Samsung Electronics challenges to sell 60 million optical disc drives this year, aiming at the 30% of the global market share. The company is expected to focus on the development of various strorage devices related to game consoles, notebooks and AV products.

TSST Korea, a joint-venture company of Samsung electronics and Toshiba, announced previously this month that its business goal is to raise its last year output (55 million units) to 60 million units. TSST is expected to develop products ODDs related to Blu-ray and HD DVD in the second quarter of the 2006.

Currently HLDS (Hitachi LG Data Storage) holds the main market share in the ODDs market.

Market research company TRS estimates that the global shipments of optical disc drives will reach the 280 million units.

In an efforst to improve the profitability of its ODD business this year, Samsung transfered its ODD product-lines to Indonesia.

In-Sub Hwang, the president of Samsung Electronics, said, "The profitability of ODD is not quiet good yet, but it can be overcome by diversifying distribution channels and producing innovative products."

"Samsung will keep maintaining the image of the leading company by aggressively dealing with the next ODD market which is expected up to 7.5 hundred thousand products this year, " said In-Sub Hwang.

Samsung will showcase its latest ODD products at CeBIT technology show, held in Hannover in March. The company will demo Blu-Ray drives as well as new DVD drives.