Samsung Electronics and Western Digital are collaborating in the next-generation memory industry and launching initiatives to create new customer value.

Samsung Electronics announced on the 30th that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Western Digital, a U.S. storage specialist, for technology cooperation on 'Zoned Storage.'

'Zoned Storage' is a next-generation storage technology that enables more efficient operation of large-capacity storage in data centers and enterprises.

Through this collaboration, the two companies have decided to actively promote standardization of 'Zoned Storage' technology, which is drawing attention as a next-generation enterprise storage technology.

Additionally, the companies plan to pursue collaboration in various open communities including expansion of the 'Zoned Storage' technology foundation, product model standardization, software development for products, and product promotion.

Samsung Electronics and Western Digital are participating as founding members of the 'Zoned Storage Technical Work Group' under SNIA, which was launched in December of last year, leading the development of 'Zoned Storage' technology.

'Zoned Storage' technology can reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) for enterprise companies while also improving quality of service (QoS).

Samsung Electronics and Western Digital plan to operate demo lab services that support experience and development of memory solution products to expand the 'Zoned Storage' technology ecosystem, and will conduct product evaluations between the two companies.

Samsung Electronics plans to open its Samsung Memory Research Cloud, which allows evaluation of server systems with ZNS (Zoned Namespace) SSDs applied, to customers and partner companies in the second half of this year.

Samsung Electronics developed the ZNS SSD using 'Zoned Storage' technology for the first time in the industry in June of last year.

Han Jin-man, Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing at Samsung Electronics' Memory Business Division, stated, "Through this 'Zoned Storage' technology collaboration with Western Digital, we have now provided a stable ecosystem along with technology standardization not only in hardware but also in the software ecosystem," and added, "Through this collaboration, we expect to induce cooperation from various partners in the industry, which will contribute to market expansion and creation of new customer value in the memory sector."

Meanwhile, Western Digital halted production lines at two factories in Yokkaichi and Kitakami, Japan, which it established as a joint venture with Kioxia on the 2nd, due to raw material contamination issues, resulting in supply losses due to production disruptions.

Additionally, Kioxia and Western Digital are known to be breaking ground on a NAND flash manufacturing facility worth approximately 1 trillion yen in Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan in April.