Southern Africa
Savings on monthly phone bills of up to 40% on cellular calls, up to 70% on SMSs and up to 70% on international calls can be achieved using a new locally-developed telephone, claims Johannesburg-based telecoms group CS Communications. The company has just launched the DuoDial Fone, a combination GSM cellular and PSTN (Telkom landline) phone that automatically selects the least-cost network to route calls - depending on the number dialled, and the time of day of the call. "The DuoDial Fone thus not only brings a revolutionary new dimension to telecommunications in South Africa and the world, but also provides a welcome, highly cost-efficient alternative to the monopolistically dominant Telkom," says Charlie Smith, CS Communications CEO. Said to be a world-first, the ICASA-approved phone was developed and manufactured in Cape Town by Tellumat. CS Communications is in the process of appointing a country-wide network of almost 60 distributors for the DualDial Fone, and exploring export opportunities.
The growing complexity of cellular devices and services is likely to pose a significant threat to the uptake of 3G technology among South African consumers and businesses. This is according to Mark Taylor, MD of Nashua Mobile who refers to a recent poll commissioned by Netonomy in the UK. It found that 71% of respondents believe that mobile phone services are getting more complicated to understand and configure. Only 41% were confident that they would find 3G phones and services easy to use and a mere 4% plan to upgrade to 3G. He believes only a handful of businesses and tech-savvy consumers will be attracted to 3G unless operators offer streamlined services that are easy to access and understand. He says that to ensure that 3G is a success, devices should be delivered to users that are pre-configured to take advantage of their services as well as be tied to 3G to killer applications such as messaging for the mobile workforce and cool applications like games, music, rich media news and multimedia services for consumers.
Prime Empowerment Group Limited (Primgro), a local black economic empowerment company, has acquired Surge Technology, trading as Surgetek, a supplier of earthing, lightning, overvoltage protection and safety equipment. According to Premesh Narismulu, Primgro Group CEO (pictured on the right with Surgetek director, Hans Slagter), the acquisition will see Surgetek entrench its dominant position in the domestic lightning and surge protection market, whilst simultaneously growing its presence in the 39 sub-Saharan African countries in which it now holds the exclusive distribution rights for DEHN products.
Aztec Electronics has been appointed as an authorised dealer of Fluke products in South Africa by Comtest, sole authorised Fluke partner/distributor in southern Africa.
Overseas
Business
Fabless power management chip company, Advanced Analogic Technologies, has filed for an initial public offering under the ticker symbol AATI. The offer is intended to raise $172,5m.
Companies
SMSC has acquired fabless semiconductor company Oasis Silicon Systems Holding for $94m. Oasis of Karlsruhe, Germany, develops and markets ICs for networking multimedia devices in automobiles.
Digi International has acquired FS Forth-Systeme and Sistemas Embebidos, two providers of embedded modules and software for the embedded networking market. The two companies will operate as separate legal entities but will be included in Digi International's consolidated financial statements.
Aerospace and defence specialist EADS is in negotiations to acquire Nokia's professional mobile radio (PMR) business, which includes Tetra infrastructure and terminals. The deal will enhance EADS' position in homeland security systems and mission-critical secure wireless communications solutions.
Exar has announced an agreement to acquire Infineon's optical networking (ON) product line. The acquisition includes assets relating to multirate TDM framer products, Fiber Channel over SONET/SDH, Resilient Packet Ring, as well as certain intellectual property for Data Over SONET products.
OmniVision Technologies, a supplier of CMOS image sensors, will acquire CDM Optics, a developer of Wavefront Coding technology that merges optics design and digital signal processing.
MagnaChip Semiconductor, a spin-off of Hynix Semiconductor, has signed an agreement to acquire IC Media, a developer of CMOS image sensors.
Electronics Acquisition, a subsidiary of Cornell Dubilier Electronics, has acquired the metal clad mica capacitor division of Semco (silvered electronic mica). In December 2004 Electronics Acquisition purchased the dipped mica capacitor division of Semco.
EMS Technologies' Space & Technology/Atlanta Division, has changed its name to Defense & Space Systems (D&SS) Division.
Sony has established ST mobile display (STMD) as its second low temperature polysilicon thin-film liquid crystal display (LCD) production base to boost panel production.
Synaptics, a developer of interface solutions for the mobile computing, communications and entertainment industries, has entered into a cross-licence agreement with Japan-based Alps Electric, and Alps' US-based affiliate, Cirque. The agreement settles certain intellectual property claims of the parties.
Cadence Design Systems has contributed its custom-design schematic symbol set to the OpenKit Initiative. Part of Accellera, the electronics industry organisation focused on EDA standards, the initiative is dedicated to establishing standards for the design kits used by all IC designers. The contribution will form the basis of an open standard for the electronic representation of device symbols. Design kits provide the design rules, device models, schematic symbols and associated formats required by EDA tools during the design entry, simulation, implementation and verification steps of IC design.
Microsoft, Intel and Hewlett-Packard have announced an SME Consortium through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that will emphasise its long-term commitment to supporting the European Commission's goal to make Europe a more competitive and dynamic place to do business. Through Microsoft's EU Grants Advisor (EUGA) initiative, the MOU will highlight the investment of resources dedicated over the next three years to help stimulate small and medium-sized enterprises' productivity and growth.
Multi-Fineline Electronix, (M-Flex) a provider of advanced flexible printed circuit and value-added component assembly solutions, and Mobility Electronics, a provider of portable power and computing solutions, have signed technology agreements to use M-Flex's technology to reduce the size and weight of Mobility's universal power adapters. M-Flex has patented technology that embeds the transformers and inductors into PCBs that also house the other necessary electronics for the device.
In order to identify wider commercial applications and business opportunities for its defence and aerospace technologies, BAE Systems has formed an alliance with QinetiQ. The strategic agreement requires QinetiQ to identify, validate and develop 'go to market' plans for between two and four promising technology solutions and help drive their initial commercialisation.
Samsung Electronics has joined the International Sematech Manufacturing Initiative, focusing on standards and productivity challenges in chip manufacturing.
Murata Manufacturing has joined the Point-of-Load Alliance (POLA) and announced it would team with Texas Instruments to promote pin-compatible, non-isolated, point-of-load plug-in power modules and provide a second source. POLA is promoting standard form factors and footprints for non-isolated point-of-load modules. Other alliance members include Astec Power, Artesyn Technologies and Ericsson Power Modules.
The IEE (Institution of Electrical Engineers) and the IIE (Institution of Incorporated Engineers) in the UK, are mulling plans to merge into an interdisciplinary professional engineering body that may possibly be called the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology).
Industry
The SIA's 'actual' February worldwide semiconductor sales figures indicate a rapidly slowing trend in semiconductor market growth. February sales were $17,32 bn, 9,6% up from the same period last year. The SIA publicises sales statistics as a three-month moving average, rather than the actual numbers. It said the first two months of 2005 had actual worldwide semiconductor sales of $34,72 bn, which is 17,2% ahead of the same period in 2004.
Holding nearly 66% of the world's total market value for fleet telematics, Europe and North America currently overshadows the largely untapped Asia-Pacific market. However, according to ABI Research, rapid economic expansion in the region, specifically in China and India, will drive commercial adoption of telematics in Asia to greater levels than in Europe by the end of this decade. The market segments poised for the greatest growth include long-haul trucking, public transit, and taxis. ABI Research says that taxis represent a huge addressable market, particularly in Beijing, as fleets gear up for the 2008 Olympics in China.
The NAND Flash market, as measured in the value of shipments in end products, will more than triple from $5 bn in 2004 to $18 bn in 2009, reports In-Stat. The vast majority of NAND chips are used in memory cards or USB memory where most end customers are interested in two things - storage capacity and price, it says. The heavy reliance on the add-on card market makes NAND Flash a consumer-driven product with price sensitivity, but it also presents an opportunity for differentiation through perceived consumer value.
Advanced Forecasting has announced that a chip industry recession was becoming less likely. It said industry data showed IC unit shipments increased in January and February 2005 following a six-month decline from 9,1 billion units per month to 8,4 billion units per month. However, it has maintained its near-zero growth forecast for 2005.
SG Cowen has projected that the IC market will grow by 6% in 2005 over 2004, up from its previous forecast of 4%.
The number of push-to-talk (PTT) and push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) subscribers will grow at a slow, but steady pace in the next five years, reports In-Stat. The majority of growth will come from continued expansion in the business market and moderate uptake in the consumer market, especially youth. As a result of the increase in availability from cellular providers, PTT/PoC is becoming more of a mainstream value-added-service, such as Caller ID and voice mail, a commodity that can be offered to customers for an additional fee, says In-Stat.
A profusion of standards in the contactless smartcards market, is significantly restraining market growth, according to Frost & Sullivan. Even ISO 14443, the most prominent standard, has Type A and Type B varieties and hence there is very little cohesion in operation. Most applications for smartcards require compatible standards, if they are to obtain international acceptance as well as promote payment and government ID markets, it says. In its latest analysis, Frost & Sullivan reveals that the market shipped 121,7 million units in 2004, and expects this to reach 847,3 million in 2009.
Hewlett-Packard's board of directors has selected Mark Hurd as its new president and CEO.
In a new report, research service provider, Unstrung Insider, has revealed that a new breed of wireless infrastructure, based on mesh routing technology, is transforming the way network operators think about how to rapidly deploy low-cost wireless broadband services. 'Wireless Mesh: New Wave Broadband' identifies modular product design and multiservice networking features as leading the re-emergence of wireless mesh in metro, campus, and enterprise environments. After a false start in the late '90s, it claims today's mesh networking systems are taking on traditional macro-cell and bridging technology in the price/performance battles. Most 'wireless mesh router' systems today use multiple 802.11 radios, ruggedly designed, coupled with essential QOS, fast-handoff, and security features. Looking to the future, vendors have designed products that will incorporate 802.11n (MIMO) and 802.16 (WiMax) radio modules as they become available, signalling a long-term development path for these systems.
Electronic personal identification in mobile phones may soon be a reality. A number of banks and mobile operators in Sweden have now agreed on a common standard for electronic identification (e-ID) in a mobile phone. The solution is based on an electronic identification tied to the SIM card in a mobile phone. Participating banks and companies are currently establishing a non-profit association (www.wpki.net) that will be responsible for maintaining and further developing the standard.
The first European ZigBee Alliance Open House will be held in Oslo, Norway, on 15 June 2005. The event is open to anyone interested in learning more about the specification and the new products entering the market.
With 16 months left until the July 2006 RoHS Directive deadline for full implementation of lead-free soldering in electronics equipment, some 30% of concerned European organisations are still not actively preparing for lead-free soldering, according to the EU-funded European Lead-Free Soldering Network (Elfnet). In reporting the results of a baseline survey, Karl Heinz Zuber from the Technical University of Berlin, and the author of the report, said that the study is an important benchmark for the European industry, and clearly shows the need for urgent action by those who are falling behind. While a majority of respondents continue to prefer the SnAgCu alloy for reflow and hand soldering, the relatively new SnCuNi alloy appears to be competing for wave soldering.
The UK Government has announced a delay to the implementation of the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive until January 2006. The WEEE Directive requires producers to provide the means to recycle all redundant, separately-collected electrical and electronic appliances. The cost of recycling redundant electrical equipment is the responsibility of the producer or retailer that introduces new products into the UK market. The directive had originally been due to come into force in August this year.
Sony has been ordered by a California court to pay Immersion $90,7m in a patent-infringement lawsuit relating to touch-feedback technology designed to enhance realism in computer games.
Cirrus Logic and Wolfson Microelectronics have announced that they have settled all outstanding patent litigation between them.
LG Electronics and Matsushita Electric Industrial have reached an agreement to settle their legal dispute over plasma display technologies and enter a cross-licensing agreement.
Atmel has announced that it received a unanimous jury verdict absolving it from any liability under any Agere patents asserted against Atmel's semiconductor processes and products in their patent infringement suit.
Honeywell has announced that its Electronic Materials business has been awarded the Best Quality Award from Samsung Electronics' Semiconductor Business.
Memec is inviting designers to take part in its 2005 Analogue Challenge. Run in conjunction with Linear Technology, the online challenge provides designers with a unique opportunity to present their analog design problem to a team of highly skilled engineers who will provide advice free of charge. See www.memec.com/analogchallenge/analog2005.html
Technology
Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems has provided an update on the status of its pilot clinical trial of the BrainGate Neural Interface System. The company has demonstrated the use of a microelectrode array (100 electrodes) that is implanted on the surface of the primary motor cortex - the area of the brain responsible for movement. The sensor, combined with a digital signal processing system, forms its so-called BrainGate interface. The company has reported that it has sucessfully been used to allow thought to control a computer by the first trial participant, and a television by the second trial participant.
Royal Philips Electronics has announced an RFID chip compliant with EPCglobal's UHF Electronic Product Code (EPC) Class 1 Generation 2 (G2) standard. Philips says its UCODE EPC G2 chip provides regulatory compliance to simplify worldwide implementations of RFID. The IC will be able to support both EPCglobal and pending ISO 18000-6c coding structures.
For the first time, Xilinx has included 64-bit Linux support on its free, downloadable development system, the Integrated Software Environment (ISE) Webpack 7.1i.
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies is using a perpendicular method of recording rather than longitudinal techniques, to develop hard drive technology capable of densities to 230 Gbits per square inch. It says this could lead to development of drives in its Microdrive format with 20 gigabyte capacity, or 3,5 inch hard drives with one terabyte of capacity.
Lumileds Lighting has announced an LED that it claims can now be used individually as a signal light for rear vehicle lighting. The new Luxeon III high-performance LEDs pump out record-breaking typical lumens per package of 110 for amber, 140 for red and 190 for red-orange, according to the company. All Luxeon III devices are nominally 3 W LEDs and are claimed to offer 20 000 hours of operation at a 1400 mA forward current.
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