3M: A GENERATION OF DISKETTE MARKET LEADERSHIP

Marking its 40th year at the forefront of the data storage industry, 3M has
renewed its commitment to responding to customer needs and advancing
diskette technology.

In an industry characterized by rapid change, it is this philosophy that
underpins the development of the company's new "go anywhere" diskette,
according to Karyn Greco, marketing development manager, 3M Data Storage
Markets Division.

A recent survey by Dataquest, a San Jose-based market research firm, showed
3M as the leader in worldwide manufacturing and sales of all data storage
media, including branded 3.5-inch diskettes. In that same survey, 3M
ranked first in product quality, as rated by end users.

3M's record shows that it is committed to advancing the state-of-the-art in
diskette technology and increasing customer value through ongoing
improvements in performance and reliability. In a recent study conducted
by IntelliQuest, Austin, Texas, 3M branded diskettes were rated as both
the most reliable and most preferred
by end users.

Through its ongoing dialogue with customers worldwide on usage-related
issues, 3M identified the need for a "go anywhere" diskette that could be
used in a variety of challenging environments by both desktop and portable
computer users. The result is a diskette that is ideally suited to the
dynamic nature of business today, said Greco.

Five Decades of Leadership

3M and IBM co-developed the industry's first half-inch computer tape in
1953. In 1971, 3M pioneered quarter-inch data cartridge technology with
the 300-foot DC300 cartridge and cartridge tape drives.

3M's commitment to developing and introducing new data storage technologies
was reflected in 1973, when it was one of the first companies to market an
eight-inch flexible IBM-compatible diskette.

Since the company first entered the data storage market, this commitment to
research, development and improving product performance and reliability
has enabled 3M to achieve a number of industry firsts in diskette
technology.

3M milestones over the past 15 years range from the company's entry into
5.25-inch branded diskette manufacturing in 1978, to its industry-leading
role in the development and introduction of the first 2 MB 3.5-inch
diskette in 1987.

In 1992, 3M again broke new ground when it introduced the first 21 MB very
high capacity Floptical diskette.

These successes reflect a commitment to strategic planning and customer
service, as well as technological innovation, Greco said. In an
increasingly competitive and mature marketplace, 3M has maintained its
market share through a combination of accelerated investment in product
development -- by itself and with other computer industry leaders --
quality manufacturing and aggressive marketing and sales. These have
ensured strong brand identification and expanded distribution in all
product categories.

According to IntelliQuest, end users are more familiar with 3M branded
diskettes than those of any other supplier. 3M has had success in
translating this recognition into consistently outstanding sales
performances. In the same IntelliQuest survey, 3M diskettes were
identified as the most used and purchased brand in the retail channel.

3M also is the first diskette manufacturer to win quality certification for
its 3.5-inch double density and high density diskettes from the
prestigious Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB), a federal agency that
develops national and international standards for government, industry and
consumers.

In CGSB-sponsored tests, both the unformatted and IBM factory-formatted
versions of 3M's 3.5-inch double density and high density diskettes earned
perfect scores in all test areas. Those include amplitude, resolution,
overwrite, modulation, missing bit, extra bit, peak shift, torque, and
visual inspection.

Engineered and manufactured in some of the industry's most advanced
laboratories and factories, 3M's diskettes have been recognized for
highest quality in numerous end-user surveys. The company maintains sales
and marketing offices in more than 55 countries and manufactures a wide
range of data storage products in the U.S., Germany and Japan.

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