Eschborn, September 2006 – The Santa Clara Consulting Group (SCCG) has once again accorded Verbatim, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (MKM), the “leading supplier” of CD and DVD media. It found that the company had the highest market share in write-once CD and DVD blank and rewritable DVD disks in the second quarter of this year.

Verbatim benefited above all from the rising demand in write-once DVD media, adding around 8 percent to total sales from 325 million in the first quarter of 2006 to 351 million units in the following period. During the same time, it also increased sales of blank DVD’s by some 35 percent and increased its market share from 27.2 to 34 percent. In comparison, the next-closest competitor holds a share of 14.6 percent. Verbatim is building on the successes accumulated in 2005: the storage expert ended the previous year as the most successful supplier with a share of 25.9 percent of the write-once DVD media market.

With 20 percent of all rewritable DVD media sold, Verbatim established itself as the market leader: in 2005 the company ended as market leader. The results from Q2 2006, according to Santa Clara Consulting Group, will result in a similar finish: Verbatim then will end once again in top place with a market share of 20.9 percent.

Viewed in absolute terms, write-once CD blank media remain the best-selling media in Europe: in 2005 alone, consumers bought almost 2,2 billion units. Verbatim held on to 26.4 percent of the market share last year. However, in Q 2 2006, the signs show that growth in this segment is cooling. Nevertheless, Verbatim will raise its market share a shade to 26.7 percent.

“Consumers expect high-quality media at reasonable prices,” says Torsten Leye, Marketing Manager Optical at Verbatim EUMEA. “We back quality and our media represents good value for money – the market figures confirm that this is the right strategy.”

In order to ensure that Verbatim DVD and CD media perform best compatibility Verbatim/MKM works closely with leading drive manufacturers and software companies. This also ensures that Verbatim can deliver its customers the highest degree of flexibility. At the same time, Verbatim is constantly engaged in pioneering work to minimise the effects of small flaws such as dust, fingerprints and scratches on the media surface. It does this by investing heavily in research and development, resulting in innovative new colourings and protective surfaces, such as ScratchGuard, and new production processes for even faster media with greater capacities.

About Verbatim:
Since 1969, development in data storage technology has been led by Verbatim – ranging from floppy disks and magneto-optical storage media to the latest CD and DVD formats, USB keys and flash memory cards. As part of the Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation Group Verbatim benefits from outstanding research and development enabling countless innovations shaping today’s storage media market. Verbatim’s demanding quality control during manufacturing processes guarantees first-class products. The company has been awarded numerous international comparative product reviews and is the market leader for optical media in Europe. For more information please visit: www.verbatim-europe.com

Editorial Contacts:
Verbatim GmbH, Frankfurter Straße 63-69, 65760 Eschborn
Maria Csilics, Tel.:+49(0)6196-9001-30; e-Mail: mcsilics@verbatim-europe.com
www.verbatim-europe.com