OSTA - Optical Storage Technology Association
The Optical Storage Technology Association was established as an international industry association in 1992. The aims of the organisation are above all the promotion of the daily use of optical technology and recordable products, and also stimulation of the development of new solutions for the optical business.
Among the members of OSTA can be found both producers of optical products and their intermediaries on three continents. OSTA has 13 members:
- Apple Computer Inc.
- Eastman Kodak Company
- Hewlett Packard Company
- Matsushita Electric (Panasonic)
- Microsoft Corporation
- NXP Semiconductors
- Olympus Corporation
- Pioneer Electronics (USA) inc.
- Ricoh Company, inc.
- Sony Electronics inc.
- Toshiba Corporation
- Verbatim Corporation
Aside from those in the organisation, there are 25 affiliated firms, and also national institutes and academic units – National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Osaka Sangyo University, Teiko Heisei University.
All represent more than 85% of the representatives of the optical recording equipment market in the entire world. Businesses from around the globe interested in cooperation have the opportunity to participate in committees and realise the OSTA programme.
The associate members of OSTA regularly meet in several groups – thematic committees, debating the future shape of the optical industry. With respect to the internal structure of OSTA, there are three main entities:
Commercial Optical Storage Applications (COSA)
COSA, established as a committee being the global authority and main source of industry information on systems, applications and solutions regulating the market.
Blu Laser ad hoc
The task of this unit is the accumulation of themes, guidelines and the creation of a list of issues and needs connected with the next generation of optical equipment.
DVD Compatibility Committee
The OSTA committee was established with the aim of connecting the testing of the compatibility of new solutions for DVD with the activity of the DVD Association and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
These three divisions cooperate for the benefit of the independent provision and objective sources of reference for the consistency of information in the field of DVD recording technologies.