Does that mean that future camera designs will be even smaller than today? I'm not sure but their design will continue to evolve thanks to all the advanced technologies available to designers today.

David: Does memory drive the camera business?

Mike: Memory doesn't necessarily drive the camera business but it does drive the camera design, to some extent. The overall design of a camera was really based on its ability to house a CompactFlash card, which would dictate its size and shape. And with SD cards, cameras have become smaller but the availability of the SD card allowed camera manufacturers to design smaller cameras, so I do believe memory cards can drive the camera business.

David: What's a phone going to look like in 10 years?

Mike: I'm not really sure but Kingston will be right there with media and technology to support it.

David: Do you see consumer phones eclipsing cameras in the next few years?

Mike: Camera phone technology is constantly evolving and I would not be surprised to see a 4-6 megapixel camera phone available in the U.S. in the not-to-distant future. However I believe that dedicated point-and-shoot digital cameras will not go away any time soon. Do I think camera phones will be as good as dedicated digital cameras? No, I don't, but there will be a definite market and demand for high quality camera phones.

David: What criteria should our readers use in choosing a flash memory supplier? Are you more an innovator or a close-follower?

Mike: As with any purchase, choose a vendor that has a proven track record of quality along with good customer service.

So how would someone go about determining the level of quality or customer service for a particular vendor? It's kind of difficult to ascertain a company's quality standards. Normally word of mouth is the only way. But, there is a way to get some idea of the level of support offered by a given vendor. Call their customer service department to see what kind of service they offer:

• Do you get to talk to a technician as opposed to leaving a voice mail?
• Are they available 24x7?
• What is their return policy?
• Do they offer overnight replacement?
• If you get put on hold, how long is their average hold time?

As the newcomer in the market, we continue to watch the direction of the market and develop products we believe will benefit consumers while filling a need. Good customer service and listening to consumers on the street can tell you a lot if you listen.

Kingston is not always the first to market with a new product line or faster speed cards, but we have a very high level of customer satisfaction because we conduct exhaustive QC [quality control] testing before products hit retail and we provide new lines of products that meet the needs of our customers.

David: How do you ensure reliability? What kind of tech support do you find yourself doing? Have you off-shored technical support (one of the pet peeves of most of our American readers)?

Mike: Before a product is released for mass production, the design is tested to ensure compatibility. To weed out potential defects, all units are functionally tested prior to shipment.