Archive for January, 2014
Micron boost sales volume thanks to Elpida
Revenues for Micron’s first quarter of fiscal 2014 were USD 4.04 billion and were 42% higher compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 and 120 percent higher compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2013.
GAAP Income and Per Share Data – On a GAAP(1) basis, net income attributable to Micron shareholders was USD 358 million, or USD 0.30 per diluted share, compared to net income of USD 1.71 billion, or USD 1.51 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 and a net loss of (USD 275) million, or (USD 0.27) per diluted share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2013.
Net income was USD 881 million, compared to net income of USD 317 million, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013.
Revenues from sales of DRAM products were 69 percent higher in the first quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 due primarily to an increase in sales volume resulting from the acquisition of Elpida.
Revenues from sales of NAND Flash products were 8 percent higher in the first quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 primarily due to an 11 percent increase in sales volume offset by a slight decrease in average selling prices.
The company’s consolidated gross margin improved to 32 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to 25 percent in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 primarily due to an increase in volume of products resulting from the acquisition of Elpida and to product mix.
Cash flows from operations for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 were USD 1.51 billion, while investments in capital expenditures were USD 669 million. The company ended the first fiscal quarter with cash and marketable investments of USD 4.41 billion.
Read more: http://evertiq.com/design/33563
Advanced MP opens new logistics center
Component distributor, Advanced MP, has opened a new automated logistics center which has been successfully integrated into their global operation.
Thenew logistics center in San Clemente, California. The newly constructed 60,000 square foot logistics center provides more resources and storage space for inventory management services, and houses a quality control testing facility, with the addition of De-CAP, XRF and granite slab testing equipment, to their already existing in house QC testing equipment.
“The completion of this new logistics center is a great accomplishment for AMPT, and resource for our customers worldwide. In conjunction with the additional stocking space this new warehouse provides, the inclusion of the new quality testing equipment will optimize the turnaround time between receiving to shipment,” said Global Logistics Director, Mike England. “In addition to providing a quicker response to our customers special needs, bringing these testing amenities in house allows Advanced MP to improve cost for customers as well.”
Read more: http://evertiq.com/design/33541
Mouser continues its rapid growth in Europe
Mouser Electronics, Inc. has outstripped the general distribution market in Europe, and expects to achieve year-on-year revenue growth figures of above 30% for 2013.
During Q4 -2013, the company is enjoying its best ever European quarter performance and September, October and November were all-time record months.
Future aggressive growth plans mean that Mouser is poised for further significant European growth in 2014. Explains European Marketing Director, Graham Maggs: “Here in Europe we are well ahead of our revenue targets and have grown our customer base by over 30% with new business coming from every industry sector. Semiconductors now represent over 40% of our sales, and, importantly, we have seen an 11% increase in the sales of parts that were introduced by the manufacturer in the last 12 months (NPI sales). These facts lead to the conclusion that we are now accepted as the design-fulfillment distributor of choice and go–to place for Newest Components.”
In order to service this increased business, Mouser plans to expand its resources at its European headquarters in Munich with the addition of more people who will concentrate on delivering focused technical content. Continues Maggs: “We must deliver the right information for design engineers, providing solutions-based material. That means that we must understand the customer’s business, and supply him not only with relevant applications and product information, but also provide details of the design ecosystem – to include software development system, development kits etc – as well as the myriad of other supporting power, inductive, passive and e/mech components that will complete his specific design.”
Read more: http://evertiq.com/design/33530
Rambus signs with Samsung
Samsung Electronics and Rambus has signed a 10-year license agreement. The agreement extends the existing relationship between the companies, providing Samsung with access to Rambus’ technologies for inclusion in Samsung ICs.
The agreement requires quarterly royalty payments to Rambus of USD 15 million per quarter for the first five years, with an initial payment of USD 22 million for the fourth quarter of 2013. Payments in the second five-year period are variable and subject to market-related factors. The agreement further provides Samsung access to Rambus’ security technologies in system devices such as smart phones, tablets, and set-top boxes. The agreement is set to terminate in 2023. Other terms and details are confidential.
“This new 10-year agreement symbolizes our ability to add value to Samsung through our core memory and security technologies,” said Dr. Ron Black, president and chief executive officer at Rambus. “Extending this relationship for a longer term gives us the ability to work with the broader industry on a variety of exciting technology initiatives.”
Read more: http://evertiq.com/design/33520
Samsung edges Apple for #1 ranking
ABI Research’s Enterprise Smartphone vendor matrix concluded that, overall, Samsung is number one followed closely by Apple, with BlackBerry rounding out the top three.
The vendor matrix ranks companies based on scoring in Implementation and Innovation categories. Nine smartphone OEMs were compared on eighteen criteria including workspace management solutions, partnerships and business customer adoption. Samsung’s large and diversified partner network coupled with it being the first Android OEM to offer an integrated enterprise solution pushed the company to the number one spot.
The vendor matrix score separating Samsung and Apple was less than a single point. Apple received extremely high marks in Implementation due to high iOS smartphone adoption by business users and because its smartphones are the most activated device within EMM/MDM platforms. Samsung, on the other hand, was ranked as more Innovative with a wider range of enterprise devices and better security features. Samsung’s higher Innovation scores lead to its number one ranking.
The third place ranking for BlackBerry was driven by lower Implementation scores, yet it still received high scores in Innovation. The company faces shrinking smartphone market share in an intense competitive environment. Even so, BlackBerry is still considered the gold standard in enterprise security supported by recent BES enhancements for multi-OS and dual-persona device management.
“There are two sets of OEM battles that need to be watched closely: Apple and Samsung and Nokia and BlackBerry,” comments senior analyst, Jason McNicol. “Apple and Samsung are quite interesting considering Apple’s smartphone innovations drove its lead in the enterprise over Samsung. But Samsung has learned quickly and has stolen the innovator role from Apple.”
McNicol continues, “BlackBerry and Nokia are battling for the number three spot in the enterprise mobility market. BlackBerry has more enterprise mobility experience; however, Nokia now has the backing of Microsoft. Couple these advantages with the recent struggles by Apple and Samsung means that opportunity exists for BlackBerry and Nokia to gain market share and subsequently improve their ranking.”
Practice Director Dan Shey adds, “With the maturing of the smartphone market, we expect OEMs to increasingly broaden their enterprise offerings. The result is that the rankings earned by Samsung, Apple, and BlackBerry will both shift and be challenged as enterprise becomes more reliant on mobile devices, apps, and services.”
Read more: http://evertiq.com/news/33513
Tessera Technologies appoints Robert J. Andersen CFO
Tessera Technologies has appointed Robert J. Andersen as the Company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO).
Andersen will report to CEO Thomas Lacey and be responsible for the Company’s finance, accounting, strategic planning, investor relations and IT. John Allen, who had served as the Company’s acting CFO since June 2013, returned to his prior position as the Company’s senior vice president and corporate controller.
“Robert has a long successful track record in a number of public and private technology companies,” stated Lacey. “I have worked with Robert previously and know firsthand that his financial leadership, business acumen and team-building skills will be instrumental to the successful execution of our long-term strategy, which will drive value for our customers, partners, employees and stockholders. I also want to thank John Allen for his significant contributions during his tenure as acting CFO and I very much look forward to his on-going contributions to help lead the company forward.”
“I am excited to join Tessera, which is an innovative company at a crucial point in its growth strategy,” stated Andersen. “I look forward to working on the significant opportunities that lie ahead for the Company.”
Andersen most recently served from June 2011 to July 2013 as the CFO and executive vice president of G2 Holdings Corp. d/b/a Components Direct, a privately held provider of cloud-based product life cycle solutions, which was acquired by Avnet, Inc. in April 2013.
Read more: http://evertiq.com/design/33514
PCB market grew slightly in October 2013
The October sales figures reported by German PCB manufacturers increased 4% sequentially and 2% YoY.
YTD, sales were 0.2 percent higher than those reported for the same period 2012, writes the German industry association ZVEI PCB and Electronic Systems.
Medium-size companies reported on somewhat lower figures that large-size and small-sized companies.
The order intake in October 2013 surpassed – YoY – that of September 2012 by one percent. YTD, order intake was three percent higher than that reported for the corresponding period in 2012. September 2013 was an exceptionally good month and order intake decreased 18% sequentially.
Read more: http://evertiq.com/news/33495