Imation has entered into a strategic agreement with TDK to jointly develop and manufacture magnetic tape technologies.
Under the agreement, both the companies will collaborate on the research and development of future tape formats in their research centres in the US and Japan, while consolidating tape coating operations to the TDK Group Yamanashi manufacturing facility.
Imation president and CEO Mark Lucas said by leveraging both companies’ tape knowledge and decades of invention and innovation, they expect to accelerate the development and commercialisation of future tape formats.
"TDK’s high-performance dual-layer coating technology, combined with Imation’s proprietary advanced servo-writing, bring the industry’s best technologies together to enable future multi-terabyte formats," Lucas said.
TDK president and CEO Takehiro Kamigama said Imation acquired the TDK brand recording media sales business in 2007 and has successfully expanded the portfolio with high-quality, innovative data storage and audio product offerings marketed under the TDK Life on Record brand.
"Now, TDK is very pleased to partner with Imation to leverage the strength of each company’s deep technology and manufacturing expertise in magnetic tape, working closely together to develop and commercialise next-generation tape formats," Kamigama said.
Further, Imation said that it will discontinue its magnetic tape coating operations at the company’s Weatherford, Oklahoma facility by April 2011, and subsequently close this facility.
Imation will maintain its research, development, and engineering (RD&E) facility at the company’s world headquarters in Oakdale, Minnesota.
