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Reap what you sow (22 June 2009)
I spent a fair amount of time at the National Electronics Week (NEW) in London last week, and came away with mixed views....FULL STORY
Throwing away our morals (15 June 2009)
“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked the beleaguered owner of a stricken Morris Minor, condemned to the side of the road. This car dated from ’67, an age of post-war attitudes, Sergeant Pepper, and the Summer of Love when everybody in San Francisco sported flowers in their hair. ...FULL STORY
Building a robust multinational programme management team (12 June 2009)
The obvious news stories for this month’s column were swine flu (or whatever politically correct term one’s country wishes to name it) or the economy. However, within the EMS community, swine flu hasn’t made much of an impact. And, currently the economy is a one paragraph column because the only ‘new’ news is that no one can quite agree if the upturn is starting to happen now or will start six months from now....FULL STORY
NEW tradition (08 June 2009)
A Sunday roast. Dancing around a maypole. Curry and chips. All are quintessential stalwarts of our British culture, just as there’s nothing more American than apple pie. But these all took time to be established. Few things simply ‘explode’ onto the scene. With time, they’ve been accepted and embraced....FULL STORY
Happy days are (almost) here again! (02 June 2009)
Early in the month of May 2009, India attained two very significant inflexion points. Firstly, it became the world’s fastest growing mobile telephony major market, overtaking China. Secondly, it became the country with the largest CDMA connections....FULL STORY
Shift in shipping (01 June 2009)
There is a balancing act that has been ongoing since the onset of both globalisation and outsourcing that will remain with us as a dynamic force that continually shapes the electronics industry....FULL STORY
Mex in a mess? (25 May 2009)
There are countries that have built up their reputations as ‘low cost factories’ for the electronics industry. China would be taken as the most obvious example over the last decade as a global powerhouse, with the likes of Brazil, Mexico, and Eastern European countries, generally speaking, operating on a more regional level....FULL STORY
China hi-tech brands lead the way in Africa (18 May 2009)
With the frantic scramble to find ‘new’ business, Western consumer electronics and technology companies are turning their attention to emerging markets, to complement the traditional primary markets of Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe. ...FULL STORY
Nice one, centurion! (18 May 2009)
We all recognise some points of reference. Some might be things like a budget, a number that has to met (even if it was set last year before the credit crunch!), a date by which a project needs to be completed or delivered by. Or it might be a milestone that simply occurs by the passage of time – a diamond wedding anniversary perhaps, or the-longest-running-detective-series-on-TV (which I believe is Taggart, in case you were wondering)....FULL STORY
From cheers to fears – who would want to rule the world? (11 May 2009)
Not so long ago, economies were booming, house prices were strong, and ‘recession’ was a word we hadn’t heard since the ’80s....FULL STORY
The lesson from Singapore (04 May 2009)
I have two things on my agenda this week – one in Europe and the other in Asia. The second of these has been inspired by the latest column from our American correspondent, Susan Mucha, who has written an excellent ‘Focus on Singapore’. This account was based on a recent trip that was intended principally as a demonstration of how government support plus supply chain can deliver success....FULL STORY
Focus on Singapore (01 May 2009)
In March, I was part of a press tour of Singapore electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and precision engineering suppliers. As someone who has worked in the EMS industry for a few decades, several key points struck me…...FULL STORY
Recovery just weeks away! (27 April 2009)
If you like stats then I think the graph below is an interesting one. It gives the growth figures for the semiconductor industry since time began (in a semiconductor sense anyway). ...FULL STORY
Real reasons to be cheerful? (20 April 2009)
I had a long chat with Ron Jakeman, Managing Director of Electrolube (HK Wentworth) recently, and he claimed that his recent optimism was based on real orders - not just wishful thinking. ...FULL STORY
The democracy dividend for Indian electronics (17 April 2009)
The global electronics manufacturing business, as we all know, is going through some very testing times. Each day brings further gloomy news. Even in India, the EMS companies have by and large reduced their operations and are certainly cutting back on capital expenditure and inventories of materials and operating supplies....FULL STORY
We just needed more money! (14 April 2009)
You can’t move these days without tripping over an expert on the economy....FULL STORY
Big events shaping industry (06 April 2009)
Apex has been the major event we’ve all had our eye on recently, but what else is happening?...FULL STORY
Challenging times in the EMS world (23 March 2009)
Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers often pat themselves on the back for not being at the bottom of the food chain in the electronics industry. But in a recession, the bottom can look far better than the EMS providers’ role in the middle of the food chain which carries more risk....FULL STORY
The show goes on (23 March 2009)
If you want to feel good about the electronics manufacturing industry then the best place to go is Las Vegas next week for one of the highlights of the industry’s calendar – APEX on 31 March to 2 April....FULL STORY
Remaining optimistic (16 March 2009)
Despite slowed economic growth, it’s not all doom and gloom out there for the industry. ...FULL STORY
Innovating out of recession (13 March 2009)
The election of President Barack Obama and the implementation of his administration’s $800 billion federal economic stimulus package is being tipped by many industry observers to raise technology’s profile and grow the number of tech jobs in the US....FULL STORY
Disruptive developments and technologies during recession (12 March 2009)
Some decades ago, studying at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, we studied History of Technology as part of our degree course. At that time, we all wondered why we should be taught irrelevant stuff that was in the past when a glorious future beckoned. How wrong we were! Those who do not learn from history go into the future without direction....FULL STORY
PC market on the move (09 March 2009)
Latest figures suggest that 2008 was a good year for the computer industry, despite the perception that the credit crisis bit hardest at the end of the year when consumer sales are traditionally strongest....FULL STORY
“There is no crisis” (02 March 2009)
At an EMSA (Electronics Manufacturing Services Association) meeting late last month, Peter Towler declared that the forecast for the future of the electronics outsourcing industry is incredibly optimistic. Is this a sunny outlook uttered at the dawn of a renaissance, or a reassuring declaration that the plethora of financial problems are not affecting our industry?...FULL STORY
Evolve and prosper (23 February 2009)
Whatever business you are in you can’t stand still – progress is essential. Well, maybe not in the antiques business, but that apart and certainly in the technology sectors, evolution is a must for survival....FULL STORY
Looking East (16 February 2009)
Mervyn King, the governor of the Bank of England, has warned that the UK is “in a deep recession.” The Bank forecasts that the economy will shrink by 4% from mid-2008 to mid-2009....FULL STORY
PXI – relevant, reliable and still growing (09 February 2009)
For a number of years now I have taken a look at the evolving world of PXI. Unlike many other protocols I would be surprised if the growth in PXI did anything but continue at its current impressive rate. Why is this?...FULL STORY
Successful sign from the South (02 February 2009)
After a few months of relative calm the exhibition season is getting underway again. Around the globe, events are trying their best to succeed against the backdrop of financial uncertainty. Some will manage: others will not....FULL STORY
'Global’ – now we see what it really means (23 January 2009)
Globally some jobs are starting to go. Banking, construction and retail have been the hardest hit so far but there have been a few electronics manufacturers also making the headlines for the same reasons – Intel being the latest and our lead story this week....FULL STORY
New order after Blue Monday (20 January 2009)
Yesterday was 'Blue Monday'; a date when post-Christmas gloom is at its worst and we’re feeling the misery of failed resolutions and mounting debts. But what’s so special about yesterday?...FULL STORY
2008 - The ‘interesting’ year that was (12 January 2009)
‘May you live in interesting times’, is euphemistically referred to as a Chinese curse. Severe blizzards; the massive earthquake in Sichuan claiming more than 70,000 lives; and the recent shocks from the ongoing global financial crisis, all ensured that 2008 for China was certainly a most ‘interesting’ year....FULL STORY
The ‘Key’ to success (12 January 2009)
An interesting report from the BPA in this week’s news (PCB and laminate industries outlook) points out differences between the dot.com crash of 2001 and the current financial crisis. In summary, it says that in 2001 everyone was expanding as quickly as their suppliers would allow, resulting in vast over-capacity....FULL STORY
Trends in prototypes (05 January 2009)
I thought focusing on technology issues might be a good way to start the year. I’ve interviewed Duane Benson, the marketing manager at Portland, Ore.-based Screaming Circuits. ...FULL STORY
Nose to the grindstone – and that is if we are lucky! (05 January 2009)
Here we all are again. Refreshed, relaxed, recharged… but slightly apprehensive?...FULL STORY
Happy Christmas! (22 December 2008)
As the last days of 2008 drift by, it is a time for many people to reflect on the year gone by and look ahead to what the next year may bring......FULL STORY
Land of the rising sun and sinking hearts (15 December 2008)
It has been thirty years since the UK’s famous ‘Winter of Discontent’, but do the much-quoted words of Shakespeare ring true now?...FULL STORY
India and the global financial Tsunami (11 December 2008)
On Boxing Day, 26 December 2004, the world’s worst ever Tsunami hit many countries in the Indian Ocean area, causing massive and unprecedented destruction and the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. ...FULL STORY
Why must we be the only ones in the quality matrix? (08 December 2008)
Over the past few months I have returned in this column on many occasions to my increasing lack of faith in our political and economic masters. Meanwhile, in a seemingly unconnected way, a handful of new initiatives for the electronics industry have come in this week that have bought into focus why we could be quite justified in having a persecution complex....FULL STORY
The upside of economic downturns (08 December 2008)
It is hard to turn on the news without hearing a story on some new economic looming economic crisis. Homes are in foreclosure, lending is frozen, retail is depressed and unemployment has reached a 15 year high. ...FULL STORY
The sun always shines on TV (01 December 2008)
Or to use another song title from a few years earlier – ‘Reasons to be cheerful’. The LCD TV market appears to know no bounds according to the figures released from iSuppli this week (Anticipating reduced growth). This has to be a reason for being cheerful....FULL STORY
Munich’s optimism outshines economic woes (21 November 2008)
Electronica, Munich’s big event, has come and gone. I went with the intention of reporting back all that is now and happening in the world of electronics, but it would take a hefty dose of superpower supplements to be able to even take a representative sample of what was on offer – and the laws that govern probability would make it certain that the biggest stories would still be missed....FULL STORY
Limerick tale that’s just not funny (17 November 2008)
Back in September, EMTww reported that Dell was outsourcing production in a bid to cost-effectively build computers (Outclassed and outsourcing). Since then, it has been rumoured that the Dell facility in Raheen, Limerick, the country’s biggest merchandise exporter, is to make 700 temporary positions redundant....FULL STORY
Crisis: what crisis? (14 November 2008)
The character for both ‘crisis’ and ‘opportunity’ are exactly the same in the Chinese written language. With wall-to-wall reportage on how the financial crisis is hammering the electronics industry, it’s difficult, but not impossible, to find opportunities and positive news to report on right now, as Gordon Wong reports....FULL STORY
A time for understanding (10 November 2008)
What the electronics industry does not need at the moment is another legislation-lead sea change on a par with the move away from lead based solders....FULL STORY
Is the biggest electronics exhibition of interest to us? (03 November 2008)
Well I think so or I wouldn’t have dedicated this week’s issue of EMTww to next week’s Electronica exhibition in Munich....FULL STORY
Fall trade show wrap-up (03 November 2008)
Midwest in the Fall! The autumn trade show scene in the USA has become slightly confused - Susan Mucha visited them all and this is her verdict....FULL STORY
Gain and pain? What’s going wrong? (27 October 2008)
Is it just me or is this ‘recession’ not hurting as much as it should? And how I pray that I am not forced to eat my words!...FULL STORY
We are not learning our lesson! (20 October 2008)
Education certainly gets the blood racing! And why not? – it is the key to the future of our industry and society in general. ...FULL STORY
Improved relations to benefit Taiwan and China (13 October 2008)
In contrast to the so-called cross-straits tensions that have existed between China and Taiwan for nearly 50 years, recent diplomacy between the two influential countries seem to have resulted in an altogether more optimistic outlook for the region. ...FULL STORY
Education failing by degrees (12 October 2008)
Education, education, education. The governing party in the UK, where I hail from, made this its battle cry when it swept into power 11 years ago. Education, you see, was to be the bedrock of our country’s future success....FULL STORY
‘Credit is hard to come by these days – and it is more expensive than it used to be.’ (06 October 2008)
This is a familiar viewpoint of the equipment supplier, struggling to sell machinery to a nervous market. In fact I have asked a few of the suppliers recently how they are coping and the story, for some, is predictably bleak and yet for others is surprisingly healthy....FULL STORY
No business like show business (03 October 2008)
At the very outset let me confess that I am not overly enthused by conventional trade shows and conferences, and I am a bit sceptical as far as their efficacy goes with respect to exhibitors, participants and visitors. I have in the past also raised other issues, such as the Carbon costs of trade shows , EMTWW, December 2007....FULL STORY
EMS companies may profit from U.S. economic pain (22 September 2008)
In April I wrote a column titled What Recession? discussing positive comments from EMS providers at the APEX show, which in large reflected the fact that different sectors of the economic were in different economic cycles....FULL STORY
An end to surface mount? (22 September 2008)
Of course not, but for the first time in three decades there seems a possibility of new processes infiltrating the electronics manufacturing mainstream....FULL STORY
Concentrate on Chicago, not the Crunch (15 September 2008)
All eyes are back on America this week as the world’s economic power house once again sets the agenda....FULL STORY
Overtime: how much is too much? (08 September 2008)
The various effects of the ‘global economy’ are not always immediately apparent. In the electronics industry for instance, we are familiar with the horror stories about collateral damage caused by the dictates of the market: a cycle of job losses and industry collapses in one country leading to opportunity and prosperity in another. Many factors are at play on the micro and macro level, and occasionally the outcomes are very surprising. ...FULL STORY
Outclassed and outsourcing (08 September 2008)
Following stories in EMTww about the transforming EMS industry, it has been rumoured this week that Dell, the world’s second largest computer manufacturer, is to sell its factories and outsource production....FULL STORY
Desire drives away rainy day blues (01 September 2008)
So apparently the slow down in the world’s economy, and in particular the soaring cost of fuel, is good for the consumer electronics industry. I suspect that wishful thinking is coming in to play. ...FULL STORY
Bangalored and Shanghaied during the US presidential campaign (26 August 2008)
Well strictly speaking the title should read ‘Shanghaied’ and ‘Bangalored’… as the reference to jobs moving to Bangalore is of more recent origin, whereas we all know the background to the original ‘Shanghaied’....FULL STORY
‘I’ll be back!’ - the Sci-fi inspiration (26 August 2008)
Innovation is what drives our industry forward. It is the driver behind the ever decreasing product lifecycles and it is the catalyst for our entire industry. But who are the true innovators in modern electronics? Product designers? Software engineers? Film makers?...FULL STORY
Look again at PCBs' journey East (18 August 2008)
Interesting report this week from ‘electronics.ca’ (Predicting a threat to PCB industry ), which suggests that there will be a virtual elimination of PCB manufacture in North America and Europe. Only the aerospace and defence industries would be left sourcing indigenous PCBs....FULL STORY
REACH out for what? (11 August 2008)
Hot on the heels of the ROHS legislation we have REACH, and last week’s report from the IPC that we are not ready should really come as no surprise....FULL STORY
Chinese IP wins Olympic gold (04 August 2008)
I’m a sucker for the big project. While more balanced people baulk at billions spent on mega projects, I revel in the grandeur and pioneering spirit that drives them. And there are fewer bigger projects than the Olympics, which opens in Beijing this week....FULL STORY
Notes from the Wild, Wild West (04 August 2008)
I ended my last article on Mexico (Viva Mexico!) by pointing out that Mexico is old world culture, a skilled high technology manufacturing location, a poor agrarian society, Montezuma’s revenge and the Wild West all rolled into one country. Well, both the Wild West and skilled high technology aspects are starting to heat up in Juarez so I thought this might be a good time for an update. ...FULL STORY
Genuine solutions to the counterfeit problem (21 July 2008)
Looking at the stats from last week’s newsletter it came as no surprise that the top story was about counterfeit components – an issue that has rapidly become a major concern for electronics manufacturers....FULL STORY
Go west: China’s electronics industry moves inland (14 July 2008)
The tragic Sichuan earthquake recently brought the western province of China to the world’s attention. The electronics industry has been aware of Sichuan, home of the Chengdu and Mianyang High Tech Parks, since they were established in the early ‘90s. Up until recently these parks have mainly attracted domestic Chinese companies. However, a small but growing number of foreign firms, including Intel, have decided to ‘go west’ as an alternative to investing in China’s traditional coastal regions....FULL STORY
$32bn bill for a talking point (14 July 2008)
A couple of items of correspondence this week have caused me to think further on subjects discussed in the past – the omnipresent lead-free and the luxury car....FULL STORY
Electronics, energy conservation and the hypocrisy of ‘sustainability (09 July 2008)
Anand Sethi found the latest ‘sustainable’ conference enlightening, but not sustainable...FULL STORY
Necessary – but not necessarily fun! (08 July 2008)
A survey in the UK has deemed some items as essential for modern day life (in the UK), while classing others as luxuries. Despite the obvious flaw, that we are all different and have different requirements, it is still an interesting report and it indicates what electronic goods form an essential part of modern day living....FULL STORY
What Drives Regional EMS Success? (04 July 2008)
Back in April, my column focused on the optimism found in the US regional electronics manufacturing services (EMS) sector. That optimism seems to be continuing, in spite of the fact that some much larger Tier One EMS players have posted earnings warnings. I thought this might be a time to take a look at elements of that business model that help drive success. ...FULL STORY
Greens should not be so certain (30 June 2008)
Is there anything as irritating as someone who has enough self-belief to think that they are always right? That is how I felt last week when I saw that Greenpeace was making the news with its updated chart of environmental sinners in the electronics industry...FULL STORY
Long hot summer when Baby was born (23 June 2008)
It was the summer equinox last Saturday (June 21st) and that is a date not without its symbolic and historical interest this year....FULL STORY
China earthquake repercussions: Chengdu High-Tech Industrial Development Zone escapes major damage (16 June 2008)
It has been my intention over the last few months to devote a column to sharing information about the growing prominence of Chengdu as an electronics manufacturing area. However, with the news of May’s massive earthquake in Sichuan Province in Southwest China, the direction of my piece has been altered somewhat. ...FULL STORY
Photovoltaics’ new destination on the roadmap (15 June 2008)
The iNEMI roadmap is the closest thing the industry has to an overview of coming trends in coming years. I was lucky enough to catch up with Jim McElroy, iNEMI’s CEO, to discuss what is taking centre stage in the 2009 roadmap....FULL STORY
From America’s grease to China’s bursting bubble (08 June 2008)
It is fascinating to stop and look around at what is happening in different countries. Not just the usual stuff like a new factory or a big trade show, but the sort of broader news that impacts on our industry without actually being about it....FULL STORY
Unfair fuel and the future (02 June 2008)
This is a first – everyone is in the same boat and we all have the same thing to complain about. The price of oil. In every other economic crisis in the past there has been winners and losers, but today – all around the globe – there seems to be mainly losers. Is this the end of ‘cheap fuel’ or just a cyclical blip, and what could be the long-term effect on our industry?...FULL STORY
Is your boss over the hill? (27 May 2008)
It should not come as any surprise that we are all getting older. But what may creep up on us is that so many of our senior managers are getting too old – all at the same time. This is both inconsiderate of them - and problematic for the rest of us....FULL STORY
The Changing of the Guard (23 May 2008)
Change in senior management is both inevitable and important, argues Susan Mucha. But it needs to be handled properly. ...FULL STORY
Germany hosts industry's big event (19 May 2008)
SMT Nuremberg – one of the key events on the electronics industry calendar – is nearly upon us, so this week we are taking a good look at the show and its special features, and what it has to offer the potential visitor....FULL STORY
Stats show where the excitement lies! (12 May 2008)
Some people like statistics – it is the sort of mentality that sits well with such disciplines as supply chain management and lean manufacturing. I am not one of these people - but while statistics might not set my soul on fire, they do have their uses. As we, this week, celebrate a year since the first issue of EMTWorldWide was produced, I am using statistics to demonstrate what you have found fascinating this year. ...FULL STORY
Japan forced to reinvent itself (02 May 2008)
Gordon Wong looks at how some Japanese companies are struggling to come to terms with changes in the global manufacturing order....FULL STORY
NEW approaches to age old problems (01 May 2008)
When the team at National Electronics Week (NEW) approached me about writing a column for their newsletter I was, naturally, delighted. When they said it was to be about the UK test market, I was, surprisingly, still delighted....FULL STORY
What Recession? (21 April 2008)
An interesting comment I heard several times from regional EMS providers attending APEX was, “what recession?” Make no mistake, segments of the U.S. economy are experiencing significant downturn, but many U.S. regional EMS providers are seeing record levels of new opportunity. What drives this and what trends should be watched?...FULL STORY
US problems diminish, but Africa’s won’t go away. (21 April 2008)
The recession that refuses to bite, the arms trade that hasn’t delivered, and environmental actions to back up the fine words. That’s a lot to be getting on with for one week, so where to start…....FULL STORY
UK electronics – a fallen or sleeping giant? (15 April 2008)
Did Britain really do all that? Anand Sethi takes an outsider’s view of the UK’s electronics industry – and asks why it is not living up to its past reputation as a global innovator....FULL STORY
KISS goodbye to the long tyranny of solder? (14 April 2008)
Lead-free solder? How about NO Solder at all? Simplicity is an overlooked virtue in modern life, and nowhere more so than in electronics manufacturing. In fact one company has developed a new process that, it claims, could change the whole electronics assembly process....FULL STORY
Brash move works for Apex (07 April 2008)
Las Vegas proved that the electronics manufacturing market has nothing to worry about. Not last week’s Apex exhibition, but the place itself. The senses are bombarded with a relentless assault that no other city on Earth could match, even if it wanted to. ...FULL STORY
Flight of peace or the mobile menace? (31 March 2008)
I’ll be honest, this is one of those weeks when I have written this leader a few days in advance so that the joys of APEX (and Las Vegas) are left unhindered by the requirements of the ‘day job’. So if the electronics industry has collapsed in the past three days then my apologies for apparently not considering it newsworthy in this column....FULL STORY
Vietnam attracts the PCB makers (31 March 2008)
Stories of unabated investment and the rapid growth and expansion of China’s burgeoning electronics industry are commonplace. However, recent developments suggest China is not getting everything its own way for a change. Stricter environmental laws, a new tax scheme, rising land costs and new labour laws in China are increasing pressure on PCB makers' production activity and are also significantly influencing their expansion plans....FULL STORY
Viva Las APEX! (25 March 2008)
There are not too many events any more that demand global attention, but APEX is certainly one of them, and now the big day when it opens its doors in Las Vegas is only a week away. So, when the chips are down, is it worth the visit?...FULL STORY
PXI – ten years of progress (18 March 2008)
PXI started as a good idea, gained acceptance in a relatively short space of time, and has now established itself as a key test methodology. This is a special issue of EMTWorldWide, produced in association with the PXI Systems Alliance, to provide an update on progress, ten years after the first specifications were laid down. I hope it is of interest. ...FULL STORY
The Whys and Hows of EMS Program Manager Certification (17 March 2008)
Are your program managers certified? While offsite training may seem to be an unnecessary overhead expense in a time of some economic uncertainty, the better question may be ‘can you afford to not certify your program managers?’ ...FULL STORY
Beware the self-fulfilling prophecy (17 March 2008)
The global meltdown is on and we all may as well pack up and go home. Led by America, every economy is in slowdown and belts are being tightened across the globe. That is what the headlines are saying. But, I believe that if we do slip into recession (locally, nationally or internationally) then we only have ourselves to blame....FULL STORY
What’s on the Bucket List (09 March 2008)
The Bucket List is a fabulous idea for a film, as it has relevance for every one of us, and increasing relevance as we get older. But if the electronics industry as a whole had a Bucket List, what would be on it?...FULL STORY
Dear Diary…today I went nowhere (03 March 2008)
Don’t worry, I’m not going to share with you my thoughts about what where my neighbours park their cars or my children’s achievements and misdemeanours, or any such inconsequential waffle (inconsequential to you – vitally important to me!). Instead I have a few thoughts about the diary of the average engineer. ...FULL STORY
Competition drives cooperation in China (25 February 2008)
‘Bigger than the sum of its individual parts’ seems to be the unofficial mantra driving the forward direction of companies jostling for market share in China’s highly competitive consumer electronics market. ...FULL STORY
Caroline goes application specific. (24 February 2008)
Inbox clutter - a bane of modern life. If you are reading this then I assume that you are one of the ever-growing band of readers who have identified some value in EMTWorldWide’s weekly offering, but even I have to acknowledge that on certain days, reading this newsletters will not be top of the must-do list. So why should I welcome further competition for your attention?...FULL STORY
Heat is on for an engineered future (18 February 2008)
A group of extremely clever people recently got together and decided what problems needed to be solved to improve mankind’s lot over the next 50 years. They came up with a list of 14 main headlines but there was one that, for me, shone far brighter than the others - harnessing solar energy....FULL STORY
Attitude Makes a Difference in EMS Customer Service (11 February 2008)
I’ve just spent a brutal week on the road travelling the U.S. coast-to-coast, so my decision to write a column on electronics manufacturing services (EMS) customer service shouldn’t be a surprise, says Susan Mucha...FULL STORY
RoHS rumbles on … on Super Tuesday (10 February 2008)
What is the difference between American politics and EMTWorldWide? In America there is only one Super Tuesday every four years – at EMTWorldWide there is a Super Tuesday every week! (except in the very Far East where they don’t see us until Wednesday). Strangely enough I just made that up and had better press the button now or a sense of dignity will force me to take it out. ...FULL STORY
Hello Sunshine (04 February 2008)
Having spent a week in permanent darkness, Anand Sethi has seen the light regarding solar energy. But which technology will win the race to provide a manufacturable solution?...FULL STORY
Strategy, not size, determines growth (03 February 2008)
Acquisitions and mergers have always been a part of how any industry evolves. Every business within that industry will largely be defined by its attitude towards growth. But where is it all leading to?...FULL STORY
Breathing space for RoHS running out (28 January 2008)
The European Commission planned that lead should be phased out of electronics by banning it from non-critical equipment first, with a long-term view of eliminating it from all electronics once lead-free technology had been proven safe. The deadline for that second tranche is now only two years away and the jury is still out as to if the technology can be trusted....FULL STORY
China makes its holiday plans (21 January 2008)
Dealing with China means being aware of its customs, business ethics and …..when it's on holiday. Gordon Wong reports on how China is changing when it works....FULL STORY
Mobile madness hits the father from hell (20 January 2008)
If we produce a billion mobile phones a year, some would say that this is due to market forces, others might suggest that it is too many for a saturated market, while another group might suggest that this is too many because they are devices with unproven safety. And despite the physical difficulties this would involve, I have a foot in all three camps….....FULL STORY
Analyzing Total Cost Stays in Vogue (14 January 2008)
The electronics manufacturing services (EMS) market is very cyclical. When demand drops and recession ensues there is a stampede to the lowest cost markets. But as demand increases or becomes less predictable, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) analyze their EMS spend and rationalize their supply base either geographically or in terms of EMS business model. Many who do this exercise find one size doesn’t fit all. ...FULL STORY
Consumers win – DVD loses (13 January 2008)
Did the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) tell us anything? Did it reveal the ‘killer app’ that was going to show the electronics industry the way forward for the next decade? Well it might have done – but it passed me by if it did....FULL STORY
Gadgets to overcome the ‘crunch’ (07 January 2008)
Well I am sure for some 2007 was dull and for others exciting. For some it will have been disastrous and for some it will have been a huge success. Maybe some will look back on it as a year of missed opportunities, while others will admit they got the breaks. But at the beginning of 2007 did we know whether our year would be full of positives or negatives?...FULL STORY
Viva Mexico! (17 December 2007)
Mexico is back on the map for global EMS companies. Susan Mucha explains why it is time they should break for the border!...FULL STORY
New beginnings in a bland year (16 December 2007)
The last issue of the year. Holiday time. Possibly a relief to both readers and the team here at EMTWorldWide that your regular Tuesday fix will not land in your inbox again until January 8th, as most people (I hope) will have better things to be doing on December 25th and January 1st. If you don’t, or these dates have no religious or cultural significance to you, then please excuse the break while we recharge our batteries....FULL STORY
Carbon costs of trade shows (10 December 2007)
Electronics is a global industry and communications within it is vitally important. But, as Anand Sethi points out in his column this month, are we communicating in a responsible way?...FULL STORY
'Breakfast at bedtime’ is not saving the planet! (10 December 2007)
We have an excellent contribution from Anand Sethi about how we gallop around the globe in cavalier fashion without a second thought to the environmental impact we are having. In light of this I have abandoned my original plans to talk about IP protection and have picked up on his argument and taken it down a different path – irrespective of the damage we are doing, is travel as important as we think it is? ...FULL STORY
Nothing wild about the Frontier City (03 December 2007)
The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park - frontier city of global economy and high technology. Gordon Wong describes the effect the ‘city’ has had....FULL STORY
Support turns poll upside down (03 December 2007)
You are going to buy a machine, a component placement machine for the sake of argument, but you don’t know where to start. In your mind you have an idea of what you want it to do, how much you want to pay for it and so on, but what is going to be the single most important consideration when selecting your machine? ...FULL STORY
Paste dispensing and the bad tempered dog (27 November 2007)
The dream of the ‘lights out’ factory was never going to work, somebody once told me. A ‘lights out’ facility being one where everything was fully automated and requiring no manual intervention would never work because it would always require, at the very least, one man and his dog. ...FULL STORY
RoHS isn’t Everyone’s Cup of Tea (19 November 2007)
It is no secret that not all original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are thrilled with RoHS legislation. While some companies covered by exemptions are using that time for a slow conversion to RoHS, others choose to avoid the issue for as long as possible. ...FULL STORY
Back to reality (19 November 2007)
Well was it all worth it? All the talk. All the hype. And now Productronica has been and gone and its back to ‘plain clathes and porridge’. (*see below). ...FULL STORY
Productronica gets underway (09 November 2007)
There is no point in denying it, as you read this I am in Munich along with most of the industry’s suppliers for Productronica, ready to enjoy the rarefied atmosphere of 12 packed exhibition halls for the rest of the week. ...FULL STORY
China brands to enter world stage (05 November 2007)
At the recent Chinese Communist Party conference, the role of science and technology moved up the agenda significantly. Gordon Wong looks at the consequences for the rest of World....FULL STORY
CD changer – or a new car? (04 November 2007)
In Western Europe we have not only a proud tradition in automotive electronics, it has also been one of the areas that has remained robust amid the stampede to oursource and offshore over the past decade. The same is true in America – maybe our ‘developed’ nations are so fond of our cars that we can’t let them go elsewhere....FULL STORY
What is our ‘e-legacy’ going to be? (30 October 2007)
What are we doing it all for? A classic question pondered in quieter moments by philosophers, hippies….just about anyone capable of cognitive thought in fact. But these quieter moments so often get swept aside by the considerable demands of daily life. ...FULL STORY
‘Made in China’ conundrum (23 October 2007)
Anand Sethi believes that the reputation of Chinese manufacturers is still poor in India, and that they must pay more attention to quality if this is to change....FULL STORY
Read the latest news…..on the latest laptop (22 October 2007)
This issue is a milestone. The first quarter century (of issues – not years) are now behind us and we are gaining more readers by the week. And this week, in conjunction with our partners at Productronica and as part of our build up to the big event next month, this newsletter is being delivered to thousands of extra inboxes around Europe and beyond. ...FULL STORY
Gearing up for the global gathering (12 October 2007)
This issue of EMTWorldWide is a special one for us as, for the first time since our launch, we have dedicated it to a single event. That event is Productronica, and we have worked closely with the organisers to bring you all the latest information about next month's show, including practical visitor information as well technological highlights! ...FULL STORY
TV turn-off as consumers take care (08 October 2007)
A few weeks back I complained in this column (see When banks go wrong) that the financial sector created an artificial environment that we all have to suffer the consequences of. And the latest example of that features in one of our main news stories this week...FULL STORY
The Difference Between EMS and Outsourcing (01 October 2007)
Susan Mucha says that outsourcing only works if the outsourcing process is robust – and the onus for this falls on the OEM, not the EMS....FULL STORY
It never rains but it pours (01 October 2007)
I must admit I was getting a bit nervous during the summer months about the amount of information that appeared to be being generated by the electronics manufacturing industry. Not so much in terms of news, but just the number of new products for the industry. We all know that the surface mount process is now a mature one – but so mature that there is no innovation?...FULL STORY
Circus comes to town (24 September 2007)
This week sees the launch of a new event for the electronics manufacturing community – but I am not going to give the name just yet. The event is an indication of how the industry is adapting to meet the combined needs of suppliers and customers –and this week will determine the success of the latest blueprint. If it works I think many people, particularly on the supplier side of the business, may reassess their approach to exhibitions....FULL STORY
China plays clean-up game (18 September 2007)
Gordon Wong looks at the environmental pressures on China's PCB industry and some of the steps it is taking to counter them...FULL STORY
Discovering the moon’s secrets – but why? (17 September 2007)
Japan launched its first mission to the moon a few days ago in a quest to learn more about the moon and its origins. There is even talk of a space race with China and India due to launch their lunar probes within the next year – and you can be sure that whatever anyone else does in terms of space exploration the Americans will do bigger and better in the future. But there remains the question of why? Stick with me because I think I know the answer....FULL STORY
Twenty five years – a combined view (10 September 2007)
I have just returned from sunning myself in hotter climates, and in my absence Becky Ash, Assistant Editor, took a look at the combined views of our SMART Group visions of the next 25 years. The last part of this series is on the web site now and comes from Sue Knight. Becky’s take on the series follows:...FULL STORY
It’s just not up to standard (04 September 2007)
There is a difference between standards and legislation. In a perfect world we would have globally recognised legislation that revolved around globally recognised standards. Sadly I don’t think this would ever be achievable. ...FULL STORY
China - under siege or under-appreciated? (28 August 2007)
Last week China was under fire for the quality of its manufacturing, this week it is the centre of attention for more positive reasons....FULL STORY
India and E-Waste (23 August 2007)
With the rapid growth of the electronics and IT sectors in India, the issue of ‘e-waste’ is now becoming a major problem. This is exacerbated by the liberalised import of huge amounts of IT related equipment to cater for the needs of the booming software exports and knowledge processing outsourcing businesses....FULL STORY
When banks go wrong (20 August 2007)
There is no question that capitalism sharpens the business instincts of every industry and every successful company within it. But when taken too far it turns stable financial foundations into quicksand that even healthy companies can sink into. In the electronics industry we have seen it before – are we about to see it happen again?...FULL STORY
Silver anniversary for engineering marriage (13 August 2007)
Not so much a marriage as a union - and the lucky couple are the production and test engineer. Barely on speaking terms a quarter of a century ago, and certainly not co-operating as we would expect today, the relationship has evolved over the 25 years - sometimes with a bit of help from its (publishing) friends ...FULL STORY
Doing China in a day! (09 August 2007)
Seems a bit simplistic to say this, but there are people who still think they can ‘do China’ in a day; OK, well not quite, but you get the idea. Gordon Wong dispels the myth...FULL STORY
Time to get in a spin (07 August 2007)
Our lead news story this week is concerned with the development of ‘spintronics’ – a revolution in electronics (in every sense!) The conference where the world’s leading ‘spinners’ are discussing their craft is going on as this newsletter arrives in your inbox, so I have not been able to garner any further information, but I will endeavour to do so in the coming weeks and report back to you....FULL STORY
How Big is Too Big? (05 August 2007)
Susan Mucha argues that while Tier one EMS providers will continue to dominate, they will not take over....FULL STORY
Arms trade is no defence (30 July 2007)
Someone once told me that a 20 year old who was not a socialist had no heart and a 40 year old that was not a capitalist had no brain. ...FULL STORY
Who are you – engineer, manager or businessman? (24 July 2007)
One of the latest features we have posted on the site (‘Buying Skills for the process engineer’ Click here) discusses the engineer’s role in buying new equipment. It set me thinking about what else the engineer is expected to do – and the answer is often ‘just about everything!’...FULL STORY
India in the news (23 July 2007)
Indian correspondent Anand K. Sethi takes a look at two recent developments affecting India at the moment. ...FULL STORY
Creative engineers found alive and well….. (17 July 2007)
While the production engineer has a straight-forward process to replicate, the test engineer (admittedly these days often the same person) has a host of strategies that he can buy into. Is it in formulating and implementing these strategies that true engineering creativity now lies?...FULL STORY
Ten years since Hong Kong took over China! (10 July 2007)
Have I got this the wrong way round? Tim Fryer argues that China is becoming more like Hong Kong rather than the other way round...FULL STORY
When is safe not safe? (03 July 2007)
When it is environmentally safe is the answer – or at least a possible answer. Further to my comments last week about the implementation of the WEEE Directive, I received the opinions of Graham Naisbitt, which I urge you to read (Click here), reminding us that last Sunday was the first anniversary of the introduction of the ROHS Directive. ...FULL STORY
Do WEEE understand? (22 June 2007)
No WEEE do not, in many cases would be my impression. And the reasons we are not are either that WEEE is not understood, or that it is not taken seriously. Either way, if the regulations are not adhered to then the company could be penalised and the products taken off the market....FULL STORY
EMS in India (18 June 2007)
India’s EMS market is forecast to grow at an astonishing five times the global average. Anand Sethi reports on the reasons for this success. ...FULL STORY
It started with a Big Idea (18 June 2007)
For several weeks now I have been filling up your inboxes with the EMTww newsletter – a combination of news, latest products and original comment. Both the style and the content is deliberately different from other news vehicles in the electronics market, but yet it still is, unquestionably, ANOTHER news vehicle in the electronics market. So why do it? ...FULL STORY
Managing customer expectations (07 June 2007)
American correspondent Susan Mucha asks, how closely does your company’s preferred business model mirror customer preferences?...FULL STORY
China: leader or follower? (05 June 2007)
China should not be mistaken as purely a manufacturer - it has a proud history of innovation as Gordon Wong reports...FULL STORY
Big five become the huge two! (05 June 2007)
Two of the biggest names in the EMS sector are coming together to form a $30bn company, leaving the top table in the EMS sector dominated by two companies....FULL STORY
The smell of a burning motor. Again. (04 June 2007)
Here’s a thought for you – how many suppliers do you, as an individual, feel you have a ‘partnership’ with? I don’t mean in your corporate role buying placement machines or solder paste or flying probe testers – I mean you as an individual. A consumer. ...FULL STORY
Nobody said the West was bad! (29 May 2007)
Let me be clear, the state of the electronics manufacturing industry in Europe and America is not bad, although that was obviously the impression that some readers got from my comment last week – and I thank all of those who did respond with their views....FULL STORY
The 'Chip' Business (25 May 2007)
Anand K. Sethi, India Correspondent examines how for some years now, there has been a growing demand and pressure on the Government of India to provide adequate incentives to help establish world class chip fabrication units ('fabs') in the country...FULL STORY
China’s pcb market (10 May 2007)
China’s PCB market is the most talked about on a global level. Gordon Wong examines the market and some of the challenges it faces....FULL STORY
Does Your Cost Reduction Focus Adequately Measure Accountability Cost? (10 May 2007)
The electronics industry’s unofficial motto has always been better, cheaper, faster. To that end, engineering and procurement are always challenged to find lower cost sources of supply. But at what cost is the lower price? Susan Mucha examines the subject further....FULL STORY
an (05 June 1900)
error...FULL STORY
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