1. What stage of the product life cycle are these products currently in?
2. Discuss the factors HP Hewlett-Packard and other tech companies should consider when conducting the business analysis for a product such as the “memristor.” How will it add value for customers?

If you think the flash-memory chip found in digital cameras and music players is small, wait until you see what’s coming next. Researchers at Hewlett-Packard have developed a new kind of electronic circuit that could revolutionize computer data storage, making it smaller and more energy-efficient than current memory chip technology. The part is call a memory resistor, or “memristor,” and it allows storage of information on memory chips for long periods of time without electrical current. The theory behind the circuit is not new—it dates back to an electrical engineering professor from the University of California at Berkley in 1971.
Most consumers don’t realize that flash chips lose data after a year or so. But with the memrister, the atomic structure is actually changed, allowing for permanent storage of data. This isn’t the only revolutionary change on the horizon. In a joint venture called Numonyx, Intel Corporation and STMicroelectronics are betting on a new technology known as phase-change memory. One thing is for sure, big change is on the way for computers and handheld devices.