Atlanta – Renowned market and industry analyst Walt Custer will present a free, two-hour analysis of the global electronics industry on August 9.

The Business Outlook Webinar, hosted by PBRSeminars, will include information on:

World economy;

Electronic equipment - size, scope and end-market drivers by sector;

Active and passive components (including semiconductors and PCBs);

Global electronic assembly markets (OEM, EMS and ODM) ;

Related materials and process equipment ;

Status and economic performance of key companies serving each sector.

Custer will cover information about the future of the domestic and world electronics industries; current business cycles and realistic growth expectations; and industry survivors and profitable markets.

A joint venture between UP Media Group and PCB 007, PBR Seminars produces live, on-demand technical Webinars for PCB industry professionals. For more info: pbrseminars.com.

SAN FRANCISCO -- IBM's fabled C4 flip chip concept has been updated and was a popular attraction at a major semiconductor manufacturing expo last week.

NASHUA, NH -- National Standards Authority of Ireland is the first registrar to receive authorization to provide registration under the new EIA/ECCB-954 specification adopted by IECQ. The move permits NSAI to certify hazardous substance (lead-free) processes at electronics companies.

IECQ is the IEC’s quality assessment system for electronic components. It specifies technical requirements that manufacturers must meet to ensure that their products conform to new environmental limits.

As a result, NSAI is now able to offer a process certification solution for  electronics companies to demonstrate compliance with the new environmental regulations regarding lead and other hazardous substances, NSAI said in a press release.

Credit Suisse First Boston expects electronics manufacturing services and component companies to report "mostly inline" second-quarter results.

CSFB said, "Given a slow demand environment, we continue to overweight EMS names that are 'creating their own destiny': leveraging secular margin expansion as Celestica or new business wins as Jabil Circuit and Flextronics International to drive above-average earnings growth."

The cell-phone business and increasing Nortel Networks revenue "should get Flextronics over the line in the second quarter, with the booming Multek PCB business driving an opportunity for margins to beat. Celestica and Sanmina-SCI will both likely achieve earnings consensus on margin improvements from restructuring, despite lackluster revenues," the research firm said.