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Toshiba Will Spin Off Some Of Its Memory Business (computerworld.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the flash-in-the-pan dept.

Lucas123 writes: Toshiba, which invented NAND flash, plans to sell off an as-of-yet undisclosed portion of its memory business, including its solid-state drive unit, to Western Digital. Toshiba is spinning the business off to WD, a business ally, because it hopes in the long run the Toshiba-WD alliance will enable an expansion in NAND flash production capacity and increased efficiency in storage product development... Currently, Toshiba and WD together represent 35% of global NAND flash production; Samsung leads that market with 36% of production. "Toshiba wants to put its memory business in a more stable financial position," said Sean Yang, research director of DRAMeXchange. "Facing mounting operational and competitive pressure, the spun-off entity will be more effective in raising cash to stay afloat or expand"...

Toshiba's solvency and fundraising ability are also in trouble because of a $1.9 billion accounting scandal and a multi-billion dollar loss related to a nuclear plant purchase. Last week, Toshiba announced its share price had tumbled 13% after reports that its nuclear power business had lost $4.4 billion.

13 comments

  1. So, ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

    ... memory loss.

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    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    1. Re:So, ... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Nope, just one more nail in the coffin of nuclear energy. If Westinghouse, the makers of the fabulous AP-1000 fourth gen reactor can't figure out how to make them without staying an order of magnitude within it's budget it's doubtful anybody is going to try it. Especially with wind and solar chewing on the insulation.

      We are just a battery technology away from killing it altogether.

      Which may or may not be a good thing. Lots to be said for a relatively compact, long lived, gigawatt level power supply. To bad we don't have the maturity to use it.

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      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:So, ... by Areyoukiddingme · · Score: 2

      We are just a battery technology away from killing it altogether.

      Well no. Not even the wildest projections of eventual battery capacity meet or exceed what a nuclear power plant can do, so they'll never die. Specifically, US military reactors will always be with us, in submarines and aircraft carriers.

      For that matter, the existing civilian reactor fleet worldwide will be with us for many decades. Together with their fuel loads, they represent a tremendous sunk cost. They will be kept operational for as long as their fuel lasts, at the very least. I suspect many of them will be reloaded with new fuel in the coming decades, just because there is so much money tied up in those plants. How else can the owners pay off the construction bonds?

      If nothing else, if the cost of electricity drops so low that nuclear plant bond issuers can no longer make the payments, somebody will buy them up at firesale prices and keep them running. Operational, they represent revenue streams. Shut down, they're a dead loss. Possibly a hugely expensive dead loss, depending on demands for refurbishing the site.

      Regardless, and no matter what is coming, nuclear power will be with us for a long time. The money demands it. And in this brave new world of ours, the money gets what the money wants.

    3. Re:So, ... by MightyMartian · · Score: 2

      There were certainly be certain types of reactors that will always be needed, but it does seem the case, no matter what the nuclear power advocates (not to mention the oil, natural gas and coal advocates) have to say, that the storage technology is likely to supplant the more "traditional" energy production systems within a few decades. At some point existing reactors will end up having to be dealt with by taxpayers, like any industrial mess. Maybe the technology to adequately deal with nuclear waste will be along by then, who knows. One thing is certain, nuclear as a major producer of electricity anywhere doesn't have a lot of legs left. It's most vocal advocates are already beginning to sound like gold standard kooks.

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      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    4. Re:So, ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right...because storage technology is just going to get better and better forever. Just like the PC got faster and faster right? There is no physical limit to battery storage, right? Everything is going to get better and better forever. Right.

    5. Re:So, ... by MightyMartian · · Score: 2

      Does someone need infinitely improving storage technology? Where are you driving to, the Moon? And coupled with other large-scale forms of storage, like solar or wind pumps for dams and various other means of mechanically or thermally storing renewable energy, is there some reason you imagine people will still want to run very expensive nuclear reactors that still require digging the fuel out of the ground at some point. Now maybe someone invents a fusion reactor that can produce a net amount of energy in large enough quantities to be economically viable, and if that happens, well then all bets are off, but in the meantime nuclear is bloody fucking expensive.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    6. Re:So, ... by FeelGood314 · · Score: 1

      Typical price range of electricity where I live is from $0.02 to $0.40 per kWh. Even with swings like this there currently is no storage technology that can be profitable. Pumps for dams will wear out or require to much maintenance to turn a profit. The existing water storage mechanisms in Canada and the USA are maintained for insurance not for storage. (The pump facilities charge utilities for the ability to rapidly bring power online). Chemical batteries will degrade before they will have gone through enough charge cycles to pay for themselves.
      So yes, a good battery technology would be revolutionary.

    7. Re:So, ... by lalleglad · · Score: 2

      Yes, a revolution, and also because battery technology, even as of today, will mean a lot more distributed storage.
      Like the Tesla Powerwall that is available now.

      More distributed power storage will also mean higher safety, because then there won't be one single plant to attack to put a lot of people in misery.
      Just like computing today, the net is the computer, not some single large mainframe.

      Batteries may eventually not just be LiIon, but all kinds of electrical, chemical and mechanical systems, which will make the safety even better.
      Systems with built in redundancy are safer systems.

    8. Re:So, ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In looking at existing plants nuclear power is the cheapest source. It doesn't need to be made cheaper to be a good option. People comparing nuclear to solar and wind don't take capacity factor into account. When you do you must multiply their cost by about 4X and then assume future storage technology will come along and that it won't be hugely expensive as well. Wind and solar need to become an order of magnitude cheaper to be cheaper than nuclear once you include the cost of storage. Wind is unlikely to see dramatic improvement, but solar has potential for disruptive technological advancement, just no assurance of if or when it may happen, combined with the need for the same to happen with storage technology you already mentioned we are waiting for two things that may or may not happen while ignoring nuclear, which exists now.

      http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/economic-aspects/economics-of-nuclear-power.aspx

  2. Logical following Sandisk by unixisc · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Given that WD had acquired Sandisk a while ago, which sources their NAND flash from Toshiba, this decision certainly makes sense, and helps bring inhouse WD's supply for both Sandisk as well as their own SSDs

    1. Re:Logical following Sandisk by HideyoshiJP · · Score: 2

      True. It's sad, though, because it reduces competition. I also appreciated being able to purchase some "Made in Japan" storage (though many of their lines weren't).

    2. Re:Logical following Sandisk by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Well, WD would now have 'Made in Japan' as well, for any ex-Toshiba memory fabs that are Japan based.

  3. centuries of deception drilled into our heads by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    not to mention abuse by other means... cease fire stand down... sing along... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKMVxrryzps