Kingston to Supply All Toshiba Computer Memory Upgrades

FOUNTAIN VALLEY — In a first-of-its-kind alliance between two of Orange County’s largest high-tech companies, Kingston Technology Co. said that it will have an exclusive relationship with Toshiba to supply the company with memory upgrades for its line of notebook and personal computers.

Under the terms of the deal, Toshiba customers who call the company to order memory upgrades will receive products that are made by Kingston and bear both Kingston and Toshiba brand names.

Neither company would discuss specific terms of the deal or provide an estimate of how much added business it might bring to Kingston, which had sales of $1.3 billion in 1995. Toshiba has about 21% of the worldwide market for notebook computers, and recently introduced its first line of desktop PCs.

Both companies said Monday that it is the first deal of its kind in the industry, although computer manufacturers have increasingly focused on selling add-on components as profit margins on basic machines have thinned.

Kingston, based in Fountain Valley, is the world’s largest supplier of memory upgrades. Toshiba, the world’s top maker of notebook computers, is a Japanese company, but its U.S. operations are based in Irvine.