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BOONTON, NJ – Total worldwide sales revenue for telecommunication gateways and session border controllers is expected to increase at a compounded rate of nearly 13% during the next five years, says Insight Research.

This specialized equipment enables traditional phone networks to interconnect with next-generation network services that make extensive use of the Internet. During 2008, nearly $2 billion worth of gateway technology will be sold in global markets. By 2013, sales of new gateway gear will increase to $3.5 billion annually, says the firm.

While global gateway sales will increase to nearly 13% during the forecast period, hybrid-fiber coax gateways, SIP gateways, and session border controllers will buck trends and are expected to exhibit sales revenue growth rates in excess of 30%, says Insight.

"The next-generation network, which will make extensive use of IP and web services is still years away from generating serious revenue, and in the meantime carriers are not about to fork lift out the infrastructure that makes them money today," said Robert Rosenberg, Insight’s president.

"Gateways form the link between today's revenue-generating services and what the carriers will be building to generate their future revenue streams, so we expect the telecommunications gateway market to continue growing for at least the next five years," Rosenberg added.

JASPER, IN – EMS provider Kimball International Inc. reported net sales of $338.2 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2008, flat with the same period last year.

Gross profit was $57.9 million, down 16.1% year-over-year. The firm reported a net loss from continuing operations of $9.8 million.

LONDON — The Cookson Group's first-half profits rose 30% to $225 million on a 26% jump in revenues to $2.1 billion.

The electronics group reported profits of $60 million, up 2%, year-over-year on an 11% hike in sales to $640 million. However, the higher revenue was driven by extreme price inflation for tin and silver used in solder. Excluding the inflation impact and sales of precious metals related products in the chemistry product line, underlying revenue fell 1% from last year.

All figures are based on constant exchange rates.

Cookson attributed the drop in revenue to a slowdown in electronics equipment production, particularly in the US, and a decision to focus on higher margin, more value-added product lines.

The company benefited from a new factory in Monterrey, Mexico, and demand for its scrap solder recycling operation in the US. A second recycling plant, in Guangxi Province, China, is expected to come online later this year. Cookson is also moving its European solder paste production from Ashford, England, to Hungary; the transfer should be complete by early next year and will save the company about $2 million annually.