News

posted on 16 July 2008 10:40

SanDisk has introduced a WORM that lasts for 100 years.

Its SD format Write Once Read Many (WORM) flash memory card locks data as soon as it is written to the card and offers a 100-year archive storage life. This is inferred from reliability data gained from iSanDisk's own accelerated lifespan testing for cards stored at normal room temperature, with humidity and static protection.

The product meets legal requirements for storage immutability and is intended for use in:-

* Police photography and witness/suspect interviews, where courts require proof that photos and audio recordings are genuine. (No need for film procesing either as digital cameras/camcorders can be used. Ditto digital voice recorders.)
* Court proceedings, such as trials and depositions.
* Electronic voting, where recorded votes must be tamper-proof.
* Cash registers which record transactions for tax collection purposes.
* Event recorders, such as security cameras and “black box” flight-data recorders.
* Medical devices which retain individual patient treatment data.
* Personal digital assistants (PDAs) and similar devices used by physicians and other health-care professionals to track patient interactions.

Christopher Moore, director of product marketing for SanDisk's product maketing director, set the product in the context of existing analog storage methods in such applications: “As digital media volume has grown and surpassed traditional analog media such as film and audio cassettes in the consumer market, law enforcement agencies and other professionals are facing rising costs and lack of supply. SanDisk’s new SD WORM cards offer professionals a one-stop solution for capturing and archiving critical data, along with many other benefits of moving from analog to digital.”

SanDisk is partnering with manufacturers of cameras, digital voice recorders, medical equipment, electronic cash registers and other digital devices to add the firmware required for recording to the new card. It's also working with the SD Card Association for approval of its new specification as an industry standard.

Third-party resellers of the SD WORM cards can develop security enhancements for the cards, such as password protection and encryption.

The SD WORM cards are available now, worldwide, in 128-megabyte capacity and are expected to be available in higher capacities later in the year. Pricing is available on request.

^{[Martin Edwards, news writer.]}