2/4/08)
One of the features that makes phase-change so compelling as a flash alternative is that it has the same benefits as flash with faster speed, says Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis
ARM Achieves 10 Billion Processor Milestone
(International Business Times, 1/22/08)
“ARM’s success is a result of its processor architecture being licensed to nearly every semiconductor company in the world,” said Tom Starnes of analyst firm Objective Analysis.
Freescale Unleashes Entry-Level ColdFire Core for Mass Market
“IPextreme seems to serve as a virtual shopping mall for Freescale cores,” said Tom Starnes, processor analyst at Objective Analysis. “The ColdFire core architecture has a rich history and a huge following, so it’s good to see it available to customers wanting to add the architecture to their ASIC designs at an outrageously low cost.”
Moving to a Diskless Storage State
Jim Handy, and analyst with Objective Analysis, said this is why EMC chose to make a big announcement around the SSDs as part of its product portfolio rather than simply integrate flash into its existing systems.
Microchip Extends PIC Microcontroller with PIC32
Tom Starnes, processor analyst at semiconductor market research firm Objective Analysis said, “The peripheral-compatible PIC32 family should bring comfort to Microchip’s customers, knowing that the headroom is available as their applications evolve.”
Two New Reports From Coughlin Associates To Be Released At The 2008 Storage Visions Conference
“More than 650 Exabytes of consumer storage could be shipped annually by that time,” added Jim Handy, principal of Objective Analysis.
Hybrid hard drives stalled by software, firm says
Jim Handy said, “Unfortunately, the hardware is ready but the software support is weak. Hybrid drives will have to wait for better support to justify their small additional cost.”
HHDs stalled by software, says Objective Analysis
“Once all the kinks are ironed out, hybrid drives and their counterparts should sweep the market,” said Jim Handy, the report’s author.
Software snafu slows hybrid hard drives
“Microsoft has a good concept with its ReadyDrive software, but they can’t devote attention to it because they have diverted energy to fixing Vista bugs,” said Jim Handy, principal of Objective Analysis (Los Gatos, Calif.).
Micron marks entry into solid state drive market with 3 form factors
Los Gatos, Calif.-based market research firm Objective Analysis believe solid-state drives could save the NAND flash market next year.
Intel Rolls Out New Hafnium-Based Transistor Technology
“Conventional technology has reached the point where transistors have gotten so small, they leak more current than they consume in an active state,” notes Tom Starnes, a semiconductor market analyst for Objective Analysis.
DRAM prices may hit speed bump on way down
(The Washington Post, 11/29/07)
“Today’s DRAM price drop is not about to end – it has just begun,” said Jim Handy, memories analyst at Objective Analysis.
Long-term trouble for DRAM
Jim Handy: ‘Ten years from now we will look at PC and server memory architectures from 1981 to 2007 and say: “Did we really do that?’”
Memory maker looks to new tech for turnaround
“Once you get down to a certain cell size, you have real problems with conventional flash,” said Jim Handy, president of analysis firm Objective Analysis.
Chandler’s Microchip plans 32-bit production
(The Arizona Republic, 11/04/07)
Tom Starnes, an analyst with semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis, said, “Microchip brings a new perspective to the ever-growing 32-bit microcontroller market, based on their tremendous success in the 8-bit market.”
NOR market heats up despite tumultuous times
Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, said Spansion is “significantly” ahead of Numonyx in terms of ramping up NOR on 300mm wafers.
Trade Agreement Could Reduce Chip Counterfeiting
Counterfeit chips could affect research and development of semiconductor companies, said Jim Handy, an analyst with research firm Objective Analysis.
World’s first 300mm NOR fabrication plant opens
“Cell phone designs are moving from being exclusively NOR and DRAM or NAND and DRAM to being a mix of NOR, NAND and DRAM,” explained Jim Handy, an analyst at Objective Analysis.
NOR rivals’ gambits fly in the face of flash capacity glut
The dark horse is Samsung. The South Korean company is the leading supplier of DRAMs, SRAMs and NAND flash, and it has the potential to “steamroll everybody” in NOR if it is determined to do so, Handy said.
Spansion ramps first 300-mm NOR fab
With SP1, Spansion will be able to reduce is production costs, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis
Samsung says it will cooperate in U.S. flash memory inquiry
(Austin American-Statesman, 9/17/07)
Jim Handy, with Objective Analysis said the flash investigation may be an extension of other price-fixing cases. The Justice Department “is like a dog with a bone lately,” Handy said
Flash vs. hard drives: The battle intensifies
(Solid State Technology, 9/1/07)
In reality, NAND and HDD have stayed on nearly parallel paths of price per megabyte decreases over time. Furthermore, it appears that HDDs are poised to continue to follow a curve of price decreases roughly parallel to that of NAND for years to come.
Next-Generation Memory Faster, but Slow to Take Off
Jim Handy, analyst with Objective Analysis in Los Gatos, Calif., doesn’t believe the conversion from flash to PCM will gain momentum until 2012.
EU Gives Thumbs-Up to Intel, STMicro Flash Memory Partnership
The combined firm does bring a hefty amount of intellectual property to bear on the flash memory market and could well move into other technologies, Objective Analysis Principal Analyst Jim Handy told the E-Commerce Times.
Flash memory replacement coming this year?
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis noted that the Intel-ST joint venture is named Numonyx.
Industry Luminaries Proclaim Flash as “King of the Memory Jungle” at Flash Memory Summit 2007
“The NAND memory market has grown faster than any technology in the history of semiconductors, exceeding $11 billion in 2006, only a decade after its introduction.” — Jim Handy, Principal Analyst of Objective Analysis
iPhones, iPods to Hog Flash Chip Market
The projections may be a bit high, said Jim Handy, a principal with Objective Analysis.
Samsung celebrates opening of new chip factory
(Austin American-Statesman 6/15/07)
Said analyst Jim Handy with Objective Analysis: “Video clips gobble up gobs and gobs of memory space”
A Cure For Memory Headaches: The iPhone
Here’s a quick calculation, courtesy of Jim Handy, an analyst with market researcher Objective Analysis. If Apple is buying between 400 million and 500 million 4 gigabit NAND flash memory chips from Samsung…
Samsung plant sets the stage for Austin’s chip rebound
(Austin American-Statesman 6/10/07)
“Samsung is the slow-moving steamroller,” Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said. “It is perfectly clear where they are going, but your only chance is to get out of the way.”
EDA ‘software challenged,’ Gary Smith says
Tom Starnes, analyst at Objective Analysis noted: “You’ve got to have a way to simulate the entire system and certainly all the processors and all the software in a timely fashion. One of the most difficult things to simulate is the dynamics of power.”
SEMICON REPORT: Tough Times Ahead For NOR Flash Makers
(Dow Jones Newswires 5/29/07, Subscription Required)
Jim Handy, an analyst at U.S.-based market research firm Objective Analysis said: “Few companies other than Intel, Spansion, STMicroelectronics and Samsung are shrinking processes to 90-nanometers and further, so their costs will be too high to compete.
La mémoire Flash NAND, nouvel eldorado du semiconducteur
Ce composant enregistre la plus forte croissance de l’histoire du semiconducteur. Pour l’avoir ignorée, Intel et STMicro en sont réduits à associer leurs activités Flash basées sur une autre technologie. Décodage de ce marché explosif avec Jim Handy, du cabinet Objective Analysis.
Intel-STMicro deal may change fortunes of beaten down NOR flash market
If successful, Spansion is likely to be the first NOR maker to return to profitability, distancing themselves from the combined Intel-STMicro company, according to Jim Handy, analyst at Objective Analysis, a semiconductor researcher.
Intel gets what it deserves in NOR deal, analyst says
Even though Intel had larger revenues, ST managed to pocket 8 percent more than Intel in stock and cash compensation in the deal, according to a recent research note from Objective Analysis.
Samsung, Apple NAND rumor good sign for memory market, firm says
Market research firm Objective Analysis said in a report Monday that the level of flash consumption from Apple’s rumored request would make 50 million to 60 million 4-Gbyte iPods, or 25 million to 30 million of Apple’s current top-of-the-line 8-GByte models. According to the firm, Apple sold 30 million iPods in the second half of last year, so the rumored request is “reasonable,” Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy said in the report.
Memory makers: Predicting future investments in a commodity world
Jim Handy at Objective Analysis agreed, noting that vendors compete on price in the commodity market and do everything they can to reduce their cost structure – “it’s like an obsession,” he said.
Starnes joins Objective Analysis
“Embedded-processor guru Tom Starnes has joined Objective Analysis , a semiconductor market research firm, as director of processors.”
Intel rolls 128M phase-change memory
“It’s too early to tell which memory will succeed flash, said Jim Handy, principal flash analyst at Objective Analysis…”
Semico, spin-off don’t see eye to eye on chip growth
“The first quarter of 2007 was not as dire for the semiconductor industry as some have suggested,” said Dave Cavanaugh…
IC industry revenue to hit $316B in 2008, forecasts analyst
“The first quarter of 2007 was not as dire for the semiconductor industry as some have suggested,” said Dave Cavanaugh, Objective Analysis’ director of manufacturing.
IC Revenue to Hit $316B in 2008, Says Analyst
Strong end market growth and stabilizing average selling prices will drive semiconductor industry revenue to $316 billion in 2008, an increase of nearly 18% from projected 2007 sales, according to Objective Analysis.
Samsung Expects Worst Earnings in 4 Years
(Korea Times, South Korea, 4/11/07)
“The first quarter of 2007 was not as dire for the semiconductor industry as some suggested,” said a report from market research firm Objective Analysis.
Consumer spending to drive semi demand up 18% in 2008
Dave Cavanaugh, director of manufacturing research for the firm said in a statement, “The first quarter of 2007 was not be as dire for the semiconductor industry as some have suggested. Recent gains in new orders and low inventories of end-market electronics have already improved the pace of a slow-starting quarter. In fact, by the end of 2007 we expect revenues to grow to $268 billion representing a 6.3 percent increase over a healthy 2006.”
Analyst forecasts 18% chip sales growth in ’08
(Electronics Supply & Manufacturing 04/11/07)
“The first quarter of 2007 was not as dire for the semiconductor industry as some have suggested,” said Dave Cavanaugh.
Analyst forecasts 18% chip sales growth in ’08
Dave Cavanaugh, Objective Analysis’ director of manufacturing, said in a statement. “Recent gains in new orders and low inventories of end-market electronics have already improved the pace of a slow-starting quarter.”
Cramming in ever more content
Jim Handy of Objective Analysis predicts that flash-based technologies will have eliminated CD-R as a backup medium by 2008, and will have a similar effect on DVD by 2010.
Hynix-SanDisk: what it means
Objective Analysis’ Jim Handy issued a point-by-point analysis of the deal, showing what it will mean to various companies in the memory supply chain. Here’s his view:
3-D could stack deck for IC makers in fight to tame interconnect
Several 3-D packaging and product startups, including Cubic Wafer, Tezzaron, Ziptronix and ZyCube, have emerged and are sampling products, but those offerings are “nowhere near the mainstream,” said Jim Handy, an analyst with market research firm Objective Analysis
Analysts have mixed outlook for Micron stock
(Idaho Business Review 2/12/07)
“All semiconductor manufacturers have continuing cost reductions, which are anticipated to pretty much go on forever,” Jim Handy of Objective Analysis said. “The competitive strength of Micron is managing those cost reductions better than their competition.”
Flash memory makers heading for tough times
Jim Handy now at Objective Analysis that “in aggregate, the entire flash market has had zero profit.”
Flash swamps hard drives in consumer market
“There will always be a hard disk drive in the PC,” Handy said. “Flash will not take that over, but it has a chance of getting past all the other removable media.”
Analysts Criticize, Debate Hybrid DVD Plans
“Jim Handy, chief analyst at Objective Analysis, said that he could only see a high-capacity flash drive, such as the one recently announced by SanDisk, being used in ruggedized applications like a jet fighter, where both pilot and drive are subject to the kind of stresses that ‘rattle your teeth,’ he said.”
SanDisk rolls out flash hard drives for laptops
“There are certain applications where it can be used, but I just don’t see it for business where the most violent thing they (users) will encounter is a cab ride in New York,” said Handy.
Chipmakers see strong end to the year: Analysts say 2007 prices should stabilize, but worldwide supply is expected to rise
(San Francisco Chronicle, 1/3/07)
“Our best guess is that sometime in 2008 (memory) prices come down perhaps by half,” Handy said
Hynix Unveils World’s Fastest DRAM Chip
“Hynix is sometimes not all that highly regarded as a technology leader,” Objective Analysis Director Jim Handy told TechNewsWorld. “Getting to 1 GB proves they’re no slouch in the R&D department.”
Water Cooler: Comings and Goings
“Jim Handy, flash analyst at Semico, left to form a new research firm, dubbed Objective Analysis.”
