Profile: STEC Inc (STEC.O)

STEC, Inc. (STEC), incorporated in 1990, is a global provider of enterprise-class Flash-based solid-state drives (SSDs) that are designed for systems and applications that require high input and output (IO). The Company designs and develops its own SSD controllers, enhance them with firmware and integrate them with NAND flash media to manufacture SSDs. It sells its SSDs to global enterprise hardware original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which incorporate them into products used in a variety of industries, including cloud computing, defense, e-commerce, financial services, government, healthcare, transportation, virtualization, and Web 2.0. The Company also manufacture small form factor Flash-based SSDs, cards and modules, as well as custom high-density dynamic random access memory (DRAM) modules for networking, communications and embedded industrial applications. In April 2011, it acquired certain assets of Knowledge Quest Infotech Private Limited.

Solid-State Drive/Flash-based Products

The Company’s SSD products are used in a range of applications. STEC offers a line of SSD products in various form factors and capacities, including ZeusIOPS, MACH and ZeusRAM SSD. STEC’s ZeusIOPS SSDs are enterprise-class data storage solutions. STEC’s MACH SSDs are small form factor, high throughput storage solutions for mission-critical systems in a range of industries. STEC’s ZeusRAM-class SSD is a product offering for enterprise-storage subsystems built specifically for fast and continuous read/write workloads, including metadata logging, journaling and database indexing applications.

Flash Cards and Flash Modules

The Company offers an array of Flash Cards and Flash Modules for use in enterprise applications, including CompactFlash Memory, Flash Modules, USB Flash Drive and Single Chip Drive. STEC’s CompactFlash products provide personal computer (PC) Card Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) functionality. CompactFlash memory cards are characterized by their small size, durability and low power consumption. The Company’s Flash module products include universal serial bus (USB) and Serial ATA interfaces and are targeted toward embedded systems where device footprint and low power are critical design parameters. STEC’s USB Flash Drive (UFD) is built upon an industrial-grade Flash controller technology ranging in capacity from one gigabyte to eight gigabyte. Advanced OEM features include boot capability, endurance for industrial operating conditions and laser-etched manufacturing information, including a serial number. The Company’s Single Chip Drive (SCD) is an integrated drive electronics (IDE) interface, SCD is a small form factor, solid-state Flash disk with no moving parts. Using STEC’s integrated circuit (IC) Tower Stacking Technology, SCDs are available in the highest capacities. The standard USB or IDE interface provides designers with a true plug-n-play storage device, allowing for short design cycles and fast time-to-market.

DRAM Products

STEC offers a range of DRAM products, including dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs), small-outline DIMMs (SODIMMs), mini-registered DIMMs (mini-RDIMMs), very low profile registered DIMMs (VLP RDIMMs) and Fully-Buffered DIMMs (FB-DIMMs). The Company’s DRAM products are used in computing, communications and industrial applications. It offers these products with different DRAM architectures, such as FB-DIMM, double data rate (DDR), DDR2, DDR3 and synchronous DRAM (SDRAM).

Stacked ICs on Products

STEC’s IC Tower semiconductor stacking technology enables the manufacturing of high capacity memory products. The Company offers a selection of stacked components for both thin small outline package (TSOP) and ball grid array (BGA) semiconductor packages for use on memory modules and within its high capacity Flash-based products. This technology is used in complex, high capacity module designs and systems.

The Company competes with Fusion-io, Hitachi GST, Intel, LSI, Micron, OCZ, Samsung, SanDisk, Seagate, SMART Modular, Toshiba and Western Digital.