Seagate Technology Holdings plc

Previous wording

The following is a summary of the principal risks and uncertainties that could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, brand and/or the price of our outstanding ordinary shares, and make an investment in our ordinary shares speculative or risky. You should read this summary together with the more detailed description of each risk factor contained below. Additional risks beyond those summarized below or discussed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may apply to our business and operations as currently conducted or as we may conduct them in the future or to the markets in which we currently, or may in the future, operate.

Current wording

The following is a summary of the principal risks and uncertainties that could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, brand and/or the price of our outstanding ordinary shares, and make an investment in our ordinary shares speculative or risky. You should read this summary together with the more detailed description of each risk factor contained below. Additional risks beyond those summarized below or discussed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may apply to our business and operations as currently conducted or as we may conduct them in the future or to the markets in which we currently, or may in the future, operate.

Previous wording

•We operate in highly competitive markets and our failure to anticipate and respond to technological changes and other market developments, including price competition, could harm our ability to compete.

Current wording

•We operate in highly competitive markets and our failure to anticipate and respond to technological changes and other market developments, including price competition, could harm our ability to compete and risk the commoditization of our products.

Previous wording

•We have been adversely affected by reduced, delayed, loss of or canceled purchases by one or more of our key customers, including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs.

Current wording

•We have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by reduced, delayed, loss of or canceled purchases by one or more of our key customers, including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs.

Previous wording

•We must plan our investments in our products and incur costs before we have customer orders or know about the market conditions at the time the products are produced. If we fail to predict demand accurately for our products or if the markets for our products change, we may have insufficient demand or we may be unable to meet demand, which may materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

•We must plan our investments in our products and incur costs before we have customer orders or know about the market conditions at the time the products are produced. If we fail to predict demand accurately for our products or if the markets for our products change, we may have insufficient demand or we may be unable to meet demand, which may materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

•Changes in demand for computer systems, data storage subsystems and consumer electronic devices may in the future cause a decline in demand for our products.

Current wording

•Changes in demand for computer systems, data storage subsystems and consumer electronic devices has previously caused, and may in the future cause, a decline in demand for our products.

Previous wording

•We may not be successful in our efforts to grow our systems, SSD and Lyve revenues.

Current wording

•We may not be able to grow our systems, SSD and Lyve revenues, which would adversely affect our results of operations.

Previous wording

•Any cost reduction initiatives that we undertake may not deliver the results we expected and these actions may adversely affect our business.

Current wording

•Any cost reduction initiatives that we undertake may not deliver the results we expect and these actions may adversely affect our business.

Previous wording

•The effect of geopolitical uncertainties, war, terrorism, natural disasters, public health issues and other circumstances, on national and/or international commerce and on the global economy, could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Current wording

•The effect of geopolitical uncertainties, war, terrorism, natural disasters, public health issues and other circumstances, on national and/or international commerce and on the global economy, could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Previous wording

•Our business is subject to various laws, regulations, governmental policies, litigation, governmental investigations or governmental proceedings that may cause us to incur significant expense or adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

Current wording

•Our business is subject to various laws, regulations and governmental policies that may cause us to incur significant expense or adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

Previous wording

•Some of our products and services are subject to export control laws and other laws affecting the countries in which our products and services may be sold, distributed, or delivered, and any changes to or violation of these laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Current wording

•Some of our products and services are subject to export control laws and other laws affecting the countries in which our products and services may be sold, distributed, or delivered, and any changes to or violation of these laws could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Previous wording

•Changes in U.S. trade policy, including the imposition of sanctions or tariffs and the resulting consequences, may have a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

Current wording

•Changes in U.S. trade policy, including the imposition of sanctions or tariffs and the resulting consequences, may have a material and adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

Previous wording

•We could suffer a loss of revenue and increased costs, exposure to significant liability including legal and regulatory consequences, reputational harm and other serious negative consequences in the event of cyber-attacks, ransomware or other cyber security breaches or incidents that disrupt our operations or result in unauthorized access to, or the loss, corruption, unavailability or dissemination of proprietary or confidential information of our customers or about us or other third parties.

Current wording

•We could suffer a loss of revenue and increased costs, exposure to significant liability including legal and regulatory consequences, reputational harm and other serious negative consequences in the event of cyber-attacks, ransomware or other cyber security breaches or incidents that disrupt our operations, cause widespread outages, and/or result in unauthorized access to, or the loss, corruption, unavailability or dissemination of proprietary or confidential information of our customers or about us or other third parties.

Previous wording

•We must successfully implement our new global enterprise resource planning system and maintain and upgrade our information technology (“IT”) systems, and our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

•We must successfully implement our new global enterprise resource planning system and maintain and upgrade our information technology (“IT”) systems, and our failure to do so could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

Historically, our results of operations have substantially depended upon our ability to be among the first-to-market with new data storage product offerings. We have faced and may continue to face technological, operational and financial challenges in developing new products. In addition, our investments in new product development may not yield the anticipated benefits. Our market share, revenue and results of operations in the future may be adversely affected if we fail to:

Current wording

Historically, our results of operations have substantially depended upon our ability to be among the first-to-market with new data storage product offerings. We have faced and may continue to face technological, operational and financial challenges in developing new products. In addition, our investments in new product development may not yield the anticipated results. Our market share, revenue and results of operations in the future may be adversely affected if we fail to:

Previous wording

•develop new products, identify business strategies and timely introduce competitive product offerings to meet technological shifts or we are unable to execute these matters successfully;

Current wording

•develop new products, identify business strategies and timely introduce competitive product offerings to meet technological shifts;

Previous wording

•qualify these products with key customers on a timely basis by meeting our customers’ performance and quality specifications; or

Current wording

•qualify these products with key customers on a timely basis by meeting our customers’ performance, quality and security specifications; or

Previous wording

Accordingly, we cannot accurately determine the ultimate effect that our new products will have on our results of operations. Our failure to accurately anticipate customers’ needs and accurately identify the shift in technological changes could materially adversely affect our long-term financial results.

Current wording

Accordingly, we cannot accurately determine the ultimate effect that our new products will have on our results of operations. Our failure to accurately anticipate customers’ needs and accurately identify the shift in technological changes could materially and adversely affect our long-term financial results.

Previous wording

Additionally, we may be unable to produce new products that have higher capacities and more advanced technologies in the volumes and timeframes that are required to meet customer demand. As part of our launch of the Mozaic hard drive platform, we are transitioning to key areal density recording technologies that use HAMR technology to increase HDD capacities. If our transitions to more advanced technologies, including the transition to HDDs utilizing HAMR technology, require development and production cycles that are longer than anticipated or if we otherwise fail to implement new HDD technologies successfully, we may lose sales and market share, which could significantly harm our financial results.

Current wording

Additionally, we may be unable to produce new products that have higher capacities and more advanced technologies in the volumes and timeframes that are required to meet customer demand. As part of our launch of the Mozaic hard drive platform, we are transitioning to key areal density recording technologies that use the Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (“HAMR”) technology to increase HDD capacities. If our transitions to more advanced technologies, including the transition to HDDs utilizing HAMR technology, require development, qualification or production cycles that are longer than anticipated or if we otherwise fail to implement new HDD technologies successfully, we may lose sales and market share, which could significantly harm our financial results and reputation.

Previous wording

We operate in highly competitive markets and our failure to anticipate and respond to technological changes and other market developments, including price competition, could harm our ability to compete.

Current wording

We operate in highly competitive markets and our failure to anticipate and respond to technological changes and other market developments, including price competition, could harm our ability to compete and risk the commoditization of our products.

Previous wording

The markets for our data storage products are characterized by technological change, which is driven in part by the adoption of new industry standards. These standards provide mechanisms to ensure technology component interoperability but they also hinder our ability to innovate or differentiate our products. When this occurs, our products may be considered commodities, which could result in downward pressure on prices.

Current wording

The markets for our data storage products are characterized by technological change, which is driven in part by the adoption of new industry standards. These standards provide mechanisms to ensure technology component interoperability but they also hinder our ability to innovate or differentiate our products. When this occurs, our products may be considered commodities, which has historically, and could in the future, result in downward pressure on prices.

Previous wording

We also experience competition from other companies that produce alternative storage technologies such as flash memory, where increasing capacity, decreasing cost, energy efficiency and improvements in performance have resulted in SSDs that offer increased competition with our lower capacity, smaller form factor HDDs and a declining trend in demand for HDDs in our legacy markets. Some customers for both mass capacity storage and legacy markets have adopted SSDs as an alternative to hard drives in certain applications. Further adoption of SSDs or other alternative storage technologies may limit our total addressable HDD market, impact the competitiveness of our product portfolio and reduce our market share.

Current wording

We also experience competition from other companies that produce alternative storage technologies such as flash memory, where increasing capacity, decreasing cost, energy efficiency and improvements in performance have resulted in SSDs that offer increased competition with our lower capacity, smaller form factor HDDs and a declining trend in demand for HDDs in our legacy markets. Some customers for both mass capacity storage and legacy markets have adopted SSDs as an alternative to hard drives in certain applications. Further adoption of SSDs or other alternative storage technologies may limit our total addressable HDD market, impact the competitiveness of our product portfolio and reduce our market share. Any resulting increase in competition could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

We have been adversely affected by reduced, delayed, loss of or canceled purchases by one or more of our key customers, including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs.

Current wording

We have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by reduced, delayed, loss of or canceled purchases by, one or more of our key customers, including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs.

Previous wording

Some of our key customers, such as OEM customers, including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs, account for a large portion of our revenue in our mass capacity markets. While we have long-standing relationships with many of our customers, if any key customers were to significantly reduce, defer or cancel their purchases from us or delay product acceptances, or we were prohibited from selling to those key customers such as due to export regulations, our results of operations would be adversely affected. Although sales to key customers may vary from period to period, a key customer that permanently discontinues or significantly reduces its relationship with us, or that we are prohibited from selling to, could be difficult to replace. In line with industry practice, new key customers usually require that we pass a lengthy and rigorous qualification process. Accordingly, it may be a difficult, costly or prolonged process to attract and sign new key customers. Additionally, our customers’ demand for our products may fluctuate due to factors beyond our control. If any of our key customers unexpectedly reduce, delay or cancel orders, our revenues and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

Current wording

Some of our key customers, such as OEM customers including large hyperscale data center companies and CSPs, account for a large portion of our revenue in our mass capacity markets. While we have long-standing relationships with many of our customers, if any key customers were to significantly reduce, defer or cancel their purchases or delay product acceptances, or we were prohibited from selling to those key customers for any reason, such as export regulations, our revenues and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected, particularly if we are unable to collect any applicable cancellation charges. Although sales to key customers may vary from period to period, a key customer that permanently discontinues or significantly reduces its relationship with us, or that we are prohibited from selling to, could be difficult to replace. In line with industry practice, new key customers usually require that we pass a lengthy and rigorous qualification process. Accordingly, it may be a difficult, costly or prolonged process to attract and sign new key customers. Additionally, our customers’ demand for our products may fluctuate due to factors beyond our control.

Previous wording

Furthermore, to the extent that there is consolidation among our customer base, or when supply exceeds demand in our industry, our customers may be able to command increased leverage in negotiating prices and other terms of sale, causing price erosion, which could adversely affect our profitability. Furthermore, if such customer pressures require us to reduce our pricing such that our gross margins are diminished, it might not be feasible to sell to a particular customer, which could result in a decrease in our revenue. Consolidation among our customer base may also lead to reduced demand for our products, replacement of our products by the combined entity with those of our competitors and cancellations of orders, each of which could adversely affect our results of operations. If a significant transaction or regulatory impact involving any of our key customers results in the loss of or reduction in purchases by these key customers, it could have a materially adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Current wording

Furthermore, to the extent that there is consolidation among our customer base, or when supply exceeds demand in our industry, our customers may be able to command increased leverage in negotiating prices and other terms of sale, causing price erosion that could adversely affect our profitability. Furthermore, if such customer pressures require us to reduce our pricing such that our gross margins are diminished, it might not be feasible to sell to a particular customer, which could result in a decrease in our revenue. Consolidation among our customer base may also lead to reduced demand for our products, replacement of our products by the combined entity with those of our competitors and cancellations of orders, each of which could adversely affect our results of operations. If a significant transaction or regulatory impact involving any of our key customers results in the loss of or reduction in purchases by these key customers, it could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Previous wording

A substantial portion of our sales has been to distributors and retailers of disk drive products. Certain of our distributors and retailers may also market competing products. We face significant competition in this distribution channel as a result of limited product qualification programs and a focus on price, terms and product availability. Sales volumes through this channel are also less predictable and subject to greater volatility. In addition, deterioration in business and economic conditions has exacerbated price erosion and volatility as distributors or retailers lower prices to compensate for lower demand and higher inventory levels. Our distributors’ and retailers’ ability to access credit to fund their operations may also affect their purchases of our products. If prices decline significantly in this distribution channel or our distributors or retailers reduce purchases of our products or if distributors or retailers experience financial difficulties or terminate their relationships with us, our revenues and results of operations would be adversely affected.

Current wording

Sales to distributors and retailers of disk drive products account for a substantial portion of our revenue. Certain of our distributors and retailers may also market competing products. We face significant competition in this distribution channel as a result of limited product qualification programs and a focus on price, terms and product availability. Sales volumes through this channel are also less predictable and subject to greater volatility. In addition, deterioration in business and economic conditions has exacerbated price erosion and volatility as distributors and retailers lower prices to compensate for lower demand and higher inventory levels. Our distributors’ and retailers’ ability to access credit to fund their operations may also affect their purchases of our products. If prices decline significantly in this distribution channel or our distributors or retailers reduce purchases of our products, experience financial difficulties or terminate their relationships with us, our revenues and results of operations would be adversely affected.

Previous wording

We must plan our investments in our products and incur costs before we have customer orders or know about the market conditions at the time the products are produced. If we fail to predict demand accurately for our products or if the markets for our products change, we may have insufficient demand or we may be unable to meet demand, which may materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

We must plan our investments in our products and incur costs before we have customer orders or know about the market conditions at the time the products are produced. If we fail to predict demand accurately for our products or if the markets for our products change, we may have insufficient demand or we may be unable to meet demand, which may materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

Our results of operations are highly dependent on strong cloud, enterprise and consumer spending and the resulting demand for our products. Reduced demand, particularly from our key cloud and enterprise customers as a result of a significant change in macroeconomic conditions or other factors may result in a significant reduction or cancellation of their purchases from us which can and have materially adversely impacted our business and financial condition.

Current wording

Our results of operations are highly dependent on strong cloud, enterprise and consumer spending and the resulting demand for our products. Reduced demand, particularly from our key cloud and enterprise customers as a result of a significant change in macroeconomic conditions or other factors, may result in a significant reduction or cancellation of their purchases from us, which has in the past and may in the future materially and adversely impact our business and financial condition.

Previous wording

Our manufacturing process requires us to make significant product-specific investments in inventory for production at least three to six months in advance. As a result, we incur inventory and manufacturing costs in advance of anticipated sales that may never materialize or that may be substantially lower than expected. If actual demand for our products is lower than the forecast, we may also experience excess and obsolescence of inventory, higher inventory carrying costs, factory underutilization charges and manufacturing rework costs, which have resulted in and could in the future result in adverse material effects on our financial condition and results of operations. For example, due to customer inventory adjustments, we have experienced a slowdown in demand for our products, particularly in the mass capacity markets. These reductions in demand have required us to significantly reduce manufacturing production plans and recognize factory underutilization charges. We expect these factors will continue to impact our business and results of operations over the near term.

Current wording

Our manufacturing process requires us to make significant product-specific investments in inventory for production at least three to six months in advance. As a result, we incur inventory and manufacturing costs in advance of anticipated sales that may never materialize or that may be substantially lower than expected. If actual demand for our products is lower than the forecast, we may also experience excess and obsolescence of inventory, higher inventory carrying costs, factory underutilization charges and manufacturing rework costs, which have resulted in and could in the future result in material and adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations. For example, due to customer inventory adjustments, we have experienced a slowdown in demand for our products, particularly in the mass capacity markets. These reductions in demand have required us to significantly reduce manufacturing production plans and recognize factory underutilization charges in fiscal years 2024 and 2023.

Previous wording

Changes in demand for computer systems, data storage subsystems and consumer electronic devices may in the future cause a decline in demand for our products.

Current wording

Changes in demand for computer systems, data storage subsystems and consumer electronic devices has previously caused, and may in the future cause, a decline in demand for our products.

Previous wording

Our products are incorporated in computers, data storage systems deployed in data centers and consumer electronic devices. Historically, the demand for these products has been volatile. Unexpected slowdowns in demand for computers, data storage subsystems or consumer electronic devices generally result in sharp declines in demand for our products. Declines in customer spending on the systems and devices that incorporate our products could have a material adverse effect on demand for our products and on our financial condition and results of operations. Uncertain global economic and business conditions can exacerbate, and have in the past exacerbated, these risks.

Current wording

Our products are incorporated in computers, data storage systems deployed in data centers and consumer electronic devices. Historically, the demand for these products has been volatile. Unexpected slowdowns in demand for computers, data storage subsystems or consumer electronic devices generally result in sharp declines in demand for our products. Declines in customer spending on the systems and devices that incorporate our products could have a material and adverse effect on demand for our products and on our financial condition and results of operations. Uncertain global economic and business conditions can exacerbate, and have in the past exacerbated, these risks.

Previous wording

In addition, we believe announcements regarding competitive product introductions from time to time have caused customers to defer or cancel their purchases, making certain inventory obsolete. Whenever an oversupply of products in the market causes our industry to have higher than anticipated inventory levels, we experience even more intense price competition from other manufacturers than usual, which may materially adversely affect our financial results.

Current wording

In addition, we believe announcements regarding competitive product introductions from time to time have caused customers to defer or cancel their purchases, making certain inventory obsolete. Whenever an oversupply of products in the market causes our industry to have higher than anticipated inventory levels, we experience even more intense price competition from other manufacturers than usual, which may materially and adversely affect our financial results.

Previous wording

Our sales cycle for nearline storage solutions could exceed one year and be unpredictable, depending on the time required for developing, testing and evaluating our products before deployment, the size of deployment, and the complexity of system configuration necessary for development. Additionally, our nearline storage solutions are subject to variability of sales primarily due to the timing of IT spending or a reflection of cyclical demand from CSPs based on the timing of their procurement and deployment requirements and their ability to procure other components needed to build out data center infrastructure. Given the length of development and qualification programs and unpredictability of the sales cycle, we may be unable to accurately forecast product demand, which may result in excess inventory and associated inventory reserves or write-downs, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

Our sales cycle for nearline storage solutions could exceed one year and be unpredictable, depending on the time required for developing, testing and evaluating our products before deployment, the size of deployment, and the complexity of system configuration necessary for development. Additionally, our nearline storage solutions are subject to variability of sales primarily due to the timing of IT spending as a reflection of cyclical demand from CSPs based on the timing of their procurement and deployment requirements and their ability to procure other components needed to build out data center infrastructure. Given the length of development and qualification programs and unpredictability of the sales cycle, we may be unable to accurately forecast product demand, which may result in excess inventory and associated inventory reserves or write-downs, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

In certain end markets, sales of computers, storage subsystems and consumer electronic devices tend to be seasonal, and therefore, we expect to continue to experience seasonality in our business as we respond to variations in our customers’ demand for our products. In particular, sales of our consumer products may be lower during the second half of our fiscal year. Retail sales of certain of our legacy markets solutions traditionally experience higher demand in the first half of our fiscal year driven by consumer spending in the back-to-school season from late summer to fall and the traditional holiday shopping season from fall to winter. We experience seasonal reductions in the second half of our fiscal year in the business activities of our customers during international holidays like Lunar New Year, as well as in the summer months (particularly in Europe), which typically result in lower sales during those periods. Since our working capital needs peak during periods in which we are increasing production in anticipation of orders that have not yet been received, our results of operations will fluctuate even if the forecasted demand for our products proves accurate. Failure to anticipate consumer demand for our branded solutions may also adversely impact our future results of operations. Furthermore, it is difficult for us to evaluate the degree to which this seasonality may affect our business in future periods because of the rate and unpredictability of product transitions and new product introductions, as well as macroeconomic conditions. In particular, during periods when there are rapidly changing macroeconomic conditions, historical seasonality trends may not be a good indicator to predict our future performance and results of operations.

Current wording

In certain end markets, sales of computers, storage subsystems and consumer electronic devices tend to be seasonal, and therefore, we expect to continue to experience seasonality in our business as we respond to variations in our customers’ demand for our products. In particular, sales of our consumer products have in the past and may in the future be lower during the second half of our fiscal year. Retail sales of certain of our legacy markets solutions traditionally experience higher demand in the first half of our fiscal year driven by consumer spending in the back-to-school season from late summer to fall and the traditional holiday shopping season from fall to winter. We experience seasonal reductions in the second half of our fiscal year in the business activities of our customers during international holidays like Lunar New Year, as well as in the summer months (particularly in Europe), which typically result in lower sales during those periods. Since our working capital needs peak during periods in which we are increasing production in anticipation of orders that have not yet been received, our results of operations will fluctuate even if the forecasted demand for our products proves accurate. Failure to anticipate consumer demand for our branded solutions may also adversely impact our future results of operations. Furthermore, it is difficult for us to evaluate the degree to which this seasonality may affect our business in future periods because of the rate and unpredictability of product transitions and new product introductions, as well as macroeconomic conditions. In particular, during periods when there are rapidly changing macroeconomic conditions, historical seasonality trends may not be a good indicator to predict our future performance and results of operations.

Previous wording

Our results of operations and share price may be adversely affected if we are not successful in our efforts to grow our revenues as anticipated. In addition, our growth in these markets may bring us into closer competition with some of our customers or potential customers, which may decrease their willingness to do business with us.

Current wording

Our results of operations and share price may be adversely affected if we are not successful in our efforts to grow our revenues as anticipated, particularly to the extent our revenues do not offset our investments. In addition, our growth in these markets may bring us into closer competition with some of our customers or potential customers, which may decrease their willingness to do business with us.

Previous wording

We are a global company and have significant sales operations outside of the United States, including sales personnel and customer support operations. We also generate a significant portion of our revenue from sales outside the United States. Disruptions in the economic, environmental, political, legal or regulatory landscape in the countries where we operate may have a material adverse impact on our manufacturing and sales operations. Disruptions in financial markets and the deterioration of global economic conditions have had and may continue to have an impact on our sales to customers and end-users.

Current wording

We are a global company and have significant sales operations outside of the United States, including sales personnel and customer support operations. We also generate a significant portion of our revenue from sales outside the United States. Disruptions in the economic, environmental, political, legal or regulatory landscape in the countries where we operate may have a material and adverse impact on our manufacturing and sales operations. Disruptions in financial markets and the deterioration of global economic conditions have had and may continue to have an impact on our sales to customers and end-users.

Previous wording

Prices for our products are denominated predominantly in dollars, even when sold to customers located outside the United States. An increase in the value of the dollar could increase the real cost to our customers in those markets outside of the United States where we sell in dollars. This could adversely impact our sales and market share in such areas or increase pressure to lower our prices, and adversely impact our profit margins. In addition, we have revenue and expenses denominated in currencies other than the dollar, primarily the Thai Baht, Singaporean dollar, Chinese Renminbi and British Pound Sterling, which further exposes us to adverse movements in foreign currency exchange rates. A weakened dollar could increase the effective cost of our expenses such as payroll, utilities, tax and marketing expenses, as well as overseas capital expenditures. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. We have attempted to manage the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes by, among other things, entering into foreign currency forward exchange contracts from time to time, which could be designated as cash flow hedges or not designated as hedging instruments. Our hedging strategy may be ineffective, and specific hedges may expire and not be renewed or may not offset any or more than a portion of the adverse financial impact resulting from currency variations. The hedging activities may not cover our full exposure, subject us to certain counterparty credit risks and may impact our results of operations. See “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk—Foreign Currency Exchange Risk” of this report for additional information about our foreign currency exchange risk.

Current wording

Prices for our products are denominated predominantly in dollars, even when sold to customers located outside the United States. An increase in the value of the dollar could increase the real cost to our customers in those markets outside of the United States. This could adversely impact our sales and market share in such areas or increase pressure to lower our prices, and adversely impact our profit margins. In addition, we have revenue and expenses denominated in currencies other than the dollar, primarily the Thai Baht, Singaporean dollar, Chinese Renminbi and British Pound Sterling, which further exposes us to adverse movements in foreign currency exchange rates. A weakened dollar could increase the effective cost of our expenses such as payroll, utilities, tax and marketing expenses, as well as overseas capital expenditures. Any of these events could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations. We have attempted to manage the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes by, among other things, entering into foreign currency forward exchange contracts from time to time, which could be designated as cash flow hedges or not designated as hedging instruments. Our hedging strategy may be ineffective, and specific hedges may expire and not be renewed or may not offset any or more than a portion of the adverse financial impact resulting from currency variations. The hedging activities may not cover our full exposure, subject us to certain counterparty credit risks and may impact our results of operations. See “Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk—Foreign Currency Exchange Risk” of this report for additional information about our foreign currency exchange risk.

Previous wording

The shipping and transportation costs associated with our international operations are typically higher than those associated with our U.S. operations, resulting in decreased operating margins for us in some countries. Volatility in fuel costs, political instability or constraints and increases in the costs of air transportation may lead us to develop alternative shipment methods, which could disrupt our ability to receive raw materials, or ship finished products, and as a result our business and results of operations may be harmed.

Current wording

The shipping and transportation costs associated with our international operations are typically higher than those associated with our U.S. operations, resulting in decreased operating margins for us in some countries. Volatility in fuel costs, political instability or constraints and increases in the costs or reliability of air transportation may lead us to develop alternative shipment methods, which could disrupt our ability to receive raw materials, or ship finished products, and as a result our business and results of operations may be harmed.

Previous wording

We continually seek to make our cost structure and business processes more efficient. We are focused on increasing workforce flexibility and scalability, and improving overall competitiveness by leveraging our global capabilities, as well as external talent and skills, worldwide. Our strategy involves, to a substantial degree, increasing revenue and exabytes volume while controlling expenses. Because of our vertical design and manufacturing strategy, our operations have higher costs that are fixed or difficult to reduce in the short-term, including our costs related to utilization of existing facilities and equipment. If we fail to forecast demand accurately or if there is a partial or complete reduction in long-term demand for our products, we could be required to write off inventory or record excess capacity charges, which could negatively impact our gross margin and financial results. If we do not control our manufacturing and operating expenses, our ability to compete in the marketplace may be impaired. In the past, activities to reduce costs have included closures and transfers of facilities, significant personnel reductions, restructuring efforts, asset write-offs and efforts to increase automation. Our restructuring efforts and other measures to reduce costs may not yield the intended benefits and may be unsuccessful or disruptive to our business operations, which may materially adversely affect our financial results.

Current wording

We continually seek to make our cost structure and business processes more efficient. We are focused on increasing workforce flexibility and scalability, and improving overall competitiveness by leveraging our global capabilities, as well as external talent and skills, worldwide. Our strategy involves, to a substantial degree, increasing revenue and exabytes volume while controlling expenses. Because of our vertical design and manufacturing strategy, our operations have higher costs that are fixed or difficult to reduce in the short-term, including our costs related to utilization of existing facilities and equipment. If we fail to forecast demand accurately or if there is a partial or complete reduction in long-term demand for our products, we could be required to write off inventory and/or record excess capacity charges, which could negatively impact our gross margin and financial results. If we do not control our manufacturing and operating expenses, our ability to compete in the marketplace may be impaired. In the past, activities to reduce costs have included closures and transfers of facilities, significant personnel reductions, temporary salary reductions, restructuring efforts, asset write-offs and efforts to increase automation. Our restructuring efforts and other measures to reduce costs may not yield the intended benefits and may be unsuccessful or disruptive to our business operations which may materially and adversely affect our financial results.

Previous wording

We rely on sole or a limited number of direct and indirect suppliers for some or all of these components and rare earth elements that we do not manufacture, including substrates for recording media, read/write heads, ASICs, spindle motors, printed circuit boards, suspension assemblies and NAND flash memory. Our options in supplier selection in these cases are limited and the supplier-based technology has been and may continue to be single sourced until wider adoption of the technology occurs and any necessary licenses become available. In light of this small, consolidated supplier base, if our suppliers increased their prices as a result of inflationary pressures from the current macroeconomic conditions or changes to such conditions, and we could not pass these price increases to our customers, our operating margin would decline. Also, many of such direct and indirect component suppliers are geographically concentrated, making our supply chain more vulnerable to regional disruptions, such as severe weather, local or global health issues or pandemics, acts of terrorism, war and an unpredictable geopolitical climate, which have materially impacted, and may in the future impact, the production, availability and transportation of many components. We also often aim to lead the market in new technology deployments and leverage unique and customized technology from single source suppliers who are early adopters in the emerging market. If there are any technical issues in the supplier’s technology, it may also cause us to delay shipments of our new technology deployments, incur scrap, rework or warranty charges and harm our financial position. Further, if a sole source or limited source supplier decides not to do business with us for any reason, we may be unable to develop, manufacture and commercialize certain of our products, which would adversely affect our business and financial position.

Current wording

We rely on sole or a limited number of direct and indirect suppliers for some or all of these components and rare earth elements that we do not manufacture, including substrates for recording media, read/write heads, ASICs, preamplifiers, spindle motors, printed circuit boards, suspension assemblies and NAND flash memory. Our options in supplier selection in these cases are limited and the supplier-based technology has been and may continue to be single-sourced until wider adoption of the technology occurs and any necessary licenses become available. In light of this small, consolidated supplier base, if our suppliers increased their prices as a result of inflationary pressures from the current macroeconomic conditions or changes to such conditions, and we could not pass these price increases to our customers, our operating margin would decline. Also, many of these direct and indirect component suppliers are geographically concentrated, making our supply chain more vulnerable to regional disruptions such as severe weather, local or global health issues or pandemics, acts of terrorism, war and an unpredictable geopolitical climate, which have materially impacted, and may in the future impact the production, availability and transportation of many components. We also often aim to lead the market in new technology deployments and leverage unique and customized technology from single source suppliers who are early adopters in the emerging market. If there are any technical issues in the supplier’s technology, it may also cause us to delay shipments of our new technology deployments, incur scrap, rework or warranty charges and harm our financial position. Further, if a sole source or limited source supplier decides not to do business with us for any reason, we may be unable to develop, manufacture and commercialize certain of our products, which would adversely affect our business and financial position.

Previous wording

We have experienced and could in the future experience increased costs and production delays when we were unable to obtain the necessary equipment or sufficient quantities of some components, and/or have been forced to pay higher prices or make volume purchase commitments or advance deposits for some components, equipment or raw materials that were in short supply in the industry in general. If our direct and indirect vendors for these components are unable to meet our cost, quality, supply and transportation requirements or fulfill their contractual commitments and obligations, we may have to reengineer some products, which would likely cause production and shipment delays, make the reengineered products more costly and provide us with a lower rate of return on these products. Further, if we have to allocate the components we receive to certain of our products and ship less of others due to shortages or delays in critical components, we may lose sales to customers who could purchase more of their required products from our competitor that either did not experience these shortages or delays or that made different allocations, and thus our revenue and operating margin would decline.

Current wording

We have experienced, and could in the future experience, increased costs and production delays that made us unable to obtain the necessary equipment or sufficient quantities of some components. We have also been, and could in the future be, forced to pay higher prices, make volume purchase commitments or advance deposits for some components, equipment or raw materials that were in short supply in the industry. If our direct and indirect vendors for these components are unable to meet our cost, quality, supply and transportation requirements or fulfill their contractual commitments and obligations, we may have to reengineer some products, which would likely cause production and shipment delays, make the reengineered products more costly and provide us with a lower rate of return on these products. Further, if we have to allocate the components we receive to certain of our products and ship less of others due to shortages or delays in critical components, we may lose sales to customers who could purchase more of their required products from a competitor that either did not experience these shortages or delays or that made different allocations, and thus our revenue and operating margin would decline.