While we think the number of memory card standards available today is large enough, we can't refrain from getting excited over the SD Association's announcement of the SDXC (eXtended Capacity) specification. According to the SDA, the SDXC open standard has been developed in response to both storage and speeds needs and, because of that, it will see to the release of cards that provide up to 2TB of space and read/write speeds of 104 MB/s (later this year), with future models being planned to reach a maximum of 300 MB/s.

"SDXC combines a higher capacity roadmap with faster transfer speeds as a means to exploit NAND flash memory technology as a compelling choice for portable memory storage and interoperability," said Joseph Unsworth, research director, NAND Flash Semiconductors, at Gartner. "With industry support, SDXC presents manufacturers with the opportunity to kindle consumer demand for more advanced handset features and functionality in consumer electronics behind the ubiquitous SD interface."

Making use of Microsoft's exFAT file system, the SDXC will have its 1.0 specs released later this quarter. No word on when the first cards will arrive but we're hoping it will be sooner rather than later.