MILPITAS, California - (BUSINESS WIRE) - November 19,
2006 -SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK - News) today
announced the completion of its acquisition of msystems™ Ltd. in an
all stock transaction valued at approximately $1.5
billion.
"Today marks the exciting beginning of the new SanDisk as we
commence operations with msystems as an integrated team under one
company," said Eli Harari, SanDisk Chairman and CEO. "With our
great energy and passion and complementary strengths, we expect
this industry leading innovative team to transform our markets
through leadership products in the coming decade."
"Joining SanDisk is a great opportunity for our shareholders,
employees and partners. It strengthens the foundation for the
continued growth of the business we have built together over the
past 18 years. We are proud of creating true value and I have no
doubt that the joint organization will continue creating
innovation, value and success," said Dov Moran, President and CEO
of msystems. "We are pleased that the acquisition of msystems
is now complete and I would like to thank our shareholders,
employees and partners for their faith and unwavering support
throughout this process."
Details of the Transaction
On July 30, 2006, SanDisk and msystems entered into definitive
agreements for SanDisk to acquire msystems in an all stock
transaction. In the transaction, each msystems ordinary share
will be converted into 0.76368 of a share of SanDisk common stock,
and options or other rights in msystems shares will be converted
using the same ratio. The convertible note issued by
M-Systems Finance Inc. will become convertible into SanDisk common
stock, after giving effect to the exchange ratio in the Merger.
Effective with the closing of the transaction, trading in
msystems common stock on the NASDAQ stock market will cease.
Computershare Investor Services, L.L.C., the exchange agent for the
SanDisk/msystems acquisition, will promptly send a transmittal
letter to current msystems shareholders with instructions on how to
exchange their share certificates for SanDisk common stock
certifications and for cash in lieu of fractional shares.
msystems shareholders who hold their shares in street name will not
receive a letter of transmittal and such shareholder accounts
should automatically be credited with their new SanDisk shares.
About SanDisk
SanDisk, the world's largest supplier of flash memory data storage
card products, designs, manufactures and markets industry-standard,
solid-state data, digital imaging and audio storage products using
its patented, high density flash memory and controller
technology. SanDisk is based in Milpitas, CA.
About msystems
msystems has been transforming raw flash into smarter
storage solutions since 1989. From embedded flash drives deployed
in millions of mobile handsets to U3 USB smart drives designed for
leading global brands, msystems creates, develops, manufactures and
markets smart personal storage solutions for a myriad of
applications targeting high growth markets.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements,
including statements regarding the combined company's future
business performance and role in enabling the evolution of the
flash market, and the processes for msystems shareholders to
exchange their msystems' ordinary shares that are based on our
current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties
Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be
inaccurate include among others: slower than expected growth in
market demand for our products or a slower adoption rate for these
products in current and new markets that we are targeting, any
interruption of or delay in supply from any of the semiconductor
manufacturing or subcontracting facilities, including test and
assembly facilities that supply products to us, slower than
expected expansion of our global sales channels, fluctuations in
operating results, unexpected yield variances related to our
conversion to 70-nanometer NAND flash technology or the ramp-up of
the 300mm flash fabrication facility, our inability to make
additional planned smaller geometry conversions in a timely manner,
future average selling price erosion that may be more severe than
our expectations due to decreased demand or possible excess
industry capacity of flash memory from ourselves as well as from
existing suppliers or from new competitors, less than expected
growth in the average megabyte capacity per card, price increases
from non-captive flash memory sources and third-party
subcontractors, higher than expected operating expenses, higher
than anticipated capital equipment expenditures, adverse global
economic and geo-political conditions, including adverse currency
exchange rates and acts of terror and war, the timely development,
internal qualification and customer acceptance of new products that
are based on 70-nanometer NAND technology, fluctuations in license
and royalty revenues, business interruption due to earthquakes,
hurricanes, pandemics, power outages or other natural disasters,
particularly in areas in the Pacific Rim and Japan where we
manufacture and assemble products, potential impact of high energy
prices and other global events outside of our control which could
adversely impact consumer confidence and hence reduce demand for
our products, risks related to our acquisition of msystems,
including that we may not realize the expected benefits of
the acquisition due to integration challenges, the loss of
customers, suppliers, distributors or other third parties or other
issues, that we may incur substantial costs or other damages
associated with pending or future litigation related to the merger
or costs or damages related to msystems' prior stock option grant
practices and that we may incur charges or other accounting changes
as a result of the merger, and the other risks detailed from
time-to-time under the caption "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our
Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including,
but not limited to, our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January
1, 2006 and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Future
results may differ materially from those previously reported.
We do not intend to update the information contained in this
release.
SanDisk® is a registered trademark of SanDisk Corporation
registered in the United States and other countries. msystems is a
trademark of msystems Ltd.
SanDisk Contacts
Investors:
Lori Barker Padon
lbarker@sandisk.com
+1 408-801-1384
Jay Iyer
jiyer@sandisk.com
+1 408-801-2067
Media:
Bob Goligoski
bgoligoski@SanDisk.com
+1 408-801-1036