News
Cambridge, UK --In the past, RFID smart cards have been successful only as transport cards – typically for buses or trains in place of tickets and often for several modes of transport. In 2005, this started to change with about 20 million credit and debit RFID cards being issued in the US.
IDTechEx forecast a boom in RFID smart cards and related payment key fobs as a result of the reduced cost of the latest contactless card systems resulting in lower cost of ownership and the demand for new national identification cards.
Government/ health cards became increasingly popular in 2005, and are predicted to be the smart card success story of 2006, with increases of 42% forecast. A number of government ID and health card projects, implemented in countries such as Oman, Australia, Austria and Belgium, led to an increased demand for both memory and microprocessor cards in 2005, especially microprocessors.This demand shows little sign of slowing, according to IDTechEx. However, many use contact technology which is not RFID and is unreliable and user unfriendly compared to RFID. e-Passport projects – all using RFID technology – showed strong development in 2005, particularly in Europe where some reached the pilot and implementation stages. These schemes in particular are forecast to drive the sector growth in 2006.
IDTechEx forecast a boom in RFID smart cards and related payment key fobs as a result of the reduced cost of the latest contactless card systems resulting in lower cost of ownership and the demand for new national identification cards.
Government/ health cards became increasingly popular in 2005, and are predicted to be the smart card success story of 2006, with increases of 42% forecast. A number of government ID and health card projects, implemented in countries such as Oman, Australia, Austria and Belgium, led to an increased demand for both memory and microprocessor cards in 2005, especially microprocessors.This demand shows little sign of slowing, according to IDTechEx. However, many use contact technology which is not RFID and is unreliable and user unfriendly compared to RFID. e-Passport projects – all using RFID technology – showed strong development in 2005, particularly in Europe where some reached the pilot and implementation stages. These schemes in particular are forecast to drive the sector growth in 2006.
China will issue about 970 million cards to adults by 2008 if its plan is met, then issue only replacements and cards for those becoming adults in subsequent years. Transport smart cards in 2006 include Korea completing the replacement of 20 million with a new version that has both contact and contactless interfaces. The new contacted interface is to deal with bank payment systems.
SARATOGA, CA – The U.S.’s gross domestic product is not a leading indicator for the performance of the semiconductor industry, according to analysis conducted by Advanced Forecasting.
The firm found that the GDP’s value as a leading indicator was only relevant during five out of the 16 years investigated.
“The GDP’s historical year-over-year quarterly growth rate correlated well with IC revenues from the end of 2000 to the end of 2004 with a three-month lead, but no correlation exists during the periods 1990 through 2000 and 2005 through the present,” said Rosa Luis, director of marketing and sales.
“Continuing to use the GDP as a predictive tool for the semiconductor industry today may greatly mislead decision-makers.”
The 2001recession was an anomaly with disastrous results for numerous U.S. industries including metal fabrication, construction materials and automobiles. The same analysis conducted on IC revenues was performed on each of the aforementioned industries with similar results for the 2000 through 2004 period.
In the years prior and following this period, the correlations vary from non-existent to strong. Conclusion: Due to the strength and depth of the 2001 recession, many industry segments were similarly affected. Each experienced the increasing growth rates leading up to a peak in 2000 and a severe decline following that peak.
The dot.com recession was an outlier. The fact that IC revenues matched GDP (with a lag of three months) wasn’t unique to the semiconductor industry, and like in other industries, this phenomenon vanished afterward. Therefore, continued use of the GDP as a predictive tool for the IC industry based on the strong correlation during that period is risky.
The firm found that the GDP’s value as a leading indicator was only relevant during five out of the 16 years investigated.
“The GDP’s historical year-over-year quarterly growth rate correlated well with IC revenues from the end of 2000 to the end of 2004 with a three-month lead, but no correlation exists during the periods 1990 through 2000 and 2005 through the present,” said Rosa Luis, director of marketing and sales.
“Continuing to use the GDP as a predictive tool for the semiconductor industry today may greatly mislead decision-makers.”
The 2001recession was an anomaly with disastrous results for numerous U.S. industries including metal fabrication, construction materials and automobiles. The same analysis conducted on IC revenues was performed on each of the aforementioned industries with similar results for the 2000 through 2004 period.
In the years prior and following this period, the correlations vary from non-existent to strong. Conclusion: Due to the strength and depth of the 2001 recession, many industry segments were similarly affected. Each experienced the increasing growth rates leading up to a peak in 2000 and a severe decline following that peak.
The dot.com recession was an outlier. The fact that IC revenues matched GDP (with a lag of three months) wasn’t unique to the semiconductor industry, and like in other industries, this phenomenon vanished afterward. Therefore, continued use of the GDP as a predictive tool for the IC industry based on the strong correlation during that period is risky.
HIALEAH, FL -- Simclar Inc., a contract electronics manufacturer, will restate its 2005 finances due to accounting errors in its Mexican operations.
The company stated that it is still investigating whether these errors will also affect its financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2006.
The company stated that it is still investigating whether these errors will also affect its financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2006.
SPOKANE, WA -- EMS provider Key Tronic reported fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $52.5 million, up 13.1% sequentially and down 1.3% from the fiscal fourth quarter of 2005. Net income was $7.1 million, up from $917,000 sequentially and $2.8 million in Q4 2005.
For the fiscal year, revenue was $187.7 million, down 7.5%, and net income was up 55.2% to $9.8 million.
For the fiscal year, revenue was $187.7 million, down 7.5%, and net income was up 55.2% to $9.8 million.
Kortrijk, Belgium – IPTE has signed a Letter of Intent to perhaps acquire the EMS activities of Barco Manufacturing Services. The surface-mount division for sale has sites in Belgium and the Czech Republic and employs approx. 400 people. The group generated 60 million Euro in sales last year.
IPTE is looking to expand its Connect Systems activities, while Barco had previously announced a strategy to not invest further in subcontracting activity.
San Jose, CA - SiliconPipe has secured its first use license agreement, with a company that wishes to remain anonymous.
The new licensee will have access to the company’s full technology portfolio which includes innovations in interconnections, substrates, IC packages, connectors, sockets, embedded passives, test and ESD protection as well as novel memory architecture that the company believes will allow for standard DDR2 memory to operate at 12.8Gbps and beyond.
The new licensee will have access to the company’s full technology portfolio which includes innovations in interconnections, substrates, IC packages, connectors, sockets, embedded passives, test and ESD protection as well as novel memory architecture that the company believes will allow for standard DDR2 memory to operate at 12.8Gbps and beyond.
"We are extremely pleased that we were able to strike this first use agreement and we at SiliconPipe are looking forward playing a small role in the future of success of this pioneering company by way of their use of SiliconPipe technology," said co-founder and CEO Joseph Fjelstad. "We have previously licensed certain manufacturers, most notably the advanced assembly foundry NexGen Electronics to build products for user evaluation, but this represents the first company seeking to explore use and deployment of certain of SiliconPipe's diverse technology.”
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