Circuits Assembly Online Magazine - Features

PHILADELPHIA -- Global smartphone shipments fell an estimated 1.2% year-over-year in the first quarter, says Canaccord Genuity's top tech analyst.

SANTA CLARA, CA— Mobile PC unit sales outpaced those of desktops in China for the first time in the second half of 2011, according to a new report.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Elpida Memory's bankruptcy will benefit its competitors in the dynamic random access memory market, reducing supply and boosting pricing and revenue in the second half of the year, a top research analyst asserts.

PARIS -- Asteelflash has appointed Chuck Thistle vice president of business development for the Americas, responsible for developing and implementing the EMS company's sales initiatives and strategies to acquire new business.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Doug Pauls has been elected to a two-year term as chair of the IPC Technical Activities Executive Committee.

The TAEC chair is elected by vote of the IPC general committee chairmen. Pauls, a principal materials and process engineer at Rockwell Collins, is general chairman of IPC’s Cleaning and Coating Committees.

He succeeds Mel Parrish of STI Electronics.

SCHAUMBURG, IL – Omron Industrial Automation and Omron Scientific Technologies announced an internal realignment of support for machine automation systems and safeguarding.

The sales and support organizations of the two will report to the same management, while maintaining individual expertise in established areas at their current locations.

The path to market using distributors remains unchanged: Those specializing in either automation or safety will continue with that product portfolio; those distributors authorized for both will support both product categories.

Internal change takes effect April 1.

The goals of the new arrangement include strengthening automation competency; presenting one Omron automation company; providing employee enrichment, and transforming the company.

The realignment consolidates internal management responsibilities for automation and safety sales and support into three regions: US and Canada; Mexico and Latin America; and Brazil.