Press Release:
SSD Alliance to introduce first testing program in July

Josephine Lien, Taipei; Esther Lam, DIGITIMES [Thursday 12 June 2008]

An alliance advocated by Taiwan-based companies for the standardization of solid-state drive (SSD) testing will introduce the first set of testing standards in July. Members of the alliance aim to invite leading chipmakers and PC vendors to join the league.

The SSD Alliance was officially formed recently. It will introduce a 1.0 testing protocol in July for 2.5-inch SATA SSD testing. Members from the alliance said it will open for other industry players to join in the third quarter. Executives from Allion Test Labs, one of the founding members, indicated that SSD specifications are currently following JEDEC standards. The alliance is open for partnership with any organization that may standardize SSD testing.

Founding members of the alliance include chipmaker Toshiba, memory module makers A-Data Technology, Transcend Information and Silicon Power Computer & Communications, controller IC design houses ASMedia Technology, CoreSolid Storage and JMicron Technology, and IT products testing organization Allion Test Labs.

Despite industry players ranging from upstream and downstream all showing interest to extend into the SSD market, there is no available testing standard for SSDs yet. The lack of a standardized testing program is not crucial now as the SSD market is not yet mature, but as the market expands alongside shrinking chip prices, such a program will become necessary to protect consumer interests, according to members of the alliance. The alliance thus aims to standardize testing specifications such as data read/write performance and wear-leveling.

Members of the alliance indicated that they aim to draw leading chipmakers including Hynix Semiconductor, Intel, Micron Technology and Samsung Electronics, as well as PC vendors to join the alliance in the future.

http://www.digitimes.com/bits_chips/a20080611PD219.html