TEMPE, AZ – The slowdown in housing and other markets is starting to back up on manufacturing, according to a report released today by the Institute for Supply Management.
EL SEGUNDO, CA — Global shipments of mobile handsets equipped with GPS capability are expected to more than quadruple from 2006 to 2011 due to the U.S. government’s mandate for Emergency 911 capability as well as wireless operators’ initiatives to offer location-based services (LBSs), according to iSuppli Corp.
GPS-equipped mobile handset shipments will increase to 444 million units by 2011, rising from 109.6 million units in 2006. By 2011, 29.6% of all mobile phones shipped will have GPS capability, up from 11.1% in 2006.
“Besides cameras, multimedia capabilities and connectivity solutions, mobile-handset OEMs increasingly are investigating the integration of GPS functionality in mobile devices as a value-added product differentiator,” said Tina Teng, analyst, wireless communications at iSuppli. “Wireless carriers are looking at introducing various new GPS-based, revenue-generating services to increase average revenue per user.”
Such LBSs are the key services that could drive up ARPUs. LBSs include a broad range of value-added services that incorporate user location pinpointed by satellites or other tools with location databases. The most common services are user location, turn-by-turn navigation, location search, tracking, information services and social networking.
E911 mandates also are driving the expansion of the GPS-enabled handset market in the U.S. The U.S. FCC in 1996 issued a report that requires all operators to precisely locate the position of wireless callers making emergency 911 calls. The regulation was implemented in three phases: Phases 0, I and II. Phase II of the E911 implementation requires all operators to deliver specific latitude and longitude information of the caller, also known as Automatic Location Identification (ALI). This can be accomplished using a GPS-enabled mobile handset.
The U.S. and South Korea are expected to be the leading regions for GPS-enabled mobile handsets. Europe will be the next largest GPS-enabled handset market as GPS functionality penetrates into smart phones.
GPS-equipped mobile handset shipments will increase to 444 million units by 2011, rising from 109.6 million units in 2006. By 2011, 29.6% of all mobile phones shipped will have GPS capability, up from 11.1% in 2006.
“Besides cameras, multimedia capabilities and connectivity solutions, mobile-handset OEMs increasingly are investigating the integration of GPS functionality in mobile devices as a value-added product differentiator,” said Tina Teng, analyst, wireless communications at iSuppli. “Wireless carriers are looking at introducing various new GPS-based, revenue-generating services to increase average revenue per user.”
Such LBSs are the key services that could drive up ARPUs. LBSs include a broad range of value-added services that incorporate user location pinpointed by satellites or other tools with location databases. The most common services are user location, turn-by-turn navigation, location search, tracking, information services and social networking.
E911 mandates also are driving the expansion of the GPS-enabled handset market in the U.S. The U.S. FCC in 1996 issued a report that requires all operators to precisely locate the position of wireless callers making emergency 911 calls. The regulation was implemented in three phases: Phases 0, I and II. Phase II of the E911 implementation requires all operators to deliver specific latitude and longitude information of the caller, also known as Automatic Location Identification (ALI). This can be accomplished using a GPS-enabled mobile handset.
The U.S. and South Korea are expected to be the leading regions for GPS-enabled mobile handsets. Europe will be the next largest GPS-enabled handset market as GPS functionality penetrates into smart phones.
ST. LOUIS -- EMS provider LaBarge Inc. reported fiscal first-quarter net earnings rose 5% sequentially on a 19% jump in net sales.
For the period ended Sept. 30, net profits were $2.5 million on sales of $59.2 million.
Gross margin was 19.2%, up from 18% in the fourth quarter but down from 21.4% last year.
Net cash from operations was $5.1 million, up from $1.04 million in the fourth quarter and down from $10.4 million a year ago.
Bookings were extremely strong, exceeding $100 million, a record for the company, on demand from the defense, natural resources and industrial sectors. Backlogs at Sept. 30 were $245.5 million, also a record and up 19% from July 1 and 16% from last year.
Chief executive and president Craig LaBarge said, “LaBarge’s long-term business outlook remains very positive based on the strength of our current backlog and a healthy pipeline of new business opportunities. We expect second-quarter sales and earnings will compare favorably to this year’s first-quarter results. Further, we expect our improving mix of business to drive further gross margin improvement in the second half of the fiscal year. We expect fiscal 2008 to be another record year.
For the period ended Sept. 30, net profits were $2.5 million on sales of $59.2 million.
Gross margin was 19.2%, up from 18% in the fourth quarter but down from 21.4% last year.
Net cash from operations was $5.1 million, up from $1.04 million in the fourth quarter and down from $10.4 million a year ago.
Bookings were extremely strong, exceeding $100 million, a record for the company, on demand from the defense, natural resources and industrial sectors. Backlogs at Sept. 30 were $245.5 million, also a record and up 19% from July 1 and 16% from last year.
Chief executive and president Craig LaBarge said, “LaBarge’s long-term business outlook remains very positive based on the strength of our current backlog and a healthy pipeline of new business opportunities. We expect second-quarter sales and earnings will compare favorably to this year’s first-quarter results. Further, we expect our improving mix of business to drive further gross margin improvement in the second half of the fiscal year. We expect fiscal 2008 to be another record year.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Electronics manufacturing services firm Nortech Systems reported net sales of $29.6
million for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, up 17
% over the same period in 2006.
Operating income was $1 million, up 58%, and net income was $420,506, up 38%.
DURHAM, NC – The SMTA’s 3D/SiP/Advanced Packaging Symposium will be held Apr. 29-30 at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club, Durham, NC.
The symposium will provide research in the field of advanced packaging with particular attention to materials, manufacturing, assembly and Package/PWB reliability in a Pb-free environment.
Two-hundred to 300-words abstracts are being requested in the following areas: system in package; multi-chip packaging; materials/finishes/solder alloys; reliability; package on package; enabling technologies; die stacking/3D assembly; wafer-level packaging; bumping/flip chip on board; handheld electronics/miniaturization; 3D wafer level integration; 3D wafer level packaging; die/package/system co-design; modeling and simulation; drop/shock/bend performance, and infrastructure.
Send abstracts in Word to Melissa Serres, Melissa@smta.org.
Please include name, company, mailing address, telephone number, fax, e-mail, and presentation title.
The deadline for abstracts is Nov. 30.
Speakers will be required to submit presentation slides if selected.
SAN JOSE, CA – At the First Occam Process Developers Meeting on Oct. 17, the first three agreements for the development of the Occam process were established.
Companies committing to develop processes and work with interested OEMs to produce Occam products include microelectronics assembly company Promex Industries, PCB fabricator Micropress, and Hunter Technology Group.
Dick Otte, president of Promex stated, “We are just completing our first set of Occam process manufacturing runs … we’re excited about joining our Occam Process partners … and utilizing Occam to broaden our microelectronic assembly services.”
“We want to be the Occam Process leader in South America,” said, Gilmar Aparecido de Souza, president of Micropress, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil. “With over 2,000 customers in Brazil and throughout South America, we want to drive the Occam Process into our market … we will have our first Occam Process ‘fabsemblies’ completed within a few months.”
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