RICHARDSON, TX -- EMS provider TXP Corp. has signed a letter of intent to acquire the assets and intellectual property for Siemens AG's optical network terminal technology, supporting broadband passive optical network and gigabit passive optical network standards. The deal is nonbinding and is subject to customary due diligence. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

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TAIPEI -- Foxconn Technology will invest a reported $1 billion to build an industrial park in China's Huaian economic development zone, according to a newspaper report yesterday.

The Hong Kong Standard cited the Huaian city government as saying that the company would invest the money in electronics facilities over the course of five years.

Huaian is located in China's eastern Jiangsu province.

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN – Zuken and Rio Design Automation have announced a partnership in sales and technical development to create an overall optimized design environment for chips, packages and PCBs.
 
Under the agreement, Zuken will acquire the exclusive rights to distribute Rio’s products in Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and other Asian countries (excluding India); support services will also be provided through Zuken’s network.
 

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Jabil Circuit Inc. has begun construction of a greenfield electronics manufacturing facility in Zarkappatya, Uzhgorod. The new factory is expected to create 1,500 jobs.
 
“We believe the Ukraine will become a major player in electronics manufacturing," said John Lovato, Jabil’s European president. "The country has all it takes to successfully compete with Asia on a landed cost basis to the European market; educated and available labor force at a competitive cost, proximity to the European market, available natural resources to develop a strong supplier base and cooperative government support."
 
The 26,000-m² facility will be operational next Spring. Jabil plans to develop in the Special Economic Zone Zarkappatya, an industrial park.
 
Jabil has manufactured electronics in Ukraine since 2004 and was one of the first EMS providers to establish a presence in the country. The company employs 900 at its facility in Uzhgorod.

ANAHEIM, CA -- Quickturn PCB company DDi Corp. has completed the sale of its assembly business to Veritek Manufacturing Services for approximately $12 million in cash. The sale reflects the company's previously announced strategy to focus on its core PCB fabrication, engineering and manufacturing business.

In addition to the sale of its assembly division, DDi is acquiring Sovereign Circuits, a privately held printed circuit board manufacturer that builds for the military, aerospace and high reliability commercial markets. The acquisition is expected to close this month.

FREMONT, CA – Scientific Technologies (STI) has completed its merger with a subsidiary of Japan-based Omron Corp. STI shareholders will receive $10.67 per share in cash as a result of the merger, and STI will cease to be a publicly traded company.
 
As part of the merger, Omron acquired STI’s safety products group, and STI’s automation products group was sold and becomes a standalone company. The total transaction values the equity of the company at approximately $110.8 million.

MILPITAS, CA – Flex circuit manufacturer Lenthor Engineering has updated technical details in its Flexible Circuit Design Guide. The new version is available at www.lenthor.com.
 
The guide is intended to provide a comprehensive understanding of the use, design and fabrication of flexible and rigid-flexible printed circuit boards.

ALLEN, TX -- Sanmina-SCI has signed a deal to assemble certain components designed by Enablence Technologies and used in household optical modems, the companies told a local paper. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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SAN FRANCISCO -- A September poll of CIOs predicts IT budgets will grow 6.5% over the next 12 months, down slightly from 6.9% in June.

Optimism among CIOs at the biggest companies was higher than in the previous two quarters, suggesting seasonal strength among the biggest companies as the year ends, said Deutsche Bank, which cosponsors the poll. 

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BANNOCKBURN, IL — Rigid PCB shipments by North American fabricators rose 8% in August while bookings climbed 7.7% year-over-year, according to a monthly poll. Flex circuit shipments were up 27% and bookings were up 30.5% percent, IPC said.

The rigid board book-to-bill ratio rose 0.04 points to 1.06, and the flex circuit book-to-bill ratio was up 0.04 points to 1.05. The overall ratio was also 1.05, up 0.03 points. The ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period. A ratio of more than 1.0 suggests probable near-term growth.

Year to date, rigid PCB shipments are up 10.6%, and bookings are up 13.8%. Flex circuit shipments are up 4.5%, bookings are down 8.4%.

Combined shipments in August increased 9.3% from a year ago and bookings increased 9%. Year to date, combined shipments are up 10.2%, bookings are up 12.1%. Rigid PCBs make up an estimated 85% of the North American market, IPC said.

The data reflect sales, not production, IPC notes. For the month, 89% of the PCB shipments reported were produced in the U.S. or Canada. Furthermore, about 26% of the flex circuit sales comes from value-added services.