sTec

sTec, Inc. was a California-based data-storage technology company whose business evolved from computer-memory modules and consumer storage products into enterprise solid-state drives. Founded in 1990 as Simple Technology by brothers Manouch Moshayedi and Mike Moshayedi, the company initially designed and sold memory modules. Mark Moshayedi later joined the business and became an important operating and technical leader. Over time, the company expanded into flash memory, DRAM, SRAM, flash controllers, removable storage and solid-state storage devices. The company changed its name to SimpleTech in 2001 and used that identity for a broad consumer-storage portfolio. Products associated with the SimpleTech business included memory cards, USB flash drives, memory upgrades, external hard drives, portable drives, network-attached storage and backup-oriented services. The SimpleShare network-attached storage product was announced in 2004, while the company later introduced a Pininfarina-designed portable external hard drive and the environmentally oriented [re]drive. In early 2007, the consumer division was sold to Fabrik Inc. for $43 million in cash. Fabrik continued to market products under the SimpleTech name and later became part of Hitachi through Hitachi's 2009 acquisition of Fabrik. After the consumer transaction, the remaining OEM and enterprise operation was run as STEC, Inc., later styled sTec. The company concentrated on business flash memory and enterprise solid-state drives supplied to original equipment manufacturers, data-center customers, distributors, resellers and system integrators. Its customers included Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard and IBM. The company became notable for early enterprise SSD deployment and for products such as the ZeusIOPS line. In 2007, it was described as the first supplier in its industry to deploy enterprise-class SSDs to OEM customers. EMC subsequently became a major customer of the ZeusIOPS business. sTec maintained research and development, sales, support and manufacturing activities across the United States and several Asian markets, including China, India, Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan. It was publicly listed on NASDAQ from 2000 until its acquisition. Western Digital announced in June 2013 that sTec would become part of its HGST subsidiary, and the acquisition was completed on September 12, 2013. Following that transaction, sTec ceased to operate as an independent publicly traded company and became part of Western Digital's storage-technology organization.

sTec began in 1990 as Simple Technology, a company founded by Manouch Moshayedi and Mike Moshayedi to design and sell computer-memory modules. The founders used personal savings to establish the business. Mark Moshayedi joined in 1993 as chief operating and technical officer, helping broaden the company's engineering and manufacturing activities. During the 1990s, Simple Technology moved beyond conventional memory modules into flash and other semiconductor-storage technologies. In 1994 it acquired Cirrus Logic's flash-controller operation, supporting entry into flash-memory applications for consumer electronics. In 1998 it acquired SiliconTech, gaining additional flash-memory customers and operations. By 1999, the company had brought 1 GB solid-state IDE storage devices to market, along with SDRAM modules and 320 MB Type II CompactFlash products. These activities established the technical foundation for its later solid-state storage business. Simple Technology became a public company on September 26, 2000, when its shares began trading on NASDAQ under the symbol STEC. In 2001, the company shortened its operating name to SimpleTech. Under that name, it developed a consumer-oriented portfolio that combined storage hardware with backup, content-management and online-service concepts. The SimpleShare network-attached storage product was announced in November 2004. The company also introduced portable external hard drives, including a design associated with the Pininfarina design firm, and developed products such as the environmentally oriented [re]drive. A major strategic separation occurred in early 2007, when the consumer division was sold to Fabrik Inc. for $43 million in cash. Fabrik retained the SimpleTech brand and continued developing consumer storage products and related services, including the Joggle.com platform. The transaction left the original company focused on OEM and enterprise storage. The remaining operation adopted the STEC, Inc. identity, later stylized as sTec, Inc., and concentrated on business flash memory, enterprise solid-state drives and related storage technologies. The enterprise business supplied products through direct OEM relationships as well as distributors, resellers and system integrators. Customers identified in reference material included Dell, EMC, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard and IBM. In 2007, sTec was described as the first supplier in its industry to deploy enterprise-class SSDs to OEM customers. Its ZeusIOPS products became associated with high-performance enterprise solid-state storage, and EMC was announced as the sole customer for ZeusIOPS in one cited business context. The company expanded its international engineering and operating footprint, with research, development, sales, support and manufacturing activities in the United States and several Asian locations. sTec continued corporate development through the acquisition of assets from Knowledge Quest Infotech Private Limited in Pune, India, announced in 2011. Mark Moshayedi became chief executive officer in September 2012, while Manouch Moshayedi was also identified as a senior company leader. The company remained NASDAQ-listed until Western Digital announced in June 2013 that it would acquire sTec and place it within HGST. The transaction was reported at approximately $340 million and was completed on September 12, 2013. sTec consequently ceased to exist as an independent public company, with its technology and operations becoming part of Western Digital's HGST organization.

• 2013

  Acquired by Western Digital

  [1]STecen.wikipedia.org

  Western Digital completed the acquisition of sTec on September 12, bringing it into HGST.

• 2011

  Knowledge Quest Infotech assets acquired

  [1]STecen.wikipedia.org

  sTec acquired assets of Knowledge Quest Infotech Private Limited in Pune, India.

• 2007

  Consumer division sold and enterprise focus adopted

  [1]STecen.wikipedia.org

  The SimpleTech consumer division was sold to Fabrik, while the remaining OEM operation focused on enterprise flash storage under the STEC name.

• 2004

  SimpleShare announced

  [1]STecen.wikipedia.org

  The company announced the SimpleShare consumer network-attached storage product.

• 2001

  Name changed to SimpleTech

  [1]STecen.wikipedia.org

  Simple Technology adopted the SimpleTech name for its operating identity and consumer products.

• 2000

  NASDAQ listing

  [1]STecen.wikipedia.org

  The company became publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker STEC on September 26.

• 1999

  Early 1 GB solid-state storage introduced

  [1]STecen.wikipedia.org

  The company brought 1 GB solid-state IDE storage devices to market and also offered SDRAM and CompactFlash products.

• 1998

  SiliconTech acquired

  [1]STecen.wikipedia.org

  The acquisition added flash-memory customers and operating capabilities.

• 1994

  Flash-controller operation acquired

  [1]STecen.wikipedia.org

  Simple Technology acquired Cirrus Logic's flash-controller operation and entered a broader flash-memory market.

• 1990

  Simple Technology founded

  [1]STecen.wikipedia.org

  Manouch Moshayedi and Mike Moshayedi founded Simple Technology to design and sell computer-memory modules.

Enterprise storage and flash-memory technology supplier focused on high-performance solid-state drives for data centers and OEM systems; its earlier SimpleTech identity also served consumer backup and external-storage markets.

• Enterprise solid-state drives

  ZeusIOPS

  ZeusIOPS was sTec's enterprise SSD family, aimed at data-center and OEM applications requiring high-performance flash storage. The line represented the company's shift away from consumer memory products toward business-critical storage and was associated with an EMC customer relationship.

• Consumer network-attached storage · 2004

  SimpleShare

  SimpleShare was a consumer network-attached storage product announced in 2004. It extended the SimpleTech portfolio from removable and external storage into network-based file access and household data management.

• Consumer external storage

  SimpleTech portable external drives

  The SimpleTech portfolio included portable and external hard drives for consumer file storage, backup and transport. Some designs, including a portable drive introduced in 2006, were associated with Pininfarina's industrial-design work.

• Environmentally oriented external storage · 2008

  SimpleTech [re]drive

  The [re]drive was an environmentally oriented SimpleTech storage product developed after the consumer business moved to Fabrik. It formed part of Fabrik's effort to combine consumer storage hardware with backup and digital-content services.

• Consumer flash and computer memory

  SimpleTech memory products

  Earlier SimpleTech products included flash memory cards, USB flash drives, memory upgrades and related computer-memory products. These offerings reflected the company's original memory-module business before its later concentration on enterprise solid-state storage.

• 2013

  Join Western Digital through HGSTM&A

  Background

  sTec was an independent enterprise-SSD company operating in a storage market undergoing consolidation.

  Action taken

  Western Digital agreed to acquire sTec and integrate it with HGST.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition closed on September 12, 2013, ending sTec's independent public-company status.

  Reported purchase price. $340 million (2013)

  Source

• 2011

  Acquire Knowledge Quest Infotech assetsM&A

  Background

  sTec sought to expand its technical and operating capabilities in India.

  Action taken

  The company acquired assets from Knowledge Quest Infotech Private Limited in Pune.

  Aftermath

  The transaction added assets in an important engineering and technology location.

  Source

• 2007

  Separate consumer storage from the enterprise businessStrategy

  Background

  The company operated both the SimpleTech consumer-storage business and an OEM-oriented storage operation.

  Action taken

  It sold the consumer division to Fabrik Inc. for $43 million in cash and retained the OEM and enterprise operation under the STEC identity.

  Aftermath

  The remaining company concentrated on business flash memory and enterprise SSDs, while Fabrik continued using the SimpleTech brand.

  Sale consideration. $43 million (2007)

  Source

1. 1STecen.wikipedia.org