Only recently the NAND technology developed by SanDisk Corporation (Nasdaq:SNDK) was declared the big winner in the battle for the flash memory market, after the company's Israeli competitor, Saifun Semiconductors Ltd. (Nasdaq:SFUN), which focused on NROM technology, was sold for a rock-bottom price.
"There was never any real competition between us, and I am not being boastful when I say this," says SanDisk chairman and CEO Dr. Eli Harari in an exclusive interview with "Globes" weekend magazine "G." "I am sure Boaz believed totally in the superiority of his technology. He is a very honest man. Over the years, I warned him that his belief that we were heading for the grave was wrong."
Harari has now set his sights on the next target - the iPod empire of Steve Jobs. "With all due respect to the iPod, loading music on to it isn't that easy. With our device (the Sansa music player), we'll reach a 35% market share by creating new categories.
Globes: What is your impression of Steve Jobs himself?
Harari: "He is a man of vision, a genius, but he isn't nice. He is not immune to error, and the world does not begin and end with Apple."
Is he worried about the competition with you?
"I think he should be afraid, not just because of us, but because many people are capable of innovation. He is just a human being, and no company should build itself on one person."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on December 19, 2007
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