Date: 04/03/2012

Toshiba to acquire 3.5 Inch HDD equipment and IP from Western Digital

Toshiba Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement with Western Digital Corporation on Toshiba's acquisition of certain of Western Digital's 3.5-inch HDD manufacturing equipment and related intellectual property, and the transfer to Western Digital of Toshiba Storage Device (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (TSDT), Toshiba's wholly-owned HDD manufacturing subsidiary located in Thailand.

Toshiba and Western Digital aim to complete the acquisition and transfer by March of this year after obtaining approval from the relevant authorities.

Under the agreement, Toshiba will acquire the following equipment and intellectual property from Western Digital.
1) Manufacturing equipment for 3.5-inch HDDs for use in desktop PCs and other consumer applications, plus related intellectual property; and
2) Manufacturing equipment for near-line [1] HDDs for server applications.

Toshiba also has agreed to transfer to Western Digital its entire shareholding in TSDT.
Toshiba's acquisition of assets from Western Digital and the transfer of TSDT to Western Digital are subject to Western Digital's completion of its pending acquisition of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies and regulatory approvals from the relevant antitrust authorities.