Quick, how many persons active in the SMT industry today have managed a major equipment supplier, a major materials supplier and an EMS company? Not many, we’re guessing. Indeed, Pat Trippel may be the only one, and even then, he’s not directly in charge of the latter.

Read more ...

Over the years, I’ve written about what I call the Apple Effect, or what will be the inevitable mass copying of Apple by the OEMs it has left in its financial wake. When your competitor’s margins are typically in the 40% range, give or take a couple points, and yours are, well, below 0%, it does make sense to study what they are doing right and emulate where you can.

Read more ...

We started this year wanting to stress the innovation that is occurring in electronics, often below the radar of the masses. Twelve months later, we find even ourselves a bit stunned at the depth and breadth of what we uncovered.

Read more ...