A pick of the main stories crossing the ElectronicsWeekly.com News Index this week, from a Google-backed nationwide mobile WiMAX network and gloom deepening in the European chip market, to TT retaining a UK focus and NXP feeling the pressure of a 'softening' semiconductor market...

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Friday 9 May 2008

International Electronics Forum 2008 - News Roundup
The International Electronics Forum 2008 in Dubai brings together more than a hundred decision makers from the world's largest technology companies. We roundup the news to note.

Hynix licenses 50nm DRAM stack technology to ProMOS
Confirming news reports from March, memory giant Hynix Semiconductor said yesterday it has extended its strategic alliance with ProMOS Technologies to include licensing Hynix's 50nm-class DRAM stack process technology to ProMOS, while ProMOS gives Hynix access to DRAM products from its 300-mm fab capacity.

Thursday 8 May 2008

Google, Intel, Comcast, TW invest $3.2bn in WiMAX mobile broadband company
Aiming to accelerate the deployment of the first nationwide mobile WiMAX network and provide a true mobile-broadband experience, Clearwire and Sprint Nextel said yesterday they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine their next-generation wireless broadband businesses into a new company named Clearwire.

IEF 2008: Femtocells attract Italian telco interest
Telecom Italia is very interested in deploying femtocells and is in trials with femtocell suppliers, but it wants the cost of femtocell units to come down vis a vis WiFi routers, according to Luigi Licciardi, executive vice president of Telecom Italia's domestic mobile services (TIM) speaking to the International Electronics Forum 2008 in Dubai this afternoon.

Wednesday 7 May 2008

TT retains UK focus in global manufacturing move
TT electronics is predicting a healthy future for manufacturing in the UK as it reorganises its global manufacturing services business.

Mentor Graphics acquires NXP design-for-test technology, developers
Mentor Graphics and NXP Semiconductors yesterday announced an exchange of DFT (design-for-test) technology and talent that will see NXP adopting Mentor's tools while Mentor gains rights to NXP's internal DFT technologies and acquires a group of NXP's DFT developers.

Tuesday 6 May 2008

Gloom deepens in European chip market
European semiconductor distributors saw a fall in sales in the first quarter, according to DMASS, the distributor and manufacturer industry body.

NXP feels pressure of 'softening' semiconductor market
NXP Semiconductors reported "continuing softness" in the semiconductor market as first quarter sales dipped 7.5% on the previous quarter.

RS restructures prices to target production business
RS Components restructures its pricing to make it more attractive for higher volume buying. It will also offer components in production packaging which will be more attractive to manufacturers.

Monday 5 May

TI aims to reduce complexity of ZigBee designs
Complexity of the ZigBee protocol stack may be holding back the wider implementation of the short-range wireless link technology, says Texas Instruments and the chip firm has introduced a ZigBee processor with re-loaded stack.

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