MultiMediaCard Association Merging With JEDEC

MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) and JEDEC Solid State Technology Association (JEDEC) announced plans to merge certain MMCA assets, including embedded MMC (e-MMC) and miCARD specifications, trademarks and Intellectual Property rights, into JEDEC effective September 22, 2008. The merger follows a successful partnership forged during the development of the e-MMCv4.2 and v4.3 specifications.

“The combined efforts of MMCA and JEDEC have contributed to the huge market success of the e-MMC standard and proliferation of MMC technology in products from major mobile phone and navigation manufacturers,” said Yves Leonard, MMCA Chairman. “As long-time leaders in developing memory solutions, this is a significant next step toward supporting the development of next generation memory solutions.”

The merger is intended to streamline efforts and foster further improvement of existing specifications. Both organizations have forecasted next generation support for embedded memory solutions with features including: the meeting of speed requirements for next generation systems, Universal Flash Storage (UFS) and the use of XiP or DRAM to support future embedded solutions.

“As the leader in solid state technology standards, JEDEC continues to provide timely memory specifications that best address the needs of a rapidly evolving semiconductor industry,” said Mian Quddus, Chairman of the JEDEC Board of Directors. “The merger with MMCA encourages faster technology advancement in the memory card business and a transition from traditional card solutions to more versatile embedded and external solutions, meeting high-speed requirements, while optimizing platform designs and cost-efficiency.”