• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Toshiba Confirms Spin Off of Its NAND Flash Production Business

Raevenlord

News Editor
Joined
Aug 12, 2016
Messages
3,755 (1.33/day)
Location
Portugal
System Name The Ryzening
Processor AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Motherboard MSI X570 MAG TOMAHAWK
Cooling Lian Li Galahad 360mm AIO
Memory 32 GB G.Skill Trident Z F4-3733 (4x 8 GB)
Video Card(s) Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti
Storage Boot: Transcend MTE220S 2TB, Kintson A2000 1TB, Seagate Firewolf Pro 14 TB
Display(s) Acer Nitro VG270UP (1440p 144 Hz IPS)
Case Lian Li O11DX Dynamic White
Audio Device(s) iFi Audio Zen DAC
Power Supply Seasonic Focus+ 750 W
Mouse Cooler Master Masterkeys Lite L
Keyboard Cooler Master Masterkeys Lite L
Software Windows 10 x64
After some reports pegged this event has likely and upcoming, Toshiba has now confirmed that they will be spinning off their NAND production business, whilst simultaneously parting with a 20% minority stake on the resulting business. This would inject Toshiba's coffers with enough liquidity to keep the company afloat, whilst letting them keep a hold of their most profitable business.

While details are still scarce (namely regarding the structuring of this spin off and who will be the investor to buy the reported 20% stake that Toshiba is willing to part with (with it most likely being Western Digital, as we've mentioned in our previous piece), the company has announced that they want to complete the transaction by the end of this quarter, March 31st.





For Toshiba, NAND flash production is strategically important because it enables the company to produce all types of storage devices in-house, allowing it to keep total production verticality, since product development, inception and design, all the way towards parts manufacturing and assembly - which leads to higher margins on each product sold.

The only other company that can manufacture all types of storage products using its own media is Western Digital, which already has working relations, in the form of joint ventures, with Toshiba. As such, Western Digital would be the perfect investor, since it already has everything needed (from infrastructure, production and quality assurance to channel partners) to produce actual storage devices.

According to Reuters, sources have said Toshiba aims to raise more than 200 billion yen ($1.7 billion) from the sale: with other potential investors including private equity firms and the government-backed Development Bank of Japan.

Though it has to be said: selling of your most profitable business may be a short-term need, but it's surely a long-term risk. Mark Newman, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein in Hong Kong, reiterated the fact that such moves are usually met with long-term hurdles that may help to sink the company even more, by saying that "The NAND business is the only one with value, as it makes up all of the semi-conductor profits, which comprise 75 percent of the overall company's profit. I won't be surprised if they sell another 20 percent in a few years time and then another 20 percent.".

The other most recognizable spin off in recent years has been AMD's spin off of their manufacturing business and the creation of Globalfoundries. The verdict is still up in the air regarding that business decision, with AMD still incurring regular penalties and charges that they would otherwise be free of (though it would appear, looking only towards the company's recent history, that it is now paying off).

We'll just have to wait and see how this turns out, but this might mean that Western Digital will become even more of a juggernaut in NAND production - and we all know what happens when one company has the leverage on any given market, even if it isn't, in the legal sense of the word, a monopoly.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
302 (0.07/day)
Location
Michigan, USA
Processor AMD 1700X
Motherboard Crosshair VI Hero
Memory F4-3200C14D-16GFX
Video Card(s) GTX 1070
Storage 960 Pro
Display(s) PG279Q
Case HAF X
Power Supply Silencer MK III 850
Mouse Logitech G700s
Keyboard Logitech G105
Software Windows 10
It is getting hard to refute that OCZ was a cancer or virus of some kind. After acquisition by Toshiba it continued to infect both financial reports and product quality of the host.
 
Joined
Sep 15, 2007
Messages
3,944 (0.65/day)
Location
Police/Nanny State of America
Processor OCed 5800X3D
Motherboard Asucks C6H
Cooling Air
Memory 32GB
Video Card(s) OCed 6800XT
Storage NVMees
Display(s) 32" Dull curved 1440
Case Freebie glass idk
Audio Device(s) Sennheiser
Power Supply Don't even remember
Doesn't this just solidify their eventual fate?

Might as well have liquidated it all.
 

FreedomEclipse

~Technological Technocrat~
Joined
Apr 20, 2007
Messages
23,377 (3.76/day)
Location
London,UK
System Name Codename: Icarus Mk.VI
Processor Intel 8600k@Stock -- pending tuning
Motherboard Asus ROG Strixx Z370-F
Cooling CPU: BeQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 {1xCorsair ML120 Pro|5xML140 Pro}
Memory 32GB XPG Gammix D10 {2x16GB}
Video Card(s) ASUS Dual Radeon™ RX 6700 XT OC Edition
Storage Samsung 970 Evo 512GB SSD (Boot)|WD SN770 (Gaming)|2x 3TB Toshiba DT01ACA300|2x 2TB Crucial BX500
Display(s) LG GP850-B
Case Corsair 760T (White)
Audio Device(s) Yamaha RX-V573|Speakers: JBL Control One|Auna 300-CN|Wharfedale Diamond SW150
Power Supply Corsair AX760
Mouse Logitech G900
Keyboard Duckyshine Dead LED(s) III
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻
Sing it with me now.

 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.27/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P
It is getting hard to refute that OCZ was a cancer or virus of some kind. After acquisition by Toshiba it continued to infect both financial reports and product quality of the host.

All of the OCZ/Toshiba products were normally top of their class...?
 
Joined
Apr 16, 2015
Messages
306 (0.09/day)
System Name Zen
Processor Ryzen 5950X
Motherboard MSI
Cooling Noctua
Memory G.Skill 32G
Video Card(s) RX 7900 XTX
Storage never enough
Display(s) not OLED :-(
Keyboard Wooting One
Software Linux
All of the OCZ/Toshiba products were normally top of their class...?

my 6TB Toshiba X300 normal hdd started getting bad sectors after 5 months of usage... duh.
 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.27/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P
my 6TB Toshiba X300 normal hdd started getting bad sectors after 5 months of usage... duh.

You know that's using Hitachi desktop lineup of drives correct?

In May 2012, WD divested to Toshiba assets that enabled Toshiba to manufacture and sell 3.5-inch hard drives for the desktop and consumer electronics markets to address the requirements of regulatory agencies.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
302 (0.07/day)
Location
Michigan, USA
Processor AMD 1700X
Motherboard Crosshair VI Hero
Memory F4-3200C14D-16GFX
Video Card(s) GTX 1070
Storage 960 Pro
Display(s) PG279Q
Case HAF X
Power Supply Silencer MK III 850
Mouse Logitech G700s
Keyboard Logitech G105
Software Windows 10
All of the OCZ/Toshiba products were normally top of their class...?
Depends on how you define "top of their class". From 2009-2013, it could be argued they had top of class in performance as the competition was limited. Unfortunately, limited R&D kept them from ever achieving a respected level of reliability during that time. From 2013 on, the lack of R&D also kept them from producing matched-performance solutions to Samsung's offerings. Currently, with OCZ Storage Solutions totally absorbed into Toshiba, their products are pretty darn reliable but dated. They still market the VT180 which is a respun Vertex 180 that is still based on the the 2012 Barefoot 3 controller - a controller that is reasonably fast for SATA3 but has 2012 features. OCZ/Toshiba is so embarrassed by this they don't even specify the controller in their own product brief. Setting that aside their other SATA3 offerings are some "Toshiba controller" that is reported as a rebadged 3rd party controller (see http://tinyurl.com/zx9zltu ). Then there is the RD400 which is plenty fast but lags behind the 950 and 960.

What is left of OCZ may still have a real in-house controller lingering in there. Perhaps it will appear this year. The point is OCZ Technology had products and management that left it in bankruptcy (not to mention accounting fraud and SEC-charged executives). After Toshiba's purchase, that company leeched into Toshiba as Toshiba now has their own accounting scandal and now financial problems. Yes, I was being a bit sarcastic and ironic. However, the facts are the facts and it isn't too sarcastic.
 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.27/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P
The RD400 is about middle of the pack pretty close with samsung and intel's 750 depending on specific test. The barefoot 3 controller still runs speedwise with everything else... I wouldn't say they are perfect, but they are no better or worse than anyone else.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
302 (0.07/day)
Location
Michigan, USA
Processor AMD 1700X
Motherboard Crosshair VI Hero
Memory F4-3200C14D-16GFX
Video Card(s) GTX 1070
Storage 960 Pro
Display(s) PG279Q
Case HAF X
Power Supply Silencer MK III 850
Mouse Logitech G700s
Keyboard Logitech G105
Software Windows 10
The RD400 is about middle of the pack pretty close with samsung and intel's 750 depending on specific test.
The RD400 is actually really close with the 950 Pro in real world and benchmarks and even real world with the 960.

The barefoot 3 controller still runs speedwise with everything else...
Agreed. It is a great performing controller but lacks almost every energy-related feature of modern controllers. It flat out can't be used in a notebook if the intention is running on battery.

I wouldn't say they are perfect, but they are no better or worse than anyone else.
Agreed, they are definitely not perfect. It is hard to argue OCZ/Toshiba is not worse though. OCZ Technology went bankrupt. OCZ Storage Solutions failed as a independent subsidiary. Their sales remain dismal and Toshiba as a whole is floundering. With the cSSD and eSSD division of Toshiba loosing direct NAND production it is hard to see them recovering.
 

cdawall

where the hell are my stars
Joined
Jul 23, 2006
Messages
27,680 (4.27/day)
Location
Houston
System Name All the cores
Processor 2990WX
Motherboard Asrock X399M
Cooling CPU-XSPC RayStorm Neo, 2x240mm+360mm, D5PWM+140mL, GPU-2x360mm, 2xbyski, D4+D5+100mL
Memory 4x16GB G.Skill 3600
Video Card(s) (2) EVGA SC BLACK 1080Ti's
Storage 2x Samsung SM951 512GB, Samsung PM961 512GB
Display(s) Dell UP2414Q 3840X2160@60hz
Case Caselabs Mercury S5+pedestal
Audio Device(s) Fischer HA-02->Fischer FA-002W High edition/FA-003/Jubilate/FA-011 depending on my mood
Power Supply Seasonic Prime 1200w
Mouse Thermaltake Theron, Steam controller
Keyboard Keychron K8
Software W10P
There are a lot more issues outside of OCZ that toshiba was/is dealing with.
 
Top