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Exec explains 'we are trying to help consumers' but 'we're just doing it through different channels'
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- Micron has defended its decision to shutter the Crucial brand of consumer RAM
- A marketing exec said, "Our viewpoint is that we are trying to help consumers around the world. We're just doing it through different channels."
- This refers to the majority of Micron's consumer business as being supplying RAM for OEM PCs, and the exec has a point to an extent – but so do those who are complaining
The RAM crisis continues to rage, and some consumers are still raging too, remaining unhappy with Micron ditching its Crucial brand last month – but the memory maker has just been defending this decision.
Wccftech interviewed Christopher Moore, who is VP of the Marketing, Mobile, and Client Business Unit at Micron (hat tip to VideoCardz). The tech site asked the executive a range of questions on the current RAM shortage as it relates to consumers and AI demand (as the profits made due to the latter are the reason system memory is getting thinner on the shelves for consumers).
The first, and primary, question Wccftech posed was about the backlash and negative sentiment around Micron's decision to shutter its Crucial consumer brand in favor of selling RAM to data centers for AI usage.
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Specifically, the tech site asked about "whether memory suppliers are inclined towards catering to the AI sector, leaving consumers behind", and Moore took what might seem a surprising angle initially.
The VP said, "Well, first I would want to try to help everybody understand that the perception may not be exactly correct, at least from our point of view. So I would never want to tell someone what to think or that they're wrong, but our viewpoint is that we are trying to help consumers around the world. We're just doing it through different channels. We still have a very sizable business in the client and mobile markets. We are also, of course, servicing our data center customers.
"And what's going on right now is that the TAM [total addressable market] and data center is growing just absolutely tremendously. And we want to make sure that, as a company, we help fulfill that TAM as well."
Of course, Micron representing its Crucial shutdown as "trying to help consumers" has not gone down well, since, on the face of it, this nugget of a statement could feel like doublespeak or PR nonsense.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.However, there's a fair bit to dig into behind what Moore means here, and Micron's broader presence in the consumer RAM market.
Analysis: Crucial isn't the big deal here – but it's still a psychological blow
When Moore says Micron is "trying to help consumers" but is "doing it through different channels", what the VP is referring to is the memory maker supplying PC manufacturers (OEMs) with RAM modules for their desktop computers and laptops (the "very sizable business in the client and mobile markets").
Micron is one of the biggest suppliers of RAM in this regard, so what Moore is arguing is that this is still supporting consumers, rather than abandoning them – even though the Crucial brand, the RAM sticks on shelves that people can buy directly (as opposed to in a PC), is going away.
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Of course, the argument then becomes that average consumers still want to buy directly, off retail shelves, themselves, and that just supporting OEMs (for consumer PCs, which of course does still benefit everyday folks) is robbing them of this ability – and so this is still a 'ditching' of support for the average PC owner.
What we can't forget, though, is that Micron also sells memory chips to other third-party consumer RAM brands, and in theory, there may now be more supply available to them (rather than it appearing under the Crucial label, from Micron, it'll just have a different badge on it).
Not convinced about any of that? Well, the indisputable thing is that there will be a certain amount of RAM supply produced for consumers in 2026 (by which I mean the memory modules that end up on retailer shelves, whether in online stores or bricks-and-mortar shops). That will be less this year, because there's a RAM supply shortage, and AI is a far more profitable sector to sell to versus consumers (for everyone, not just Micron) – that's a fact. And crucially (ahem), whether or not Crucial exists arguably won't (meaningfully) affect those availability levels (and therefore consumer pricing). As noted, whatever supply is available for RAM on retail shelves (not a great deal) will get out there, whatever label it has slapped on it.
Further, remember that Micron hasn't said it is favoring OEMs more (over consumers) now – it has always done so anyway – although we don't know what's really happening behind closed doors in meeting rooms and on the production lines in the big factories (and if there has been any shift in that respect).
Some RAM clarity, please
Am I trying to defend Micron here? It might seem that way, but I'm just attempting to clarify where the firm is coming from, and to make the point that the exit of the Crucial brand isn't really the primary pain point to focus on.
These overarching RAM woes are being caused by the galloping success of AI, which shows no signs of abating – but it's also partly the fault of memory makers (Micron, along with its rivals) for their past actions in terms of trimming down production too much in tougher times (when there was an excess of supply). Let's not forget that. That's a major factor as well as the AI boom itself, as the RAM industry started well on the back foot with too lean an inventory.
Ultimately, as with any business, decisions are made largely on the basis of profit, and with only so much RAM supply to go around – which is to say not nearly enough – AI will get the lion's share, as there's far more money in it, and consumers will get the crappy end of the deal. That's just the cold world of business.
All this said, I can see why Moore's comments are not going down well with some folks (see this Reddit thread, for example), and why the closing down of the Crucial brand seems very much like a blow, as it's a very negative signal about how Micron feels about its consumer stock and sales. That's undeniable, hence the negative reaction in turn towards Micron from those consumers, who are seriously (and rightly) frustrated with the situation as regards system memory (or indeed VRAM) right now.
Meanwhile, Moore notes that Micron has moves afoot to boost its production capacity, but those expansion plans won't see any meaningful impact on RAM supply until 2028. Again, that's another warning signal that memory woes could last not just throughout this year, but they could remain a big problem next year, too. In fact, that's seeming more and more likely by the day.
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CATEGORIES Desktop PCs Darren AllanDarren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).
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