Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

SAN JOSE – Electronic design automation revenue for the third quarter was up 6%, to $1.1 billion, over last year, the EDA Consortium said today. PCB and multichip module revenue was flat, at $81 million.

EDAC chairman Wally Rhines called the strength "broad-based, with all regions up, as well as nearly all product segments."

EDA license and maintenance sales grew 6% in the third quarter to $851 million.

EDA's largest tool category, computer-aided engineering, generated revenue of $469 million in Q3, up 4% over in 2004. IC physical design and verification reported revenue of $296 million, a 9% rise. Semiconductor property revenue totaled $199 million, up 5%, and services revenue rose 9% to $72 million.

North America, EDA's largest region, purchased $532 million of EDA products and services, up 3%. Western Europe sales increased 7% to $218 million. Revenue in Japan grew 9% to $243 million. Elsewhere, sales rose for the 27th straight quarter, increasing 9% to $129 million.

Reporting companies employed 21,140 professionals in Q3, up 3% from a year ago.

TOKYO – Electronics production in Japan will fell in 2005 but will rebound in 2006. That’s according to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association.

JEITA forecast domestic production of $161.4 billion for 2005, down 3.5% from revised 2004 figures. The trade group had previously guided for a 2.8% gain.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – The automotive electronics market is primed for outsourcing, Jabil Circuit CEO Tim Main said in an interview published this week.

Main told Forbes.com that the combination of higher electronics content in vehicles and “an intense need” for auto makers and their suppliers to cut costs bodes well for “great long-term growth.”

WASHINGTON -- Dr. Rick Tsai, president and chief executive of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., and David McCormick, undersecretary Bureau of Industry & Security, U.S. Department of Commerce will speak next month on challenges and opportunities presented by the increasing integration of the U.S., Taiwan and China semiconductor markets.

The Taiwan + China Semiconductor Outlook 2006 will be held Jan. 12, in Santa Clara, CA. The US-Taiwan Business Council is host of the event, the third in a serie. The SIA is a cosponsor.

Visit www.taiwan-china-outlook.com for more information.

SAN JOSE -- Sanmina-SCI today said it would sign a multi-year deal to build PC peripherals for Adaptec Inc. As part of the deal, Sanmina will also take over certain Singapore manufacturing assets and inventory from Adaptec. The deal is expected to close in January, although no financial terms were announced.

HIALEAH, FL -- EMS provider Simclar Inc. will buy Northrop Grumman's Litton Interconnect Technologies assembly business in the U.S. for $28 million. Simclar Inc.'s parent company has agreed to acquire certain assets of the Litton assembly businesses in the U.K. and China through its subsidiary Simclar Interconnect Technologies Ltd.