Samsung Poised to Snap up SanDisk

The Korean electronics giant may be planning to purchase the American manufacturer, potentially putting two memory companies under one roof.

Two major tech families may be joining hands in the coming weeks if a proposed deal by Samsung to acquire memory manufacturer SanDisk goes through. Rumors of the deal slipped out Friday, followed by a statement from SanDisk on Friday.

“SanDisk periodically has conversations with multiple parties, including Samsung, regarding a variety of potential business opportunities,” the company said in a press release. “We evaluate all of these opportunities, but maintain a policy of not commenting on market rumors or speculation.”

A Samsung spokesman was equally tight-lipped. “We are considering various opportunities regarding SanDisk, but nothing has been decided,” Samsung spokesman James Chung told Reuters.

SanDisk, based in Milipitas, Calif., is currently valued at around $3.2 billion. Although Samsung trumps SanDisk in the production of flash memory, an acquisition would allow Samsung to use various SanDisk technologies without picking up the tab for licensing costs. The Korean paper eDaily reports that those licensing fees add up to about $353.8 billion annually. It would also give Samsung the opportunity to preempt a SanDisk deal with competitor Toshiba, which has plans to ramp up its own flash production with SanDisk.