FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Verbatim/MKM Named No.
1 in Global Recordable CD and DVD Media Markets
Technology Leadership Enhances Media Appeal for Quality-seeking
Consumers, Businesses
TOKYO, JAPAN (March 31, 2005) - Verbatim/Mitsubishi
Kagaku Media (MKM), world-leading optical media developer and marketer,
announced today that Santa Clara Consulting Group (SCCG), an independent
research firm, has identified Verbatim/MKM as the leading supplier of recordable
CD and DVD media worldwide. The SCCG report on 2004 global unit shipments shows
Verbatim/MKM achieved its Number One worldwide position with 12.1 percent of the
CD-R market and 14.6 percent of the recordable DVD market. Verbatim brand media
is marketed in North America, Europe and other areas of the world. In Japan,
media is sold under the Mitsubishi brand.
Verbatim/MKM's worldwide dominance in the
recordable CD and DVD media markets can be attributed to a number of factors,
including the ability to combine high reliability, stability and longevity with
high performance and broad compatibility.
To achieve these characteristics, MKM and Verbatim
pioneered the development of a patented AZO dye for the recording layer of
optical media. AZO technology maintains the best recording compatibility with
drives from all the leading hardware suppliers over a wide range of recording
speeds.
"The Mitsubishi Kagaku Media Group is committed to
setting the pace for technical advancements in the CD and DVD industries, not
just keeping pace with them," said Dr Yoshimitsu Kobayashi, CEO of Mitsubishi
Kagaku Media Group. "And with each increase in performance, CD/DVD burners have
become less tolerant to media imperfections and quality media has taken on a
whole new level of importance. MKM's extensive R&D capabilities, our strong
relationships with hardware makers and Verbatim's stringent quality/performance
testing procedures have helped Verbatim maintain its reputation for being first
with new disc technologies that rank first in quality. These are also the key
reasons we're asked to provide drive manufacturers with benchmark media for
their testing and certification," he noted.
The market for recordable CD and DVD media is being
driven by the growing demand for DVD burners that write to both CD and DVD
media. With CDs playing a vital role for recording personal music, photos and
home videos, analysts expect the market for CD media to be fairly stable for the
next two years, if not longer. However, with the price difference between DVD
recorders and DVD players declining and data volume doubling every year,
analysts see worldwide shipments of recordable DVD media increasing from 1.35
billion in 2004 to over 3 billion units in 2005.
"The demand for DVD burners and recorders is being
fueled by more affordable digital cameras, MP3 players, and camcorders as well
as the growing number of consumers that want to share their personal memories
and enjoy timeshifting and archiving their favorite TV programs," said Dr. Jon
Peddie, president of the Tiburon, Calif. multimedia market research firm Jon
Peddie Research. "Verbatim has contributed to the increased adoption rate by
developing technologies that enhance media reliability. Mainstream blue
laserbased products are still a few years away, so we expect DVD-based CE
devices to continue stimulating DVD disc sales for years to come."
Verbatim/MKM has consistently been first to market
with new technologies such as higher-speed media, double-layer discs and product
differentiators such as DigitalMovie™ DVDs with a movie reel look and VideoGard™
hard coat technology (called HardCoat ScratchGuard in Europe). To maintain its
leadership position, Verbatim/MKM continues to develop advanced and innovative
storage solutions for the future, including Blu-ray and High-Definition DVD
(HD-DVD) media technology.
Availability
Verbatim-brand CD
and DVD media is marketed in North America, Europe and other areas of the world.
The complete line of Verbatim CD and DVD media encompasses all media formats
(CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, +R, -RW, +RW and -RAM) and is available through leading
retailers, Internet resellers and distributors around the world.
About Verbatim/MKM
Verbatim/MKM is an international organization that develops and markets
innovative, high-quality products for storing, moving and using digital content.
Known for its leadership in the removable storage media and related accessories
markets, the company provides reliable, unique technologies and products that
are highly sought after and broadly distributed
worldwide.
Source: Verbatim
