All of the hype over solid state drives (SSDs) for the 2012 Christmas season was met with disappointment as prices stayed high and demand stayed low. Moving into 2013, the demand was expected to increase but again, there was disappointment. Many wondered when this scenario would change…and it looks like it has. Features such as HD video content, shared data via the cloud, and low power consumption remain prominent based on consumer demand.

Fewer moving parts can mean extremely low failure rates. Add to that swift startup times and fast running speeds, and it's easy to see why solid state drives (SSDs) have gained wide use in a vast array of consumer and industrial goods. SSDs, as opposed to traditional hard drives (HDDs), utilize integrated circuit assemblies to store data, not electromechanical disks. They have found their way into ruggedized machinery, having little susceptibility to physical damage or shock, and are even gaining penetration (on the opposite end of the spectrum) in home offices. Increasingly, consumers are switching HDDs out for more-reliable SSDs in their home computers, or electing to include both drives in a hybrid setup that allows the SSD to bear the brunt of heavy bootup while the HDD provides standard storage.

The 2012 semiconductor and electronics industry data continue to shed light on the ongoing changes in supply chain relationships, growth areas, and new trends. Various analyst continue to sift through the final 2012 data, and that work is shedding important light on the impact that macroeconomic trends are having on contract manufacturers (CMs) and where new growth is found.

Design challenges come in many flavors, each with its own set of process paths to choose from, and each with different strategies to ensure quality, continuity, cost management, and product support. In the case of end-of-life (EOL) and component obsolescence, the challenges often intensify because of limitations imposed by the original design, customer requirements (e.g., cost, time, and various restrictions), and the issues around supply itself. Importantly, EOL component challenges can prove to be mission critical and can require dedicated collaboration across the supply chain, such as between end-product manufacturers, original component manufacturers (OCMs) and component distributors.

Hosting more than 90,000 oil, gas, and energy professionals from more than 110 countries, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is, as always, the premiere event for the thriving energy industry. Held annually in Houston, arguably the world's energy capital, OTC gives companies large and small the chance to network, do business, and check out the newest and most innovative tools and technology the industry has to offer.

The annual Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) met this week in Houston, TX, where roughly 90,000 attendees have visited roughly 2,500 exhibitors (among them Smith & Associates) and had the opportunity to attend just over 300 technical paper presentations, keynote addresses, and panel sessions. The focus of OTC, which is the foremost event for offshore resources, is the state-of-the-art technology for offshore drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection. 

First quarter (1Q13) results offer a few surprises regarding which device and market sectors have been feeling gains versus pains. The 1Q13 trends are carrying forward from the latter part of 2012, though some gains are in stark contrast to 2012, which is an important positive – particularly as we continue to move through (and hopefully out of) doldrums.

Mobility is the hot demand category across the board – from consumers to enterprises and from health providers to industrial corporations, every category of computing users are engaged in and demand increased mobile connectivity. This is precisely the major expansion period for ubiquitous computing and the inclusion of all market and industry sectors underscores the full-fledged adoption and impact on both devices and chip architectures but also on the industries adopting the technologies.

A survey of 185 supply chain professionals conducted by Smith earlier this year offers some interesting insights into major challenges, solutions, and growth opportunities that directly affect the entire semiconductor supply chain.

2012 left us with one positive note, at least: the fourth quarter came in above expectations, pulling the industry to a 2.8% increase for the year over 2011 growth levels, which was a full point above original estimates for 2012. Unfortunately for the semiconductor industry, 2012 only saw growth in the fourth quarter, which seriously affected many companies' revenue along the entire semi value chain, but, since then, trends have been improving.