Lexar and Kodak to explore a deeper relationship

A five-year extended agreement has been signed between Eastman Kodak and Lexar, makers of flash memory products for digital cameras and other peripherals, including the Kodak line of SD memory cards. The agreement has performance-based exclusivity, so the sales will determine the ongoing health (and existence) of the contract. To this end, the two companies will expand both distribution and variety of products under the Kodak name. Since the beginning of the partnership in 2004, Lexar has, with its acquisition of Micron Technology, Inc. in 2006, expanded into USB memory.

From Lexar’s Press Release:

"Today, the consumer market for digital photography has evolved to encompass advanced flash products that not only allow the capturing of still and video images with cameras and cell phones, but also serve a growing network of other products and services, including home printers, on-line services and in-store kiosks for printing and sharing photos, as well as new devices such as digital frames that let people display and share their digital photos and videos."

Kodak's selection of memory products have, up to now, included basic and "high perfomance" SD cards, xD-Picture cards, and 4-gigabyte SDHC cards. By affixing the little yellow sticker with that ubiquitous Kodak logo, Lexar clearly intends to push the famous photographic name with faster transfer speeds and longer lifetimes for memory cards. It has yet to be seen how many other products will receive the Kodak treatment.