News
Ten years ago, whether a consumer received audiovisual content via cable or satellite, the situation was homogenous: service providers allying with equipment vendors to ensure that access was provided only to those who paid for it. Today, NDS, Nagra, Irdeto take advantage of their existing relationships in DRM.
But now that group of traditional alliances has been joined by another: DRM vendors such as Microsoft, RealNetworks and Apple that work closely with the content-owning community to address the need for legal, downloadable materials that can be accessed through broadband networks. In time this channel will begin to become end-device agnostic.
These two camps, says director of broadband and residential entertainment technologies Vamsi Sistla, strive for the same goal -- the greatest number of consumers purchasing the rights they control -- but are approaching it from different directions.
Global DRM revenues will grow by at least 28% in 2005, Sistla forecasts, and the highest growth opportunities are among telcos, broadband, mobile and in portable markets. It is here, where DRM vendors partner with content owners and distributors, that the last decade's profound changes in global networking show their fullest impact.
Sullivan has had overall responsibility for the Electronic Products and Solutions Group, Agilent's largest business group. He was formerly senior vice president and general manager of Agilent's Semiconductor Products Group.
Barnholt is retiring as chairman, president and CEO of the company he helped launch following its spin-off from Hewlett-Packard in 1999.
"The past six years as Agilent's CEO have been rewarding ones for me," said Barnholt. "While I will miss this important part of my life, I look forward to what lies ahead."
James G. Cullen, who has served on the board of directors since 2000, will become non-executive chairman when Barnholt retires in March. At that time, Sullivan will join the board. Barnholt will stay on as chairman emeritus as long as needed to ensure a smooth transition.
Thin-film technologies continue to evolve and their use is broadening as component manufacturers are considering replacing conventional thick-film processes to manufacture smaller components and parts. Reason: thin-films permit new families of products, modifying and enhancing the properties of bulk material by the deposition of a top thin layer having different composition and morphology, says a new study from Business Communications Co.
Global sales of thin-film raw materials hit $7.1 billion in 2004, estimates say, and are projected to reach $13.5 billion by 2009, an average annual growth rate of 13.7%, BCC says.
Chemical deposition methods (chemical vapor deposition, chemical solution deposition, plating type methods) accounts for over 70% of the global market for thin-film raw materials, driven by large sales of plating chemicals. Electronics accounts for 66% of total sales.
Sales of thin-film materials for chemical processes increased during 2002-04 from $4.1 billion to $5.1 billion, and are expected to show an AAGR of 12.9% over the next five years, reaching $9.3 billion by 2009.
Raw materials for physical processes (evaporation, sputter deposition and ionic deposition) rose to 28.6% from 24.8% of the total market for thin-film materials from 2002-04. Sales are projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2009, an AAGR of 15.7%.
GREENVILLE, SC -- Kemet Corp. has filed a lawsuit against AVX Corp. to protect trade secrets relating to the development and manufacture of tantalum polymer capacitors. Kemet seeks damages and an injunction.
In the lawsuit, filed in South Carolina court, Kemet alleges that AVX had access to trade secrets after hiring a scientist from Kemet's technology group. The suit alleges that through this scientist, AVX learned certain trade secrets related to tantalum polymer capacitor manufacturing. AVX has since introduced similar products, Kemet said.
Kemet has produced the components since 1999, and they now constitute the fastest growing segment of this market.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- A subsidiary of Nam Tai Electronics has relocated to a new 600,000 sq. ft. factory in Shenzhen, the company said today.
J.I.C. Technology's new factory in the countryside of Baoan County is twice the size of its former plant. The manufacturing space is now 416,000 sq. ft., up from 152,000 sq. ft.
JIC also installed new chip on glass (COG) machines and upped capacity of COG and tape automated bonding with anisotropic conductive film products by 150%.
The former factory in downtown Baoan County was not suitable for high-tech operations and had limited space available for expansion.
BOSTON -- Teradyne Inc. posted a quarterly profit compared with a year-earlier loss.
The
company posted a profit of $3.3 million in the fourth quarter, compared
with a loss of $11.5 million a year earlier. Sales rose to $377 million
from $357.6 million a year earlier. For the quarter sales were down 18% sequentially and up 5% year-over-year.
The company said in a statement that despite the slight increase in orders in the fourth quarter, customer demand remains tentative.
Teradyne forecasts first-quarter sales of $290 million and $310 million, with a loss between 24 and 31 cents a share. This guidance includes pre-tax restructuring and other charges of $13 million and a $2.5 million tax provision for foreign and state taxes.
Analysts on average had forecast the company to post first-quarter revenue of $343.18 million, according to Reuters Estimates.
On a conference call with analysts president Mike Bradley said the
company's Connection Systems division has downsized its manufacturing
footprint in U.S. in the wake of a sharp downturn in orders in the
third quarter. The moves should reduce the company's breakeven point by
$10 million a quarter.
"Our U.S. operations will become epicenter of design capabilities.
Future growth in volume manufacturing will occur in low cost regions,"
Bradley said.
Connection Systems' orders were down over 20% sequentially in the fourth quarter. The division grew 39% for the year.
Connection Systems includes PCB bare-board manufacturing and connectors.
The company, which earlier this month laid off 320 employees at its Connection Systems and Assembly Test divisions and took a $11 million charge, said the semiconductor test market continues to be soft, mostly at the subcontractor level.
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