Within the general industrial and factory automation domain, the use of solid state storage solutions has taken on increased importance. A majority of the complex computer and data storage subsystems driving the industrial and factory automation equipment rely on storage subsystems to host embedded operating systems, applications, and databases. The storage devices of choice include many popular solid state formats including CompactFlash, PC Cards, Flash Disk Modules, Solid State Flash Drives, USB modules, and Secure Digital. These solid state storage solutions are preferred because of their high tolerance to temperature and shock/vibration as well as their low power consumption, compact size, and increasing storage capacity.

Equipment must operate at extreme temperature ranges, gracefully manage power interruptions, and withstand high levels of sustained shock and vibration without risk of failure. STEC Flash solutions are rigorously tested to the most stringent standards in order to ensure to our customers the very highest level of product reliability and data protection. In the Industrial and Factory Automation realm, there is absolutely no tolerance for corrupted or lost data - STEC understands this, and incorporates this knowledge into it's design and manufacturing processes.

Because these storage solutions are at the heart of many of the critical systems needed to effectively operate and manage a complex industrial or factory automation site, it is of paramount importance to select a solid state storage provider with the expertise and commitment to the industrial space. The selected provider should have total control over the design, manufacturing, test, and support of the industrial storage solutions to ensure optimal quality, reliability, and performance so that no line-down situations occur.

STEC not only owns and controls its own solid state storage technology design, manufacturing, and testing, but it also understands many of the other important factors necessary to implement an industrial storage solution:

• BOM control and change notification

• Compatibility with logic board and software subsystems

• Firmware optimization to specific applications and tasks

• Design flexibility to adapt to environments and technology

It is attention to detail that has made STEC the leader in industrial solid state storage solutions as evidenced by the support of many Fortune 500 companies that have chosen STEC storage solutions for their mission-critical applications. STEC continues to measure the pulse of the industrial and factory automation space and its customers to ensure that future solutions will support them as their businesses grow and as technology evolves.