Toshiba is set to extend a partnership they had between Sony and NEC, formerly collaborating separately between the two. The partnership between the trio will be used to further development of a 45nm process for ICs and microprocessors the companies manufacture. No company yet has a solid 45nm backing nor the facilities to properly produce it, so many, including Intel, AMD, Infineon, Samsung and this group are all working in their own fashion to create the environment and promote 45nm development. Collaboration is a big thing now, as often single companies aren't able to afford or keep up with the demand for these new techs. 45nm will probably be making appearances as soon as next year, a good leap forward for computing in general.