Electronics news digest
12 October 2011
News
South Africa
ChipOnBoard has moved premises to Unit 9, Kinsman Industrial Park, 10 Kinsman Road, New Germany, Pinetown. The company’s telephone number is +27 (0)31 811 4626.
Overseas
Business
For the first half of its current financial year, the Premier Farnell group increased sales by 4,8% to reach a total of £497,9 million. First half operating profit grew 7,4% to 73,8 million and adjusted earnings per share were 9,3 pence.
Companies
Microchip delivered its 10 billionth PIC microcontroller recently, to Samsung Electronics. What is even more impressive is that it took the company only 10 months to go from the 9 billion mark to this new milestone.
u-blox announced the acquisition of Fusion Wireless, a provider of CDMA wireless modules for consumer and M2M applications in North America. The acquisition price was $0,9 million, fully paid for in cash, plus existing debt of $2,1 million, plus earn-out.
Texas Instruments’ $6,5 billion acquisition of National Semiconductor is officially complete. National and its 5000 employees become part of TI’s analog business, which will swell to a combined portfolio of nearly 45 000 products. TI will include National’s contribution to financial performance in the company’s third quarter earnings announcement on 24 October. With this acquisition, TI’s analog semiconductor business now represents more than 50% of the company’s revenue.
After rebuffing several takeover bids from Microsemi, Zarlink Semiconductor has finally acquiesced to an offer 19% higher than the previous. Microsemi will pay $3,86 for each share of Zarlink, for a total transaction value of approximately $525 million, net of Zarlink’s cash which is currently $107 million.
Industry
Semiconductor days of inventory (DOI) are forecast to plateau in the third quarter of 2011 at ‘worrisome’ levels given current conditions and the likelihood that consumer and business spending will be weaker than expected, according to Gartner. Gartner expects the semiconductor industry to begin an inventory correction in late 2011, with production and sell-through expected to return roughly to balance by the second quarter of 2012.
Further reading:
Rooibos heads to space
News
A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.
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From the editor's desk: Local can be international
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of
Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction,
Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.
Read more...
Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
News
EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.
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Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services News
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX 2026, the Expo for Electronics Manufacturing, in Stuttgart from 6-8 October 2026, how advanced surface-mount automation helps companies grow their business and increase productivity.
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From the editor's desk: The art of measuring the truth
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
All electronic measurements are a lie. The trick is making the lie as small as possible.
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TSE has relocated
News
The Technology Station in Electronics (TSE) has entered a new chapter with its relocation from the CSIR campus to TUT-owned building at Ditsela Place in Hatfield.
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Innovative MyLegrand app
RS South Africa
News
Legrand SA is set to launch the MyLegrand mobile application, a digital platform designed to strengthen engagement across its professional network.
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Kulani Energy acquires critical assets from Optipower
News
Kulani Energy preserves engineering, procurement, and construction capability and positions a wholly women-owned firm at the forefront of South Africa’s grid expansion.
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From Cape Town to Johannesburg
News
Würth Elektronik South Africa has taken a significant step forward with its recent relocation from Cape Town to Johannesburg, marking a new phase of growth and ambition for the company.
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Lesley Havenga: Building partnerships for Africa’s electronics future
Editor's Choice News
As Würth Electronik expands its footprint across South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan region, Havenga’s blend of manufacturing expertise, supply chain knowledge, and people-centred leadership appears well suited to the task.
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