Western Digital / hardwarezone
Hard-disk drive maker Western Digital Corp agreed to buy SanDisk Corp in a $19 billion deal that will increase its ability to make flash memory storage chips used in smartphones and tablets, Reuters reported.
"There's always a risk and you're not done until you're done, but we were careful and consulted with U.S. government experts," Western Digital Chief Executive Steve Milligan said in an interview with Reuters.
Western Digital's move to buy SanDisk is the latest in a flurry of deals in the U.S. semiconductor industry, which has been hit by a supply glut and cheaper products from China that have driven down memory chip prices.
Read alsoRussia cannot do without Visa, MasterCard security systemA major player in the traditional storage industry, Western Digital needs access to SanDisk's NAND technology to better compete in the market for solid-state drives used in cloud computing, data centers, smartphones and laptops.