FRAMINGHAM, MA – With China now the top PC market worldwide, accounting for more than 21% of global shipments in 2012, slow February results and the likely impact on March are expected to lower first quarter global PC shipments by roughly 2% from recent forecasts, says International Data Corp.

DENVER – Epic Technologies named Joe Rogers senior vice president of global operations.

BANGKOK -- UMC Electronics, Japan's second largest EMS company, will open a plant outside of Bangkok this fall.

BANNOCKBURN, IL – Overall North American electronics executive compensation budgets for 2013 are expected to increase 2.9% on average for 2013, according to a new IPC study.

TAIPEI -- 3CEMS ran counter of most EMS companies in 2012 as the contract electronics assembler's revenues jumped 20% year-over-year.

NEW DELHI, INDIA -- EMS companies looking to break in to the Indian medical electronics market might consider visiting the annual Medical Electronics & Devices show in April.

TORONTO -- SMTC reported fourth-quarter net income of $987,000, including an unrealized loss of $536 thousand from foreign exchange contracts, down from $2.86 million a year ago.

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND -- Enics will lay off 48 workers at its electronics manufacturing factory in Västerås, Sweden, as it moves production to lower-cost locations.

WASHINGTON -- The National Materials and Manufacturing Board has named veteran electronics materials scientist Dr. Jennie Hwang to its committee.

RIDGELAND, MS -- Diversified Technology, a contract assembler of embedded computer printed circuit boards, has ceased operations and will be auctioned.

SCARBOROUGH, ON, CANADA -- Invotronics, a Toronto-area contract electronics assembler, is shutting its doors and will be sold at auction.

EL SEGUNDO, CA -- After reaching a worrisome high in the third quarter of 2012, global semiconductor inventories held by chip suppliers fell at a surprisingly fast rate in the fourth quarter, led by dramatic reductions for market leader Intel.