MW Quarterly Archive
From Our Market Blog
Vol. 2 No. 2, Spring 2008
Independent Electronic Distributors Address Industry Concerns at Annual IDEA Meeting
The Independent Distributors of Electronics Association (IDEA), an organization created for the purpose of offering comprehensive solutions for quality control within the independent distribution sector, held its annual meeting in Las Vegas this May. The meeting was primarily targeted toward discussions regarding the enhancement of quality initiatives within the industry. Perhaps the most notable development was the presence of a considerable number of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) providers, interested in emulating IDEA standards to boost their already stringent quality control procedures.
Read more: Independent Electronic Distributors Address Industry Concerns at Annual IDEA Meeting
From Hyperinflation to Healthy Growth: Brazil's emerging economy and the semiconductor industry
While today's global economic volatility leaves many emerging economies worried about the degree to which they are exposed and thereby may suffer new setbacks, some are forging ahead relatively unscathed. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecasted Brazil's growth to be around 4.8% for Y2008, quite significant given both the debilitating debt default of 1987 and today's global economic climate. In support of this forecast, during 2Q07 Brazil's growth "on a[…] twelve month basis […] reached 5 percent," according to Anoop Singh, Director of the Western Hemisphere Department, IMF (www.imf.org/external/np/tr/2007/tr071020a.htm).
Co-Evolution and Organic Growth: How OEMs are changing the EMS and ODM sectors
At a glance the present global economic climate for electronics manufacturers looks ripe for consolidations, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and related corporate shifts due to opportunistic capital and currency shifts. Despite these indicators, analysts are not forecasting much M&A activity in the Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) and Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) sectors, respectively. In support of this forecast is the short-term historical data showing M&A activity remaining down for over two consecutive years.
Read more: Co-Evolution and Organic Growth: How OEMs are changing the EMS and ODM sectors
An Interplay of Economics and Technology: The latest spin on SSDs' future and HDDs' challenges
Solid State Drives (SSDs) are not really news to those of us on this side of end-products, but some medium-term market strategies in the data storage sector may raise an eyebrow. As we continue to watch the U.S. slowdown, global economic volatility, soaring oil prices, currency devaluation, and consumer spending negatively affect the semiconductor industry through depressed profitability and jittery forecasts, a few major players are actually whistling a happy tune. Those who are poised through well-planned, medium-range strategies that take advantage of recent price collapses in memory, new business alliances, and that have positioned new products are likely to ensure themselves leadership positions into the next decade.
