SAN JOSE – The SIA today lowered its 2007 forecast for global microchip sales growth from 10% to 1.8%, citing drops in average selling prices. The new forecast projects total sales of $252 billion, rising to $306 billion in 2010, a 5.4% CAGR for year-end 2006 through 2010, said the trade group's president, George Scalise.
TAIWAN – Cellphone maker Foxconn International Holdings Ltd. plans to spend $1 billion by the end of 2008 to more than double its production capacity, according to published reports.
The company produced more than $10 billion worth of products last year, and expects to produce more than $20 billion from 2008 through 2009.
VANCOUVER -- PTL Electronics Ltd. has invested $1.1 million in new equipment and will
open a manufacturing facility in August to meet customer demand. The EMS firm's new facility will double the existing manufacturing space, while and the new equipment is expected to increase
capacity by 150%. It will bring the number of Siemens high-speed SMT lines to four, including a
single line dedicated to prototypes.
The new facility will be situated close to the
current location, and will open in August. It will include
a dedicated area for full box-build assembly. PTL will operate in both locations
simultaneously for two months to ease potential disruptions.
PTL, which is owned by Moventis Capital, grew 76% last year to $15.7 million and will have $5 million in backlogs
for the quarter ending June 30.
NEENAH, WI -- Plexus Corp. executive Paul Ehlers, 51, died June 10 from cancer. Ehlers, who had been on medical leave since January 2007, was executive vice president and chief operating officer.
In a statement, chief executive Dean Foate said, "Paul was a tremendous leader and a trusted friend. His passion for life, his competitive nature and his eternal optimism resonated in everything he did. The overwhelming expressions of support over the past few months from customers, suppliers and fellow Plexus associates around the world is a testament to the positive impact that Paul had on the people and businesses that he touched. He will be deeply missed."
In a statement, chief executive Dean Foate said, "Paul was a tremendous leader and a trusted friend. His passion for life, his competitive nature and his eternal optimism resonated in everything he did. The overwhelming expressions of support over the past few months from customers, suppliers and fellow Plexus associates around the world is a testament to the positive impact that Paul had on the people and businesses that he touched. He will be deeply missed."
IRVINE, CA – Qualcomm has filed a request for an emergency stay of a U.S. International Trade Commission ban on the import of some phones containing Qualcomm chips.
The move is a response to an ITC order that certain Qualcomm chips said to infringe a Broadcom Corp. patent be barred from importation into the U.S. The ban did not apply to phones that had been imported by June 7.
The ban affects several big name handset OEMs, including LG, Samsung and Motorola. LG has also filed for a stay of the ITC decision.
Meanwhile, also on Monday, it was revealed Nokia and Qualcomm have filed countersuits alleging patent infringement.
The ITC finding, which is subject to review for 60 days, was the latest action in a longstanding dispute between Qualcomm and Broadcom. The ITC found that Qualcomm's cellular baseband chips infringe five patent claims.
Broadcom has also pursued patent infringement claims against Qualcomm in Santa Ana, CA, where on May 29 a federal jury found Qualcomm liable for willfully infringing nine claims of three different Broadcom patents. The jury awarded Broadcom $19.6 million in damages, which may be trebled by the judge because of willful infringement.
Even as the mobile phone wars heat up, a new front comes from Apple, which will enter the fray on June 29 with its touted iPhone. That device is not subject to the Qualcomm import ban, and the legal actions over the latter’s chipset may boost demand for the latest handset entrant.
The move is a response to an ITC order that certain Qualcomm chips said to infringe a Broadcom Corp. patent be barred from importation into the U.S. The ban did not apply to phones that had been imported by June 7.
The ban affects several big name handset OEMs, including LG, Samsung and Motorola. LG has also filed for a stay of the ITC decision.
Meanwhile, also on Monday, it was revealed Nokia and Qualcomm have filed countersuits alleging patent infringement.
The ITC finding, which is subject to review for 60 days, was the latest action in a longstanding dispute between Qualcomm and Broadcom. The ITC found that Qualcomm's cellular baseband chips infringe five patent claims.
Broadcom has also pursued patent infringement claims against Qualcomm in Santa Ana, CA, where on May 29 a federal jury found Qualcomm liable for willfully infringing nine claims of three different Broadcom patents. The jury awarded Broadcom $19.6 million in damages, which may be trebled by the judge because of willful infringement.
Even as the mobile phone wars heat up, a new front comes from Apple, which will enter the fray on June 29 with its touted iPhone. That device is not subject to the Qualcomm import ban, and the legal actions over the latter’s chipset may boost demand for the latest handset entrant.
EL SEGUNDO, CA – iSuppli forecasts total market shipments of 65.1 million car navigation systems by 2012, more than three times the 19.8 million shipped in 2006.
