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2001-0197E
Fujitsu Limited
Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe GmbH
Fujitsu Establishes First FRAM Centre in Europe
- Strengthens Global Development and Design Capabilities
in FRAM-embedded System LSI -
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Tokyo/Dreieich-Buchschlag, October 15, 2001---Fujitsu Limited and Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe GmbH (FME) announced today that they have established a new facility near Paris, France to serve as Fujitsu's European base for R&D and marketing in the burgeoning field of FRAM *1 (ferroelectric random access memory). The new Fujitsu Microelectronics FRAM Centre begins operations today.
Europe currently constitutes 80% of the market by volume for multipurpose IC cards, the most promising market for FRAM, and France has become the world's driving force in such areas as the standardization and supply of IC cards. By establishing this new Centre, Fujitsu and FME aim to expand the adoption of FRAM products in the growing IC card market.
According to Fujitsu estimates, the global market for IC cards will reach US$3.5 billion in fiscal 2001 and grow at an annual rate of over 30% through 2004. Demand is anticipated to increase for multipurpose IC cards with more sophisticated security technology and higher data rewrite capability, as well as for contactless IC cards capable of high-speed read/write operations. In Fujitsu's comparisons of FRAM with EEPROM *2, devices currently used in IC cards, FRAM has demonstrated clearly superior results, delivering write speed that is about 1,000 times faster, requiring only 1/100 of the power consumption for write operations, and having a rewrite capability approximately 100,000 times higher.
Going forward, Fujitsu plans to integrate sophisticated security and software technology with its FRAM technology and rapidly deliver FRAM-based solutions for a wide array of IC card requirements.
About the Fujitsu Microelectronics FRAM Centre
| Name: |
Fujitsu Microelectronics FRAM Centre (a wholly owned subsidiary of FME) |
| Address: |
105 Rue Jules Guesde, 92300 Levallois Perret, France |
| Employees: |
7 at the outset, 25 by 2004 |
| Operations: |
Support for FRAM products and application development tools |
Terminology
- *1 FRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory):
- A non-volatile memory device using highly conductive ferroelectric materials that is able to retain data even when power is turned off. Can write at high speeds and rewrite numerous times with very low power consumption.
- *2 EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory):
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one type of non-volatile semiconductor memory.
Note: FRAM is a registered trademark of Ramtron International Corporation. All other company/product names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders
About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is a leading provider of Internet-focused information technology solutions for the global marketplace. Its pace-setting technologies, best-in-class computing and telecommunications platforms, and worldwide corps of systems and services experts make it uniquely positioned to unleash the infinite possibilities of the Internet to help its customers succeed. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 5.48 trillion yen for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001.
For more information, see: http://www.fujitsu.com/
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Please understand that product prices, specifications and other details are current on the day of issue of the press release, however, may change thereafter without notice.
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