SMART Modular Technologies' Embedded SATA Solid-State Drive Targets Mass Markets With Industry-Standard Form Factor

The XceedIOPS iSATA Slim Is a New Embedded Storage Solution Incorporating an Industry-Standard JEDEC Form Factor


NEWARK, CA--(Marketwire - May 3, 2011) - SMART Modular Technologies (WWH), Inc. ("SMART" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SMOD), a leading independent manufacturer of solid-state storage products and memory modules, today announced the introduction of the XceedIOPS iSATA Slim solid-state storage module, the latest addition to SMART's serial ATA (SATA) line of embedded solid-state storage products. SMART was an early adopter of the SATA Slim form factor with its previously released XceedLite iSATA Slim. Since then, JEDEC has formally released its MO-297-A standard, the features of which SMART has combined with enhanced performance to create XceedIOPS iSATA Slim. The standard mechanical design makes the product ideally suited for a wide variety of OEM storage applications that require multi-sourcing procurement strategies, design interoperability, and rapid time to market. SMART's XceedIOPS iSATA Slim should prove especially beneficial in space-constrained embedded applications such as ATCA, IPC, blades, networking, and point-of-service machines.

The XceedIOPS iSATA Slim was designed using industrial-grade single level cell (SLC) flash for high reliability and performance. Compared to client-grade solutions that use consumer multi-level cell (cMLC) flash, the SLC-based XceedIOPS iSATA Slim delivers up to 30X longer life. Reliability is further enhanced by the SSD's whole-drive static wear leveling, advanced error detection/correction circuitry, and built-in support for self-monitoring analysis and reporting technology (S.M.A.R.T.).

Many OEMs exclusively specify standards-based products, and SMART's latest SSD conforms to the latest JEDEC standard for slim drives. With a physical size approximately 25 percent that of a 2.5" drive, the new storage device is supplied in an SFF-8156 (39mmx54mm) package that is only 4mm thick. Available with capacity of up to 64GB, the XceedIOPS iSATA Slim is optimized for use as embedded storage or as a boot device in a broad range of telecommunications, data communications, industrial, and computing applications. The XceedIOPS iSATA Slim represents a space-saving, low cost plug-and-play alternative to 2.5" HDDs and SSDs.

"Because the XceedIOPS iSATA Slim SSD is designed to a JEDEC industry standard, SMART anticipates many OEM customers will adopt this form-factor as the platform of choice for existing and new product development activities," said John Scaramuzzo, SMART's Senior Vice President and General Manager, Storage Business Unit. "OEMs who select this SSD can realize lower costs, lower power consumption, and reduced footprint as compared to traditional 2.5" drives. Plus, our customers know when selecting SMART storage products and services that they will receive industry leading product quality, continuity of supply, and customer support."

The new, low-power SSD features typical power consumption of 0.5W at +5VDC, demonstrating noiseless operation and zero seek time. In addition, the XceedIOPS iSATA Slim supports automatic 5V/3.3V input power selection. Designed for superior performance, it handles more than 120/115 MB/s sequential throughput and 14K/1.4K IOPS, read/write.

The SMART XceedIOPS iSATA Slim is sampling now with production quantities currently available. SMART is displaying its new XceedIOPS iSATA Slim at the Embedded Systems Conference, booth #2248, from May 2 - 5, 2011. For additional information on SMART's XceedIOPS SSDs and other memory storage products, visit www.smartm.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release, that are not statements of historical fact, including any statements that use the words "will," "believes," "anticipates," "projects," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "scheduled", "targets" or similar words that describe the Company's or its management's future plans, objectives, or goals, are "forward-looking statements" and are made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include those related to the Company's business strategies and product plans, product performance, reliability, quality, cost savings and customer acceptance, and the market for the Company's products.

Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results and/or from any future results or outcomes expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, production or manufacturing difficulties, competitive factors, new products and technological advancements, performance issues, technology adoption, difficulties with or delays in the introduction of new products, declines or fluctuations in product prices and raw material costs and availability, dependence upon third-party vendors, customer demand for or acceptance or qualification of products, end user markets, changes in industry standards or release plans, fluctuations in the quarterly effective tax rate and related tax provision, failure to receive continued favorable tax treatment or renewals of exemptions from or benefits relating to certain taxes in foreign countries, higher than anticipated costs from increasing capacity, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, intellectual property disputes, and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2010, the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the first and second quarters of fiscal 2011. Such risk factors as outlined in these reports may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in any forward-looking statement.

The Company operates in a continually changing business environment and new factors emerge from time to time. The Company cannot predict such factors, nor can it assess the impact, if any, from such factors on the Company or its results. Accordingly, our future results may differ materially from projections and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. These forward-looking statements are made as of today, and the Company does not currently intend, and has no obligation, to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this press release.

About SMART
SMART is a leading independent designer, manufacturer and supplier of electronic subsystems to original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs. SMART offers more than 500 standard and custom products to OEMs engaged in the computer, enterprise, industrial, networking, gaming, telecommunications, defense, aerospace and embedded application markets. Taking innovations from the design stage through manufacturing and delivery, SMART has developed a comprehensive memory product line that includes DRAM, SRAM, and Flash memory in various form factors. SMART also offers high performance, high capacity solid state drives, or SSDs, for enterprise, defense, aerospace, industrial automation, medical, and transportation markets. SMART's presence in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America enables it to provide its customers with proven expertise in international logistics, asset management, and supply-chain management worldwide. See www.smartm.com for more information.

Contact Information:

Contact:
Joy Donohue
SMART Modular Technologies
(978) 303-8564
joy.donohue@smartm.com

The XceedIOPS iSATA Slim is SMART's new embedded storage solution incorporating an industry-standard JEDEC form factor.