ESPOO, FINLAND –
Nokia said it received a favorable initial ruling from the International Trade Commission on a patent dispute with
Qualcomm related to some of its GSM communications products.
Commission judge Paul J. Luckern ruled that Nokia did not infringe or violate the three Qualcomm patents involved in the dispute. The judge also found one of the patents invalid.
Qualcomm said it plans to request a review of the initial ruling.
Qualcomm's initial ITC complaint from June 9, 2006, involved six patents, but the company later voluntarily withdrew three. The San Diego-based company claimed the three patents left were key to GSM.
Similar disputes between the two companies are pending in Europe and China.
The commission’s final ruling is expected by April 14.
EL SEGUNDO, CA – In light of strong growth in the third quarter, China’s semiconductor market appears to be closing in on previous growth forecasts of 15% in 2007, research firm
iSuppli Corp. says.
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MILWAUKEE, WI – EMS provider
MEC named Hani Malek general manager and national sales and marketing manager.
Malek will have operational responsibility for
MEC’s (The Milwaukee Electronics Company) Milwaukee-based EMS facility, and sales and marketing responsibility for its EMS facilities in Wisconsin, Oregon and Mexico.
“His EMS-related Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma expertise is an asset in our focus on operational efficiency, and his management style is very aligned with our internal culture of enthusiastic teamwork and respect for all employees,” said P. Michael Stoehr, president and CEO, in a press release.
Malek has 12 years’ experience in EMS operations management and 20 years’ experience in electronics manufacturing-related industries.
Previously, he was vice president and general manager of
Preco Electronics in Peoria, IL.
MEC designs and manufactures custom circuit board assemblies for the medical, transportation, military, HVAC and other industries.
SURREY, UK - The weakening dollar has had a significant impact on
TT Electronics’ profitability, the company says.
The EMS firm said its U.S. electronics component operations have suffered from reduced domestic demand because of overall market softness, while its EMS business has had a stronger second half and the outlook is good for next year.
TT Electronics says its sensor and systems business is seeing consistent demand from German automotive customers, although pricing pressure is impacting revenue. The manufacturer also expects revenue from climate control systems to decline substantially in 2008 as certain programs come to end-of-life.
The company expects similar results in 2008 as in 2007.