Taiwan-based Ritek Corporation takes 12.9% of the RW maker market share

Taiwan-based RiData, the largest optical media manufacturer in the world, now commands 12.9% of the RW maker market share and 15.3% of the Blu-Ray market, reports Hans Steyn, business development manager at Pinnacle Micro, the local distributor for RiData in Southern Africa.

Pinnacle Micro, the largest listed ICT distributor in South Africa, landed the exclusive distribution rights for RiData in southern Africa during the first quarter of this year.

Steyn said since then RiData sales have been "bullish" despite the downturn in the economy.

"One of the most exciting aspects of RiData is their expertise when it comes to Blu-Ray, a technology that is now taking the worldwide market by storm. When it comes to optical media storage Blu-Ray is regarded as the leading-edge technology. It has not reached its zenith yet but we are expecting increasing acceptance, and sales, in SA during the next two years.

In the optical media storage marketspace, RiData is seen as Ritek's Rolls Royce offering and is definitely viewed as such in the USA, Europe and Asia.

"We are pushing the RiData range and we believe that the RiData range of optical media is going to make a big impact in the South African industry - and in Africa as a whole."

"Over the next 24 months the RiData range could make a substantial impact on our revenues flowing from the storage market sector."

Steyn said that while it is likely that Blu-Ray technology will take "a bit longer" to find its way into the SA market, which lags somewhat behind the European and USA markets, "there is no doubt that this technology is the way of the future".

The company recently invested $180 million in its own manufacturing facilities in Vietnam.