Skip to main content

Memory Maker Qimonda Declares Bankruptcy

Memory Maker Qimonda Declares Bankruptcy

DRAM menufacturer Qimonda has filed for bankrupcty protection in a local court in Munich, Germany, after a bailout financing deal between Qimonda’s parent company, Infineon, a Portuguese investment firm, and the German state of Saxony failed to come through. Qimonda is the first DRAM manufacturer forced to seek bankruptcy protection in the recent global economic downturn; the company has also been hit hard by a worldwide glut in memory products that kept prices for RAM near (or even below) the costs of manufacturing DRAM for most of 2008.

Qimonda is seeking to reorganize its business, and anticipates the bankruptcy filing will enable it to more rapidly restructure its business and get back on its feet. “We assume we will be able to continue our business within the context of our restructuring program with the support of the temporary insolvency administrator and our employees,” said CEO and president Kin Wah Loh, in a statement.

The Munich court has appointed Dr. Michael Jaffé, a well-known bankruptcy attorney, as preliminary insolvency administrator for Qimonda.

Qimonda employs over 12,000 people worldwide.

The state-supposed bailout plan had been set to infuse €325 million (about $420 million) into Qimonda, but the deal hasn’t been finalized and the company hasn’t received any of the funds.

Taiwan has also moved to shore up the books of its own DRAM manufacturers, pledging almost $6 billion in bailout money to support its memory manufacturers.

Editors' Recommendations

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
How to download a video from Facebook
An elderly person holding a phone.

Facebook is a great place for sharing photos, videos, and other media with friends and family. But what if you’d like to download a video to store offline? This means you’d be able to watch the clip on your PC or mobile device, without needing to be connected to the internet. Fortunately, there’s a way to download Facebook videos to your everyday gadgets, although it’s not as straightforward a process as it could be.

Read more
How to delete your Gmail account (and what you need to know)
The top corner of Gmail on a laptop screen.

Is it time to part ways with your Gmail account? Whether you’re moving onto greener email pastures, or you want to start fresh with a new Gmail address, deleting your old Gmail account is something anyone can do. Of course, we’re not just going to bid you farewell without a guide all our own. If you need to delete your Gmail account, we hope these step-by-step instructions will make the process even easier.

Read more
How to change margins in Google Docs
Laptop Working from Home

You may find that Google Docs has a UI that is almost too clean. It can be difficult to find basic things you're used to, such as margin settings. Don't worry, though, you can change margins in Google Docs just like with any other word processor through a couple of different means.

Read more