SANTA CLARA, CA – Based on conjecture as a result of a dropping share price and dismal forecasts, server and software maker Sun Microsystems could be a prime takeover target for Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu, IBM, Dell or another technology firm, say published reports.
If speculation comes to fruition, a sale of this caliber would mean a dollar amount in the billions.
No talks have been confirmed, but some analysts still say Sun is ripe for big players. However, other analysts say Sun’s goal is to fix the business rather than sell.
Sun has annual sales of $13.9 billion and a workforce of nearly 35,000 globally, according to published reports, making it the seventh-largest Silicon Valley-based firm.
The company said profits fell to $88 million from $329 million in the most recent quarter compared to the same period last year. Revenues were $3.78 billion, down 1.6% year-over-year.
Sun’s CFO, Mike Lehman, reportedly projected "modest, low-single-digit growth" in revenue for the next full year.
SINGAPORE – GlobalTronics, the biennial trade show, takes place here Sept. 9 through 12. This year’s event features a lineup of prominent speakers on a range of state-of-the-art and innovative products and services, plus embedded systems seminars, and a separate supply chain and logistics conference.
“We see new opportunities in the electronics manufacturing industry amid the many challenges that have recently arisen in the global market, from increasing inflationary pressures to more countries entering the contract manufacturing arena,” said Michelle Lim, general manager for Reed Exhibitions, Singapore and Malaysia, which produces the trade show. “Core manufacturing competencies and growing cost-effective skilled workforce have helped Asia be the leader in electronics manufacturing for many years. By taking advantage of these competencies and also constantly improving on the skills and strategies to elevate the value chain, Asia will continue to lead as the world’s producer and exporter of electronics. The challenge is to identify the higher value segments in the electronic components market, for example integrated circuits, testing and development of components and even design, which require higher levels of skilled workers to utilize advanced manufacturing technology.”
Reed expects nearly 400 exhibitors, and notes the last show, in 2006, attracted just fewer than 12,000 attendees.
SAN JOSE – On the heals of increasing board complexity and size, Solution Sources Programming Inc. has found ways to extend the life of test equipment through use of recent software upgrades for Agilent’s 3070 In-Circuit Tester.
Upgrading to the latest software ensures in field compatibility. A key component of these recent updates, 7.1 and 7.2, includes 1149.6 capabilities, which use the latest chip technology for new board designs.
SSP president Dan Orlando, who works closely with top design layout houses, has observed the increase in board net counts beyond the capabilities of the largest testers. He said, “By implementing Agilent’s new software on existing test equipment, our programming process has been able to save our customers tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in test costs.”
Features and benefits SSP has found in using the software upgrades include:
A reduction in large net counts (permit smaller fixtures, reducing cost and lead times).
Fewer wires (and thus higher reliability).
A reduction in fixture weight (which decreases shipping costs and is safer for employees).
The Agilent upgrades are available through its normal support contracts or via one-time software updates for Agilent 3070 users.