Back
to News Room
Ultra Small Design Provides Portable, Easy-to-Use Solution
for Transporting and Sharing Digital Content
Singapore (April 6, 2004) – Imation Corp. (NYSE:
IMN), a worldwide leader in removable data storage media, today announced
its entrance into the flash market with its unique line of USB 2.0 Swivel
Flash Drives, available in capacities ranging from 128 megabytes (MB)
to 512MB. Designed for business users and consumers, the new Imation
USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drives combine flash memory technology with the
convenience of a USB connection and a unique “never-lose”
swivel cap design to deliver an easy, portable means of protecting,
transferring and sharing digital information.
“Imation is committed to delivering the broadest portfolio of
removable data storage media in order to meet the worldwide demands
of our customers,” said Nancy Tan, Managing Director, Imation
South Asia. “Adding this line of unique USB flash drives to our
portfolio is a testament to our commitment to provide our worldwide
customers with data storage products they can trust with their valuable
digital content.”
Flash continues to evolve and expand as an ideal medium of choice for
many digital applications, including business presentations, personal
files, music downloads or any digital content that needs to be temporarily
stored for transfer or transport. According to Understanding and Solutions,
flash drive sales worldwide are expected to grow 85 percent, with sales
of more than 33.5 million units in 2004. Gartner estimates that the
flash media market will become a $7.7 billion dollar market by 2008;
and other industry research suggests that the flash format could account
for up to 45 percent of the personal storage media market by 2008.
Weighing about 28gram (less than one ounce), the Imation USB 2.0 Swivel
Flash Drive plugs directly into the USB port of any computer and can
easily store digital information such as documents, music, presentations,
photos and more. The high-speed USB swivel flash drive reads at 8MB/sec
and writes at 7MB/sec., and the drive’s plug-and-play format allows
users to drag and drop files between drive and desktop. The small size
(about the size of an AA battery) makes the light-weight drive highly
portable, fitting conveniently onto a supplied lanyard or attached to
a key ring.
With traditional flash drive that comes with a detachable variant, users
run the risk of losing the protective cover. The USB swivel flash drive
is unique from other flash drives on the market because it features
a patented swivel cap design that guarantees you will never lose the
cap. The locking mechanism stops the cap from swiveling when in use.
In addition, the gold-plated USB connector ensures reliable connection
and prevents rusting.
The write-protect switch, coupled with the optional public/private drive
partitioning and password protection software (available via a free
download from imation-southasia.com) can save data from accidental erasure
or unauthorized access.
“The Imation USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drive provides a unique, professional
design that makes the drive easier to carry and use, and the data easier
to protect - meeting a key market need of our global customers. With
our innovative features, users are assured of reliability, quality and
safety of their data,” said Nancy Tan, Managing Director, Imation
South Asia.
The Imation USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drives are currently available with
a two-year warranty from authorized Imation distributors and resellers
in 128MB, 256MB and 512MB capacities. Suggested retail price is S$99
(128MB), S$169 (256MB) and S$299 (512MB). Each retail pack comes with
a Flash Drive, USB extension cable and lanyard. For more information
on Imation’s USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drives, visit www.imation-southasia.com/flash.
About Imation
Imation Corp. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of removable
data storage media. With one of the broadest product lines in the industry—spanning
from a few megabytes to hundreds of gigabytes of capacity in each piece
of media, Imation serves customers in more than 100 countries, in both
business and consumer markets. With more than 300 scientists and more
than 330 data storage-related patents in the U.S., Imation continues
to pioneer today's proven magnetic and optical media technologies.
As of December 2003, Imation employed approximately 2,800 people worldwide.
Revenues from outside the U.S. contribute approximately 54 percent of
total sales. Additional information about Imation is available on the
company’s website at www.imation-southasia.com.