MANKATO, MN – EMS provider and ODM Winland Electronics has received purchase orders and extensions for the next year totaling approximately $11.6 million.
 

SAN JOSE, CA – Three-month bookings at North American-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment in September fell about 10% sequentially and 25% year-over-year, according to SEMI.

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WASHINGTON — The Semiconductor Industry Association and the Institute of Electrical Engineers-USA are urging swift congressional action to help skilled immigrants gain permanent U.S. residency status.
 
In a joint letter sent Oct. 11 to Senate and House leaders, the SIA and the IEEE-USA, often at odds on issues such as the H-1B visa program, together advised passage of measures to ease the hiring of foreign-born scientists and engineers and other proposals to enhance the global competitiveness of the U.S. high-tech sector.
 
The letter, signed by SIA president George Scalise and IEEE-USA president John Meredith, reads in part, "Both IEEE-USA and SIA see the retention of highly educated immigrants as part of a broader competitiveness and innovation initiative that includes a doubling of federal investment in research in the physical sciences, improvements in science, technology, engineering and math education at the K-12 and undergraduate levels, and enactment of a permanent and strengthened R&D tax credit."
 
The letter continues, “Currently 51% of master’s and 71% of Ph.D. graduates in electrical and electronic engineering from U.S. universities are foreign nationals. The SIA and IEEE-USA agree that these highly-talented individuals should be able to get permanent resident status … in an expedited manner.”

SCOTSDALE, AZ – Research firm IC Insights today upped its 2007 forecast for IC unit shipments to 10%, some two points higher than the firm’s earlier estimate.
 
If correct, the market would continue its streak of double-digit increases in IC shipments, which dates to 2002.
 
Moreover, the firm believes there is a good chance unit demand will continue to increase at least 10% annually over the next five to 10 years as new and evolving applications in communications and consumer electronics continue to incorporate large quantities of ICs.
 
The continuing development of emerging markets is also contributing to demand, the researcher adds.
 
Strong shipments of DRAM (49%), NAND flash memory (38%), interface (60%), data conversion (58%), and automotive-related analog ICs (32%) are driving overall demand and keeping IC shipments at a high level, according to IC Insights.
 
Future market growth will be largely influenced by changes in device average selling prices. Strong annual IC unit shipment growth rates are good news for IC suppliers. However, continued pressure on IC average selling prices may cause a prolonged period of "profitless prosperity" for IC suppliers, IC Insights says.