Western Digital has acquired SanDisk for approximately $19 billion.
The companies said their complementary product lines—hard disk drives, solid-state drives, cloud datacenter and flash storage solutions—will allow for a "broader set of products" for consumers and data centers.
The merger also aims to grow Western Digital's global market presence, not to mention "securing long-term access to solid state technology at lower cost."
"This transformational acquisition aligns with our long-term strategy to be an innovative leader in the storage industry by providing compelling, high-quality products with leading technology," Western Digital CEO Steve Milligan said in a statement.
"Importantly, this combination also creates an even stronger partner for our customers," SanDisk chief Sanjay Mehrotra added. "Joining forces with Western Digital will enable the combined company to offer the broadest portfolio of industry-leading, innovative storage solutions to customers across a wide range of markets and applications."
Once the deal closes—likely in the third quarter of 2016—Milligan will continue serving as chief executive officer of the combined company, which will remain headquartered in Irvine, California. Mehrotra is expected to join the WD Board of Directors.
The acquisition will not affect a 15-year partnership between SanDisk and Toshiba, which jointly manufacture NAND flash chips.
Over the summer, Western Digital launched a new wireless mobile flash drive that makes it easy to share and access content between smartphones, tablets, and PCs, but can also give your phone a quick storage boost.
SanDisk also introduced the spacious and speedy Ultra Fit and Ultra USB flash drives, available in capacities up to 256GB.