Posted on Friday, May 28th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Buoyed by improved market demand and a brightening macroeconomic environment, revenue in 2010 for NOR flash memory is projected to rise in a continuing assertion of the technology’s strength and staying power, according to iSuppli Corp. Reversing the market’s slump of the past year from the worldwide economic downturn, revenue for NOR flash memory is projected to climb a modest but encouraging 4.2 percent, rising to $4.8 billion this year from $4.6 billion in 2009. Of the 2010 revenue amount, roughly 57 percent will come from the NOR used in mobile handsets—a principal product category in which the flash memory type is traditionally used. The rest of NOR flash revenue—43 percent, or $2.0 billion—will derive from embedded NOR uses, the partcular segment of NOR memory that has found extensive application in a wide range of consumer electronic products other than mobile handsets. Within the embedded NOR segment, the PC market—including the motherboard, disk drive and networking sectors—will constitute more than 50 percent of units. Given that more than five NOR pieces are needed for every computer system, and in light of projections showing the PC market expanding 16 percent this year, the NOR flash market can expect upgraded prospects in 2010 compared to generally depressed results last year, iSuppli believes.
