The Information Storage Industry Center (ISIC) at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is an independent academic research program studying management issues faced by all segments of the data storage industry.

   The ISIC works directly with the producers and of advanced storage systems to develop and conduct observation-based research projects that increase storage industry knowledge and enhance industry productivity and performance. The ISIC's portfolio includes sponsor-directed research and a university-based community of practice called the StorageNetworking.org Initiative. StorageNetworking.org supports the education and networking activities of several thousand information technology professionals.

   The ISIC is made up of faculty researchers, students, academic affiliates, sponsor company representatives, project participants, and the StorageNetworking.org community of practice. ISIC research projects are developed in partnership with corporate sponsors, research affiliates, and information management professionals from all segments of the industry. Projects are designed to be consistent with the ISIC's research mission and goals, while also providing specific benefits to those directly involved in the study effort. 

   The ISIC's research agenda is organized into several program areas, including: studies of the users of information storage and companies in the industry, with an emphasis on the technical, economic, and management challenges facing users who adopt and implement advanced storage technologies; and industry studies, with an emphasis on competition, competitive structure, industrial performance, and profitability.

   Some of the Center's extensive research on the hard disk drive industry is published in "From Silicon Valley to Singapore: Location and Competitive Advantage in the Hard Disk Drive Industry", available from Stanford University Press. This work reveals how U.S. companies have maintained global leadership by developing tightly integrated trans-Pacific supply chains linking product development in the United States to wholly owned factories in Southeast Asia.