Digest on Malaysian News

For the time being, remaining employees of Western Digital Media Sdn Bhd (WD), Kuching can sigh a temporary relieve as their factory closure has been postponed. WD, a harddisk manufacturer is in the midst of negotiations with an interested foreign company to take over the factory.

List of current harddisk manufacturers:
As of 2007, these vendors include Seagate, Western Digital, Samsung, ExcelStor, Toshiba, Fujitsu, and Hitachi. Fujitsu is reportedly selling it's hard disk unit to Western Digital.

If a foreign company were to buy WD, it would be either Seagate, Samsung, ExcelStor, Toshiba or Hitachi.

Related posts:
* Hitachi - Western Digital deal off




List of notable defunct harddisk manufacturers:
* Apple, Inc. - produced the proprietary Lisa 20MB Widget drive in-house in 1984 for less than two years before getting out of the drive business.
* Atasi Corp. - bankrupt
* Areal Technology - acquired by Tomen Corp
* Cogito Systems - bankrupt
* Computer Memories Inc. (CMI) - left industry in 1986
* Conner Peripherals - merged with Seagate in 1996
* Conner Technologies - merged with ExcelStor in 2001
* Control Data/Imprimis - hard disk drive business acquired by Seagate in 1989
* Digital Equipment Corporation - hard disk drive business acquired by Quantum in 1994
* Epson - left industry
* Hewlett Packard - left industry
* IBM - hard disk drive business acquired by Hitachi in 2002
* Integral Peripherals - first 1.8" rigid HDD, bankrupt in 1998
* International Memories (IMI) - spun off by Memorex in 1977, left industry in 1985
* Iomega - left industry
* JT Storage - bankrupt in 1999
* JVC - left industry
* Kalok - bankrupt in 1994
* Kyocera - left industry
* LaPine Technologies
* Maxtor - acquired by Seagate in 2006
* Memorex - acquired by Burroughs 1981 and then merged into Unisys 1986, HDD division shut down in 1988.
* Micropolis Corporation - bankrupt in 1997
* Microscience International - bankrupt in 1992
* MiniScribe - bankrupt and then acquired by Maxtor in 1990
* Ministor - bankrupt in 1998
* Mitsubishi - left industry
* NEC - left industry
* PrairieTek first 2.5" rigid HDD, bankrupt in 1991
* Priam Systems - product line acquired by Prima International in 1991
* Quantum Corporation - hard disk drive business acquired by Maxtor in 2000
* Rahm Rotationals - renamed/merged in 1994 to Tamir Tech (purchased by Quantum 1995)
* Rodime - first 3.5" rigid HDD, shut down manufacturing in 1991, licensed its patents until the patent business was sold for $1.5M in July 2003. The company was then the subject of a reverse merger and became Sportech PLC
* Storage Technology Corporation (StorageTek or STK) - left industry
* Syquest - bankrupt in 1998, some patents acquired by Iomega. Re-emerged selling cartridges for their previously-discontinued products.
* Tandon - acquired by Western Digital in 1988
* Texas Instruments - left industry
* Tulin Corporation - bankrupt

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From TheBorneoPost

Western Digital closure postponed: Dr Chan
By Chin Kee Leong

KUCHING: The closure of Western Digital Media Sdn Bhd (WD) has been postponed because the company is still in negotiations with an interested foreign company, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan.

Dr Chan said when contacted, the outcome would only be known in the weeks to come.

However, Dr Chan declined to reveal the name of the foreign company interested in taking over WD’s operation.

“I was told that WD is in the midst of discussion with an international company interested in buying out the operation. Perhaps that is why WD postponed the closure date of the factory and did not want to retrench their employees just yet.

“If the negotiation is successful, the remaining employees will still be needed to continue with its factory operations,” explained Dr Chan, who is also Industrial Development Minister. Dr Chan said that negotiations would take time because it involves a large investment and must be done carefully.

He added that his ministry is trying its best to convince the potential buyer to take over WD’s operations.

Dr Chan advised WD’s employees to be patient and not take hasty action before knowing the fate of the company, which operates at the Samajaya Industrial Free Zone.

“If WD is closed later and the employees are retrenched, I believe the workers will be paid appropriate compensation – that is the requirement,” he stressed.

Dr Chan was responding to comments by WD employees that the company is putting off the actual date factory operations will cease to delay paying compensation to them.

On Monday a WD employee, who declined to be named, had complained about a letter dated Feb 3 announcing compensation would be paid on Feb 20.

The employee concerned claimed that it was the management’s strategy to pressure the employees.

“When the employees cannot stand the indefinite suspension they will quit, which means that they will not be paid compensation,” said the employee.

WD had earlier been expected to close its factory operations here next month, leaving about 1,500 employees unemployed.

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