Qualstar to Make Sony Optical Disc System

Qualstar Corp. was chosen by Sony Imaging Products and Solutions Inc. to manufacture an optical disc archive system for computer data, the company announced Monday. Terms of the deal between Qualstar in Simi Valley and Sony Imaging in Japan were not disclosed. The manufacturing agreement follows on a previous agreement between Qualstar and Sony to have the company develop the enterprise class optical disc archive library. Qualstar makes tape data storage and computer power supply equipment. Chief Executive Steven Bronson said that Qualstar’s long history provided the knowledge and expertise to design the optical disc-based storage device. “High capacity data storage device demand is rapidly accelerating, and the optical disc archive system will offer one of the optimum choices,” Bronson said in a statement. Shares of Qualstar (QBAK) closed Monday up 35 cents, or more than 3.2 percent, to $11.15 on the Nasdaq.