We believe these concerns are short sighted and that the earning power of Western Digital ( WDC) has been greatly enhanced by its merger with Hitachi Global Storage.

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Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) develops advanced hard disk drives, enterprise-class solid state drives, and innovative external storage solutions and services used to store, preserve and manage the world's most valued data.

ENGADGET: Hitachi GST's G-Drive Slim: world's thinnest 2.5-inch external hard drive

Flagship in the excitably named WOOO range (which signifies "wonder", "world standard" and "worthwhile", in case you were wondering) is the MS-DS400, the first product to get the recently announced Hitachi Global Storage Technologies 400GB drive.

ENGADGET: Hitachi's 400GB hard disk video recorder

In global competition, Hitachi is regularly underbid by 30% by Chinese and Korean competitors, whose ability to compete on technology and delivery is also constantly improving.

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Like GE before it, Hitachi is going to become truly global, and therefore less Japanese, company.

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The Nikkei report, however, seems only to have been premature as Hitachi Metals, which accounts for 45% of the global market for such magnets, appears determined to move production out of Japan.

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