BANNOCKBURN, IL – A new standard from IPC on assessing and improving solder paste printing processes is now available in Danish.

Albuquerque, NM – US physicist Willis Whitfield, developer of the clean room, has died of cancer at 92.

NEW YORK -- The outcome of the "fiscal cliff" in the US coupled with its impact on business sentiment will be the single most important swing factor for the IT hardware  sector in 2013, a leading analyst says.

PHOENIX-- Avnet has agreed to acquire substantially all the operating assets of passive semiconductor distributor Universal Semiconductor for an undisclosed sum.

PHOENIX-- Avnet has agreed to acquire substantially all of the operating assets of passive semiconductor distributor Universal Semiconductor for an undisclosed sum.

SAN JOSE — Worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment bookings plummeted 12% year-over-year in the third quarter, according to the SEMI trade group. Bookings were down 31% from the second quarter to $6.71 billion.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- After spectacular growth the past few years, the ebook reader market is on an alarmingly precipitous decline, sent reeling by more nimble tablet devices that have gained the ardent patronage of consumers, according to an IHS iSuppli report.

WASHINGTON -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a new publication aimed at helping federal agencies develop a set of "repeatable and commercially reasonable" supply-chain assurance methods and practices.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – IPC has updated its sample ordering agreement covering terms and conditions for EMS contracts.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND -- TT Electronics, one of England's largest native EMS companies, has acquired the majority of the UK business and assets of ACW Technology Ltd.

TAIPEI – Foxconn reported record non-consolidated November revenues of $12.09 billion, up 27.6% sequentially.

SAN JOSE -- Flextronics will acquire Motorola Mobility's manufacturing operations in Tianjin, China, and management and operation of its Jaguariuna, Brazil, facility for $75 million.