Last Updated on 2017-05-11 , 11:57 am
This is a guest post contributed by Ling.
Hands up if you’re obsessed with storage space on your mobile phone!
Photos and videos take up a lot of memory and as the camera function keeps improving with each generation of phone, storage will never be enough.
People with 16GB mobile phones have no choice but to constantly delete items to free up space on their phones and that’s understandable.
But if you ask someone with a 64GB mobile phone, you’ll realise that storage is an issue too!
Who doesn’t take 10 photos of the same kind and go through the struggle of choosing which to keep?
There will never be enough memory storage!
The funny thing is, no matter how contented people are with the amount of memory available on their mobile or computer, the demand for storage will always increase with the advent of new technologies.
Take Facebook for example. It might only take up approximately 256MB of storage on your mobile now but with its next generation Virtual Reality (VR) headset, Oculus Rift, it’s definitely going to require a lot of memory.
Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg did a crazy virtual reality demo where he showed people of today, what they can expect from the future of tomorrow.
From travelling to Mars, fighting with swords, watching movies and teleporting home to see their family – people from all parts of the world can experience it, real-time together.
Such advanced technologies will allow people to exist in the same virtual space together but can you imagine how much storage space will be needed?
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) require a lot of memory – Pokemon Go players would know!
According to market research firm IHS, the average capacity of NAND flash memory equipped with smartphones will increase from 28.9GB this year to 94.3GB in 2020.
Flash memory is basically a type of memory that never “forgets” information even when the power is off. You wouldn’t want your precious notes and Whatsapp conversations to be wiped out the moment you switch off and on your mobile right?
Who makes the world’s global supply of memory chips?
If you must know more about flash memory, standby a cup of espresso and read this.
In August last year, semiconductor giant Micron launched its first 3D NAND chip for mobile devices. It’s a breakthrough for flash memory as it can produce three times more capacity of any 2D NAND, at a lower cost.
Just like our HDB flats where there are many levels with several units on each floor, the concept of 3D NAND is similar. Its memory cells are stacked vertically in 32 layers to increase its storage density.
The challenging part of 3D NAND is that it requires an incredible level of precision to produce as each column needs to be perfectly aligned so that the memory blocks are still in a continuous series.
In September 2016, Micron launched its S$5.4 billion expanded NAND flash memory fabrication facility in Singapore. This gives Micron the flexibility to increase its 3D NAND production to meet future demand for data storage in mobile devices and hard drives.
Fun facts of the expanded fabrication facility? It’s 255,000 sq. feet of clean room size which is approximately the size of four football fields and highly automated!
Roger Lim, who is a Process Development Manager at Micron in Singapore, tells us that “robots carry the production materials from point to point and enable the product to be automatically loaded into the equipment”.
If the tracks were laid on the ground, there would be no space for its employees to move around! To address this problem, Micron built the tracks on the ceiling instead! This way, it doesn’t obstruct human traffic and there is an efficient use of space.
Now we know why Micron is in the right place to drive innovation for memory space!
Data is the new resource of Singapore’s future
The “Internet of Things” (IOT) is here and growing fast! Many devices will require faster memory and larger capacity. Some of the examples shared by Roger include “advanced driver assistance systems, digital TV with high 4k resolutions as well as security systems”.
The Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) recently spelt out 7 strategies to help Singapore move towards the future, of which building digital capabilities is one.
Data is touted as Singapore’s new resource to overcome our nation’s previous dependence on land, natural resources or people, says Chan Chun Sing on the future of Singapore’s connectivity. He explains that if we get it right, Singapore businesses can use digital connectivity to reach out and internationalise.
Mr Chan says Singapore’s in a good position because we primarily have the “ability to execute, and execute well — our ability to bring together the government agencies, the businesses, trade associations and the labour movement” and the “brand of Singapore, as a trusted and reliable partner”, he said.
There will be huge demand for memory storage, data and digital connectivity solutions, so if you want to stay relevant for the future, you can upskill yourself in data analytics or consider a career in engineering.
From IT software engineer to senior network engineer to product engineer, all sorts of engineers are highly wanted by Micron, and many other businesses gearing up for the future.
Exciting opportunities are ahead for those who would like to explore further!
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Featured Image: interstid / Shutterstock.com
This article was first published on goodyfeed.com
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