SD Memory Card Holds Top Position in Memory Card Market With 41.8 Percent Market Share

    The SD Memory Card continued on its path to becoming the de facto standard in the flash memory card market as it held the top position in market share for the months of October and November 2003. According to the most recent sales data available from The NPD Group, the postage sized memory card captured the number one position with 41.8 percent of the U.S. flash memory market in November, with CompactFlash Card at 26.5 percent and Memory Stick at 16.3 percent market share. This dominant number surpasses CompactFlash by more than 58 percent (15.3 points of market share) and posts a 39 percent increase (11.8 points of market share) from its number one spot in October.

    “As a co-developer of SD along with Toshiba and SanDisk, Panasonic is thrilled be a part of this landmark step for the SD Memory Card,” said John Iacoviello, vice president – merchandising for Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “This jump in market share and our number one spot two months in a row, is proof that SD is delivering on its promise to consumers. To Panasonic, the format’s open architecture, fast data transfer speed and technological strength have been a winning combination from the start, which is why SD Memory Card slots are a focus of so many of our product lines.”

    “The surge in market share comes on the heels of a year when the SD Memory Card made monumental growth in the market,” said Stephen Baker, director of Industry Analysis for The NPD Group. “Moving from the number-three spot to number one in one year clearly demonstrates the strength of the format and the companies that are supporting it.”

    More than 1,700 products worldwide, carrying 134 of the world’s foremost brand names, use the SD Memory Card. The format is further supported by the more than 660 member companies of the SD Card Association (SDA), a consortium working to set industry standards and promote the acceptance of the SD Memory Card.

    “The members of the SDA have demonstrated their strong commitment to the SD format by developing many innovative and exciting products that ensure the continued strength of the SD Memory Card,” said John P. Burnham, director, strategic alliance and business development group for Panasonic and chair of the U.S. Marketing Committee of the SD Card Association. “In 2004, we believe that the SDA member companies will help SD increase its dominant market position, and achieve the projections of industry watchers in becoming the de facto memory card standard.”

    The SD Memory Card’s steady rise to the number one spot had been projected in reports issued earlier this year by leading industry analyst groups:

    * An IDC report projected that SD would take the lead this year.
    According to its July 2003 report, the Boston-based analyst group
    ” … believes the SD Card format, including the new miniSD™, will
    take the lead and become the de facto standard in the flash card
    market … .” IDC projects SD will rise to a 50.0% market share in
    2005, and gain a 56.6% share in 2007, becoming the industry standard.

    * Gartner, Inc., predicted earlier this summer that SD would become the
    dominant format, reporting in their August study, “Worldwide Flash
    Card Market History and Forecast Trends, 2001-2007”, that: “SD’s
    strengths lie in its ability to meet the needs of all applications
    from the point of view of size, performance, and security.” The report
    noted that SD has a solid grip on the digital still camera market and
    is likely to play a larger part in the handheld computer segment
    because of its I/O abilities.

    Panasonic (Matsushita Electric), Toshiba and SanDisk co-developed the SD Memory Card format. Best known by its Panasonic brand name, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., (NYSE:MC) , is one of the world’s largest developers and producers of innovative digital and other electronic products for consumer, business and industrial use. Further information on Panasonic or Matsushita can be accessed through the Company’s Web site at www.panasonic.com.

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