To show concept removable cartridge-based hard drive solutions at Consumer Electronics Show based on iVDR standards

Seagate Technology (NYSE:STX) today announced that it has joined the iVDR Consortium as a Board Member company. The iVDR (which stands for Information Versatile Disc for Removable usage) was formed in 2002 by leading technology, consumer and auto companies, including Canon Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd., Pioneer Corporation, Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sharp Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation.

Based on the concept of a removable hard disc drive, the iVDR consortium developed the iVDR platform in order to make it an industry standard as a next generation large data platform compatible with a broad range of devices from audio/video products to PCs as well as mobile devices and automobiles. Two specifications have been set for iVDR, one for the cartridge type designed with consideration for portability and the other for the built-in type which is embedded inside equipment.

At the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7-11 in Las Vegas, Seagate will be demonstrating concept removable hard disc drive cartridge solutions based on iVDR. These concept products are built to be reliable and rugged solutions with the potential to be tailored for a wide range of market segments because of its straightforward, simple way to move digital content where and when you want it.

“The iVDR Consortium is very happy to include Seagate Technology as a Board Member of the iVDR Consortium. With the worldwide market reach of Seagate and long list of products and partnerships, the Seagate brand brings a considerable amount of experience and expertise to the group,” said Dr. Toshiaki Hioki, chairperson of iVDR Consortium.

“As the world’s top hard drive manufacturer, Seagate brings a wealth of design knowledge and manufacturing capabilities to the iVDR consortium. Seagate has joined the consortium to leverage an industry standard for cartridge-based hard drives it may announce in the future,” said Patrick King senior vice president and general manager of Seagate’s Consumer Electronics Business Unit. “We will be showing concept cartridge-based hard drives at our booth at CES, with the hope that these products will make transferring digital content simple and easy for various market segments.”