Kingston Digital Details Plans for IronKey's Future

Sunbury-on-Thames, February 29, 2016 – Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced that it has finalised the integration plans for IronKey™. Kingston will ensure a smooth transition for existing IronKey customers and will work with its collective partners to enable access to sales and technical support, plus access to Kingston’s world-class product and service resources.

As a leader in the USB Flash drive market since 2004, Kingston^® will utilise its IronKey product line to deliver FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certification solutions for customers who need the highest level of encryption and security.

FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certification is a requirement for civilian and government agencies as well as military branches in the United States and Canada. The certification is also often a requirement or guideline for financial and healthcare industry organisations. FIPS 140-2 Level 3 calls for a tamper-evident seal for physical security to detect and respond to attempts to access, use or modify the cryptographic module. Achievement of this certification required rigorous testing, which was reviewed and approved by the U.S. based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is a benchmark for security and reliability for agencies and enterprise organisations looking for the highest level of encryption.

Kingston will maintain its encrypted DataTraveler products, the world’s most-used encrypted USB drives, for customers who do not require FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validation. In addition, its close software partner DataLocker^® Inc. will continue to manage the SafeConsole^® andEnterprise Management Services (EMS) platforms that both Kingston and IronKey managed encrypted drives utilize.

“Kingston’s acquisition of IronKey’s USB technology and other assets is a win for both Kingston and its customers,” said Michael Osterman, principal analyst at Osterman Research. “The acquisition will bolster Kingston’s ability to penetrate the market for FIPS 140-2 USB drives in defense-related and other high-end markets where IronKey was strong; and existing IronKey offerings will be upgraded with newer, higher performance capabilities.”

“The encrypted USB market continues to be viable as there is always the need for governmental agencies and organisations of all levels to protect mobile data,” said Valentina Vitolo, Flash Business Manager, Kingston. “Many IronKey products today rely upon legacy NAND technology. Kingston will leverage our longstanding relationships with Flash memory semiconductors, controller partners and other component makers as well as our strong channel presence to bring IronKey products into the future and to new customers.”

The recent purchase of IronKey’s technology and assets allows Kingston to focus on its core strength of encrypted USB drives. As part of the acquisition, Kingston has now sold the encrypted external HDD business to DataLocker Inc whose product portfolio already includes similar solutions. The deal further strengthens the partnership between the two companies.

Representatives from Kingston will be available at RSA^® Conference 2016 in San Francisco, CA, February 29 to March 4 in the DataLocker booth (North Expo #N3134). For specific product information visit www.ironkey.com

Kingston can be found on:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kingstontechmemory

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kingstontechnologyeurope

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kingstontech

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/kingston

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kingstontechnologyemea/

About Kingston Digital, Inc.

Kingston Digital, Inc. (“KDI”) is the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products. Established in 2008, KDI is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, USA. For more information, please call +44 (0)1932 738888 or visit www.kingston.com