The 2011 Intel roadmap for CPUs and solid-state drives was recently published on the Internet, giving tech followers a brief glimpse into Intel’s product lineup through March 2011.
The new products are significant because they are the newest drives after a chip shrink, include better data encryption, a new controller, and faster read/write speeds compared to older generations. Intel is stepping up and showing competitors what they’re going to have to deal with in two key SSD markets over the next year.
Intel is scheduled to release a 400GB multi-level (MLC) SSD product for the enterprise during Q1 2011, however, pricing information wasn't released. The company will also release a 40GB and 80GB SSD based on 32nm process technology and will be designed as a PCIE full SATA SSD.
The cheapest X25-V SSD (40GB) will remain a 2.5-inch SATA drive, but will ship with 80GB of storage and a 25nm MLC controller. The 80GB and 160GB X18-M SSDs will become 160GB and 300GB SSDs in 2011, with matching 25nm MLC process upgrades, Intel's roadmap indicates.
These leaks from Intel aren't necessarily "leaks" as much as coordinated news releases from Intel's PR team. A select few tech sites are well known for publishing Intel news just slightly ahead of other sites -- and most of the information eventually finds it way to tech consumers and journalists.
Furthermore, Intel plans to continue developing SSDs for consumers and the enterprise, and will find new channels to market the products. Earlier in the summer, Best Buy and Intel announced the popular store will begin selling Intel SSDs directly to consumers in-store, branching SSD's out into a wide new audience of tech buyers.
The company's joint effort with Micron has yielded the Intel-Micron Flash Technologies (IMFT) 25 nm MLC NAND flash technology that is expected to be widely used for future generations of products. Intel will continue developing new products for consumers and businesses, as interest in SSDs increases even more in the future.
