SimpleTech
Encyclopedia
SimpleTech is a consumer
brand
of external hard drives and backup
products owned by Fabrik Inc.
and designed to integrate hardware
, software, and online services to help consumer
s store, protect, manage, and share digital content. The brand and product line was originally created by Simple Technology, a company founded in 1990, which later changed its name to SimpleTech in 2001.
SimpleTech (now STEC, Inc.
) sold the SimpleTech brand and consumer products: flash memory
cards, USB flash drives, memory upgrades, and external and portable disk drive storage, to Fabrik in February 2007. Fabrik acquired the SimpleTech’s storage platform to integrate and deliver backup and content management
software and web services (FabrikUltimateBackup.com and Joggle.com), allowing consumers to store, access, manage and share their digital content.
The SimpleTech product line includes the Signature Mini USB Portable Drives, the Pro Drive family, and the environmentally friendly SimpleTech [re]drive. The original design of the SimpleTech portable external storage product line was inspired by the Ferrari
design team Pininfarina
.
The company was acquired by STEC
in 1998 for its flash memory technology
and went public as Simple Technology in 2000. The name was shortened to SimpleTech and the company was sold to Fabrik
for $42 million in 2007. From 1990 to 2007, SimpleTech designed and manufactured flash (solid-state
and non-volatile memory), including DRAM
(Dynamic Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) and more.
In early 2007, STEC decided to focus on selling flash memory cards, solid state drives, and DRAM memory products to manufacturers and industrial distributors and sold the SimpleTech consumer division to Fabrik for $43 million. The OEM business now operates as STEC, Inc and is publicly traded on NASDAQ
.
Since then, Fabrik has continued to develop and market new products under the SimpleTech brand including the Joggle website
and the environmentally friendly [re] drive.
Fabrik recycles waste aluminum made during the manufacturing process and the product is sold in light packaging with recycled paper.
Joggle – Joggle is a free online digital content management site that was introduced in beta at the DEMO conference
in early 2008. The Web site searches for video, photos and music on a user’s computer, external hard drive or online communities and networking sites and automatically consolidates it into a single online organizing and sharing tool.
SimpleTech Signature Mini Portable – A small, portable USB storage device with capacities up to 500GB that integrates with Fabrik’s online and local backup as well as the Joggle website.
SimpleTech Pro Drive – A line of external storage devices of varying sizes, data protection options and interfaces that come with free backup software and online backup.
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of external hard drives and backup
Backup
In information technology, a backup or the process of backing up is making copies of data which may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. The verb form is back up in two words, whereas the noun is backup....
products owned by Fabrik Inc.
Fabrik Inc.
Fabrik Inc. is a manufacturer of external hard drives and digital content management software and services. Fabrik is the third largest supplier of external storage products in North America...
and designed to integrate hardware
Hardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
, software, and online services to help consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
s store, protect, manage, and share digital content. The brand and product line was originally created by Simple Technology, a company founded in 1990, which later changed its name to SimpleTech in 2001.
SimpleTech (now STEC, Inc.
STEC, Inc.
STEC, Inc. is a multinational company and a leader in enterprise solid-state drive .The company is headquartered in Santa Ana, California...
) sold the SimpleTech brand and consumer products: flash memory
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
cards, USB flash drives, memory upgrades, and external and portable disk drive storage, to Fabrik in February 2007. Fabrik acquired the SimpleTech’s storage platform to integrate and deliver backup and content management
Content management
Content management, or CM, is the set of processes and technologies that support the collection, managing, and publishing of information in any form or medium. In recent times this information is typically referred to as content or, to be precise, digital content...
software and web services (FabrikUltimateBackup.com and Joggle.com), allowing consumers to store, access, manage and share their digital content.
The SimpleTech product line includes the Signature Mini USB Portable Drives, the Pro Drive family, and the environmentally friendly SimpleTech [re]drive. The original design of the SimpleTech portable external storage product line was inspired by the Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
design team Pininfarina
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...
.
History
SimpleTech was originally founded as Simple Technology by two brothers in 1990, using $100,000 of their own savings; Chief Executive Manouch Moshayedi and President Mike Moshayedi. In 1993, the youngest brother at 38, Mark Moshayedi, joined the company as chief operating and technical officer.The company was acquired by STEC
STEC, Inc.
STEC, Inc. is a multinational company and a leader in enterprise solid-state drive .The company is headquartered in Santa Ana, California...
in 1998 for its flash memory technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
and went public as Simple Technology in 2000. The name was shortened to SimpleTech and the company was sold to Fabrik
Fabrik Inc.
Fabrik Inc. is a manufacturer of external hard drives and digital content management software and services. Fabrik is the third largest supplier of external storage products in North America...
for $42 million in 2007. From 1990 to 2007, SimpleTech designed and manufactured flash (solid-state
Solid-state drive
A solid-state drive , sometimes called a solid-state disk or electronic disk, is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data with the intention of providing access in the same manner of a traditional block i/o hard disk drive...
and non-volatile memory), including DRAM
Dram
Dram or DRAM may refer to:As a unit of measure:* Dram , an imperial unit of mass and volume* Armenian dram, a monetary unit* Dirham, a unit of currency in several Arab nationsOther uses:...
(Dynamic Random Access Memory), SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) and more.
In early 2007, STEC decided to focus on selling flash memory cards, solid state drives, and DRAM memory products to manufacturers and industrial distributors and sold the SimpleTech consumer division to Fabrik for $43 million. The OEM business now operates as STEC, Inc and is publicly traded on NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
.
Since then, Fabrik has continued to develop and market new products under the SimpleTech brand including the Joggle website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
and the environmentally friendly [re] drive.
Timeline
- 1990: Simple Technology Inc is founded by three brothers from Iran with $100,000
- 1994: Simple Technology bought Cirrus Logic’s flash controller business
- 1998: Simple Technology acquired SiliconTech for its flash memory technology, which was sold to industrial customers and server makers
- 2000: Simple Technology went public (NASDAQ: STEC)
- 2001: The company shorted their name to SimpleTech
- 2004: SimpleTech SimpleShare consumer network attached storage device was announced
- 2006: SimpleTech announced its first portable external hard drive designed by Pininfarina
- 2007: FabrikFabrik Inc.Fabrik Inc. is a manufacturer of external hard drives and digital content management software and services. Fabrik is the third largest supplier of external storage products in North America...
purchased the SimpleTech brand from STECSTEC, Inc.STEC, Inc. is a multinational company and a leader in enterprise solid-state drive .The company is headquartered in Santa Ana, California...
for $43 million - 2008: FabrikFabrik Inc.Fabrik Inc. is a manufacturer of external hard drives and digital content management software and services. Fabrik is the third largest supplier of external storage products in North America...
introduces Joggle, the Signature Mini Portable Drives, SimpleTech Pro Drive family, and what the company claims is the world’s most eco-friendly external hard drive – the SimpleTech [re]drive - 2009: FabrikFabrik Inc.Fabrik Inc. is a manufacturer of external hard drives and digital content management software and services. Fabrik is the third largest supplier of external storage products in North America...
is acquired by Hitachi
Products
SimpleTech [re]drive – Described as the world’s most eco-friendly storage device, the [re]drive enclosure is made with 100 percent recyclable materials. It also automatically shuts off when your computer does and includes Energy Star Level 4 certified power adapters.Fabrik recycles waste aluminum made during the manufacturing process and the product is sold in light packaging with recycled paper.
Joggle – Joggle is a free online digital content management site that was introduced in beta at the DEMO conference
DEMO conference
The DEMO conference is a technology conference that focuses on showcasing new products from both entrepreneurs and established companies. It is held by IDG....
in early 2008. The Web site searches for video, photos and music on a user’s computer, external hard drive or online communities and networking sites and automatically consolidates it into a single online organizing and sharing tool.
SimpleTech Signature Mini Portable – A small, portable USB storage device with capacities up to 500GB that integrates with Fabrik’s online and local backup as well as the Joggle website.
SimpleTech Pro Drive – A line of external storage devices of varying sizes, data protection options and interfaces that come with free backup software and online backup.