News
WASHINGTON – When it rains, it pours … tech jobs.
Some 51 of 60 “cybercities” added high-tech jobs in 2006, according to the latest AeA survey of the US tech world.
Seattle led the nation, adding 7,800 net jobs. The next largest net gains between 2005 and 2006 occurred in metro New York (6,400) and Washington (6,100).
On a percentage basis, Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, saw the fastest job growth in 2006, at 12%. (2006 data are the most recent available at the metropolitan level.)
Christopher Hansen, president and CEO of AeA, said, "High-tech jobs make critical contributions to local economies in terms of innovation. They also pay extremely well – the average tech industry wage is 87% higher than the average private sector wage. Fifty-six cybercities had wage differentials higher than 50% and three cybercities – Austin, San Diego and Sacramento – had differentials higher than 100%.”
The leading metro areas by high-tech employment for the year were metro New York (316,500 jobs), Washington (295,800 jobs), San Jose/Silicon Valley (225,300 jobs), Boston (191,700 jobs), and Dallas-Fort Worth (176,000 jobs).
San Jose/Silicon Valley led the nation in concentration of high-tech workers, with 286 high-tech workers per 1,000 private sector workers. Boulder ranked second, with 230 high-tech workers per 1,000 private sector workers. Huntsville, Durham and Washington rounded out the top five.
San Jose/Silicon Valley dominated the manufacturing sectors. It ranked near the top in seven of the nine high-tech manufacturing categories. Metro New York led in many of the tech service sectors, with the highest employment in telecommunications, Internet services, R&D and testing labs, and computer training services. Washington led in computer systems design and related services and engineering services, with nearly three times as many industry workers in these fields as San Jose/Silicon Valley.
Some 51 of 60 “cybercities” added high-tech jobs in 2006, according to the latest AeA survey of the US tech world.
Seattle led the nation, adding 7,800 net jobs. The next largest net gains between 2005 and 2006 occurred in metro New York (6,400) and Washington (6,100).
On a percentage basis, Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, saw the fastest job growth in 2006, at 12%. (2006 data are the most recent available at the metropolitan level.)
Christopher Hansen, president and CEO of AeA, said, "High-tech jobs make critical contributions to local economies in terms of innovation. They also pay extremely well – the average tech industry wage is 87% higher than the average private sector wage. Fifty-six cybercities had wage differentials higher than 50% and three cybercities – Austin, San Diego and Sacramento – had differentials higher than 100%.”
The leading metro areas by high-tech employment for the year were metro New York (316,500 jobs), Washington (295,800 jobs), San Jose/Silicon Valley (225,300 jobs), Boston (191,700 jobs), and Dallas-Fort Worth (176,000 jobs).
San Jose/Silicon Valley led the nation in concentration of high-tech workers, with 286 high-tech workers per 1,000 private sector workers. Boulder ranked second, with 230 high-tech workers per 1,000 private sector workers. Huntsville, Durham and Washington rounded out the top five.
San Jose/Silicon Valley dominated the manufacturing sectors. It ranked near the top in seven of the nine high-tech manufacturing categories. Metro New York led in many of the tech service sectors, with the highest employment in telecommunications, Internet services, R&D and testing labs, and computer training services. Washington led in computer systems design and related services and engineering services, with nearly three times as many industry workers in these fields as San Jose/Silicon Valley.
This is the AEA’s first national Cybercities report since 2000.
EL SEGUNDO, CA – Apple’s second-generation iPhone is expected to carry an initial hardware bill of materials and manufacturing cost of $173, according to preliminary analysis by iSuppli Corp.
In advance of the release, iSuppli has performed a virtual teardown; once the 3G iPhone becomes available, iSuppli will perform an actual, detailed teardown of the components and cost structure. (The new iPhone is due out July 11.)
“At a hardware BoM and manufacturing cost of $173, the new iPhone is significantly less expensive to produce, despite major improvements in the product’s functionality and unique usability, due to the addition of 3G communications,” said Dr. Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst for iSuppli. “The original 8 Gb iPhone carried a cost of $226 after component price reductions, giving the new product a 23% hardware cost reduction due to component price declines.”
“The original 2G phone was sold at an unsubsidized price of $499,” Rebello noted. “However, at a retail price of $199 for the low-end 8 Gb version of the new 3G model, wireless communications service carriers will be selling the product at a subsidized rate, using a common business model for the mobile-handset market. The size of the subsidy paid by the wireless carriers to Apple will be about $300 per iPhone, iSuppli estimates. This means that with subsidies from carriers, Apple will be selling the 8 Mb version of the second-generation iPhone to carriers at an effective price of about $499 per unit, the same as the original product.”
For the first version, Apple was given a portion of the wireless carriers’ revenue from service subscriptions. With the second, Apple is not garnering any service revenue, making it more imperative the company cut a profit on the actual hardware through the carrier subsidies, says iSuppli.
“Two-thirds of Apple’s revenue from the iPod still is derived from hardware,” said Rebello.
iSuppli has observed iPod and iPhone products typically are priced about 50% more than their BoM and manufacturing costs. With the new iPhone sold for $199 and the estimated subsidy of $300, Apple will achieve an even higher BOM/manufacturing margin, the research firm says.
The 3G iPhone’s BoM costs will decrease as component prices decline; the BoM/manufacturing cost will decrease to $148 in 2009, down 37% year-over-year, according to iSuppli.
“If the 3G iPhone design is unchanged, the cost will decline to $126 in 2012,” said Tina Teng, wireless communications analyst at iSuppli.
In advance of the release, iSuppli has performed a virtual teardown; once the 3G iPhone becomes available, iSuppli will perform an actual, detailed teardown of the components and cost structure. (The new iPhone is due out July 11.)
“At a hardware BoM and manufacturing cost of $173, the new iPhone is significantly less expensive to produce, despite major improvements in the product’s functionality and unique usability, due to the addition of 3G communications,” said Dr. Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst for iSuppli. “The original 8 Gb iPhone carried a cost of $226 after component price reductions, giving the new product a 23% hardware cost reduction due to component price declines.”
“The original 2G phone was sold at an unsubsidized price of $499,” Rebello noted. “However, at a retail price of $199 for the low-end 8 Gb version of the new 3G model, wireless communications service carriers will be selling the product at a subsidized rate, using a common business model for the mobile-handset market. The size of the subsidy paid by the wireless carriers to Apple will be about $300 per iPhone, iSuppli estimates. This means that with subsidies from carriers, Apple will be selling the 8 Mb version of the second-generation iPhone to carriers at an effective price of about $499 per unit, the same as the original product.”
For the first version, Apple was given a portion of the wireless carriers’ revenue from service subscriptions. With the second, Apple is not garnering any service revenue, making it more imperative the company cut a profit on the actual hardware through the carrier subsidies, says iSuppli.
“Two-thirds of Apple’s revenue from the iPod still is derived from hardware,” said Rebello.
iSuppli has observed iPod and iPhone products typically are priced about 50% more than their BoM and manufacturing costs. With the new iPhone sold for $199 and the estimated subsidy of $300, Apple will achieve an even higher BOM/manufacturing margin, the research firm says.
The 3G iPhone’s BoM costs will decrease as component prices decline; the BoM/manufacturing cost will decrease to $148 in 2009, down 37% year-over-year, according to iSuppli.
“If the 3G iPhone design is unchanged, the cost will decline to $126 in 2012,” said Tina Teng, wireless communications analyst at iSuppli.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Jabil Circuit is seeking a new manufacturing facility and company headquarters and its home town is considering nearly $35 million in grants and tax breaks to ensure the EMS firm stays put.
TOKYO – Japanese production of electronics equipment and components slipped in April, falling 4.3% year-over-year, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Consumer and industrial equipment were down 8% and 12%, respectively. Computers were off 8.5%. Telecom was the only major end-product to buck the trend, rising 6.6% year-over-year.
ICs were off 4.1%, while bare boards were down 7.1%.
For the year, equipment and components are down 0.8%.
NORWALK, OH – EPIC Technologies named Bhawnesh Mathur CEO, effective June 23.
Mathur has nearly 30 years’ experience in electronics with such companies as IBM, Arrow Electronics, and Sanmina-SCI.
EPIC’s former CEO, John Sammut, will guide Mathur during the transition and will remain on the board of directors.
Randy Haight, who had acted as interim CEO, will also resume his role on the board.
EPIC is a specialty electronics manufacturer in the high-mix, low-to-medium volume segment of the industry, providing turnkey services from board layout, test development, prototype testing, PCB assembly, and box build to customers in the medical, automotive, telecommunications, and industrial equipment markets.
PHILADELPHIA – The American Competitiveness Institute will sponsor a free electronics adhesives workshop on July 11, in Philadelphia.
The guest speaker is Brian Toleno, Ph.D., director of technical service for Henkel Electronic Materials, who will discuss differences between physical properties of flip-chip and board-level underfill, and how these properties affect underfilled device reliability. In addition, he will discuss different classes, such as cornerbond or edgebond materials and encapsulants, and their effects on reliability.
To register, visit http://www.aciusa.org/workshop or email registrar@aciusa.org by July 9.
The guest speaker is Brian Toleno, Ph.D., director of technical service for Henkel Electronic Materials, who will discuss differences between physical properties of flip-chip and board-level underfill, and how these properties affect underfilled device reliability. In addition, he will discuss different classes, such as cornerbond or edgebond materials and encapsulants, and their effects on reliability.
To register, visit http://www.aciusa.org/workshop or email registrar@aciusa.org by July 9.
EINDHOVEN, THE NETHERLANDS – The Holst Centre has inaugurated its roll-to-roll line for printed electronics.
SAN JOSE – North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted $1.03 billion in orders in May, down 5% sequentially, and down 37% year-over-year, SEMI reported.
SHENZHEN – Privately held Huawei Technologies, China's largest communications network equipment maker, is contemplating the sale of a majority stake in its handsets and terminal operations, according to published reports.
The firm reportedly has sent proposals to Bain Capital LLC, Blackstone Group LP, TPG Inc., Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Warburg Pincus LLC, Carlyle Group, and other private equity firms.
The company has set a deadline of June 23 for bids, and has appointed Morgan Stanley to manage a possible sale, say reports.
The funds would aid in the investment in Huawei’s routers and other network gear.
Research firm BDA China Ltd. estimates the firm doubled its revenue last year to $2.6 billion. The handset division is said to have taken in profits of $400 million during this same period. Sales for the division were 16.4% of the company’s total revenue in 2007, up from 11.8% in the prior year, according to BDA.
SMYRNA, GA – UP Media Group Inc., parent company of Circuits Assembly and Printed Circuit Design & Fab, today announced registration is now open for PCB West 2008, scheduled for Sept. 14-19, at the Santa Clara Marriott in Santa Clara, CA.
SHERWOOD, OR – Ascentec Engineering has acquired Datum Dynamics USA for an undisclosed sum.
Portsmouth, RI-based Datum will move to Ascentec’s Fitchburg, MA site. Colin Reddy, previously sales manager at Datum, will help transition current Datum clients.
Ascentec designs and manufactures PCBA process tooling.
Datum is a PCB assembly tooling and fixtures supplier in the Northeastern U.S.
SINGAPORE – Nihon Superior Co. Ltd. has upgraded its Singapore location – Nihon Superior Trading (S) Pte Ltd. – to a regional headquarters, with plans to establish an English-speaking R&D center there.
The R&D Center will be in operation before the end of 2008 with an initial investment of SG$1.275 million (US$934,000), the company reports.
The initial focus will be on establishing analytical capability with XRF and ICP equipment. Additional tools required for the development and testing of soldering materials and the diagnosis of microscopy and mechanical testing will follow.
NSTS was established in 1988 as a joint venture with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. In 2007, NSTS accounted for 16% of Nihon’s total turnover.
