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IRVING, TX — EMS provider Elcoteq Network Corp. has opened a new plant in Bangalore, India, and will manufacture telecommunications equipment there. The facility will employ approx. 1,000 people and manufacture products, including mobile phones and communications network equipment, for global customers operating in India and the Asia-Pacific.

"With a population of over one billion people, mobile-phone penetration of a mere 3% and a telecom services market growing at over 100% annually, India represents one of the most exciting regions for handset OEMs and EMS providers," said president and CEO Jouni Hartikainen. "Given the huge opportunity, cost advantages, availability of highly skilled manpower, infrastructure and software development facilities, proximity of key suppliers and the government's agenda for telecommunications and electronics manufacturing, we find this an extremely attractive location."

"This inauguration is more than the launch of a manufacturing facility. It is about revolutionizing the EMS sector in India and tapping the vast opportunities it offers. The telecommunications sector in India has surpassed all forecasts," added chairman Antii Piippo.

ARLINGTON, VA - After bouncing back in February from the annual January dip, electronic component orders took a slight downturn in March, according to the monthly order index compiled by the Electronic Components, Assemblies & Materials Association (ECA).

"Many manufacturers believed that this year's first quarter would be a repeat of the strong growth in Q1 2004," said Bob Willis, ECA president. "Depending on what happens with end markets, the fluctuations might continue into the second quarter."

In addition to general industry caution, Willis sites factors such as the rising price of wholesale oil, trade imbalance and the federal deficit having a dampening effect on the market.

The ECA represents manufacturers and producers of passive and active electronic components, component arrays and assemblies, and materials and support services. It is a sector of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) that reportedly represents 80% of the U.S. electronics industry.

April 8 -- PBR Seminars will launch "Differential Traces and Impedance," a two-hour technical Webinar, on April 27 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. PDT (1-3 p.m. EDT). Doug Brooks, a signal integrity expert who regularly speaks at the PCB Design Conferences, is the featured speaker.

According to Brooks, differential circuits and differential signaling are becoming more common on today's PCBs. Differential circuits have several advantages over their single-ended counterparts, including a better signal/noise ratio, more precise signal timing and immunity from external noise sources. Brooks will explain the advantages and disadvantages of differential circuits compared to single-ended circuits, and cover the sometimes confusing issue of common-mode noise as it applies to each type of circuit.

For more information or to register, visit www.pbrseminars.com.The Webcast will also be available after the seminar, and additional Webinars will be announced soon.

PBR Seminars is a joint venture between UP Media Group and PCB007.

Eindhoven, The Netherlands, April 8 -- Assembléon, has appointed APS France Equipments to represent its SMT placement line in France. APS is a member of the Propelec S.A. group, which represents Assembléon in Spain and Portugal.

Assembléon's director region Europe, Ton Cornelissen, said, "Propelec has a very positive attitude to the SMT market and to its customers ... We've shared a very satisfying relationship with the Propelec group in Spain, and have every confidence in the company's capability to represent us in France in cooperation with Assembléon France SAS."

ROUND ROCK, TX - Dell Computer said PC unit growth would slow to 10% for the first quarter, another sign of slowing IT demand for PCs. Demand in the U.S. has improved slightly, however, Dell told analysts gathered at its annual Analysts Day meeting this week.

Dell said its overall business is a little softer. Investment bank Deutsche Bank forecasts Dell's revenues to grow 16% in fiscal 2006.

OYSTER BAY, NY - Most of the public attention given to RFID has focused on the retail supply chain, especially Wal-Mart's mandate to its top 100 suppliers. But the U.S. Department of Defense is also mandating its use this year - to all of its 43,000-plus suppliers. Add to that the needs of the aerospace industry, particularly the two giant aircraft makers, Boeing and Airbus, and the shape of a massive vertical RFID market emerges.

Boeing and Airbus - which use many of the same components - are working with the US Federal Aviation Administration to formalize UHF RFID certification for systems to track aircraft parts, says Erik Michielsen, ABI Research director of RFID and ubiquitous networks. The hoped-for improvement in ROI is of vital importance to an industry that has been hard-hit by recent economic conditions. Safer planes and fewer procurement overlaps are added incentives.

"The airline industry is obviously profit-based," Michielsen says. "They want efficient manufacturing, supply chain and asset tracking systems to create economical business models. With the DoD, RFID is not about business models: it's about improving military operations efficiency in acquiring materiel from suppliers and making sure it gets to units in the field. These are massive, aggressive and very complex initiatives that will be major factors driving RFID's adoption."

The first beneficiaries are the RFID suppliers who have been granted "Blanket Purchase Agreement" awards, certifying that their systems meet the DoD's requirements, ABI says. The first five companies in this favored position are UHF EPC Class 1 transponder suppliers Alien Technologies, Avery Dennison, CDO Technologies, Lowry Computer Products and Intermec. Other BPA awards are expected soon.