ISA WINWire – March 5 - 12 2010

Industry gives mixed reaction to patent reform deal: IEEE-USA comes out against the latest Senate compromise

Source: Rick Merritt, EETimes, March 4 2010    www.eetimes.com

Members of the U.S. Senate released details of their latest compromise on patent reform, hammered out behind closed doors over the last several months. Early reaction to the proposed amendment is mixed from a range of electronics industry groups with conflicting views on the issues.

Made-in-Bangalore tech product makes waves around the world

Source: Naxatra News, March 4 2010    naxatranews.com

Within a year of its launch, the product - VuNow -- is being used by consumers in 90-plus countries. VuNow internet TV platform developed by Bangalore R & D centre of Verismo Networks, a technology start-up promoted by Indians, is a set-top box bringing any video over any IP network to any television.

2010 chip revenues to top pre-recession levels: iSuppli

Source: Reuters, March 5 2010    www.reuters.com

Global chip sales could rise by more than a fifth this year, bringing them back above pre-recession levels, industry watcher iSuppli said on Friday. Intel Corp, Advanced Micro Devices Inc, Nvidia Corp, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, Altera Corp, and others are expected to pull in combined revenue of $279.7 billion, iSuppli said, outlining both dramatic growth for the companies and the depth to which the economic downturn hit them over the last three years.

Technology Review identifies 20 Indian innovators

Source: CIOL, March 5 2010    www.ciol.com

Twenty young Indian innovators, all under the age of 35, from a wide range of fields, including biotechnology, materials, computer hardware, energy, transportation and the Internet, are being honored by Technology Review India, the Indian edition of the international technology magazine Technology Review.

Power generation from renewable energy sources in India

Source: Steel Guru, March 8 2010    steelguru.com

Dr Farooq Abdullah Minister for New and Renewable Energy informed the Lok Sabha that a capacity of about 5,531 MW grid interactive power generation from various renewable energy sources has been installed up to January 31st 2010 against a target of 12,300 MW for 11th Five Year Plan.

Solar industry learns lessons in Spanish sun

Source: Elisabeth Rosenthal, The New York Times, March 8 2010    www.nytimes.com

Two years ago, this gritty mining city hosted a brief 21st-century gold rush. Long famous for coal, Puertollano discovered another energy source it had overlooked: the relentless, scorching sun. Armed with generous incentives from the Spanish government to jump-start a national solar energy industry, the city set out to replace its failing coal economy by attracting solar companies, with a campaign slogan: “The Sun Moves Us.”

Analysts cite five opportunities in mobile data

Source: Rick Merritt, EETimes, March 8 2010    www.eetimes.com

Despite increases in mobile data traffic, carriers will keep a lid on capital equipment spending over the next two years. Nevertheless, systems and semiconductor companies have a handful of opportunities for growth in the sector, according to analysts from Barclays Capital. Capital equipment spending in Europe will be flat through 2011. But U.S. carriers will continue planned increases in spending as they take the lead in rolling out 4G wireless services, Barclays analysts said.

Semiconductor capex to grow 76% in 2010, says Gartner

Source: Peter Clarke, EETimes, March 8 2010    www.eetimes.com

Worldwide semiconductor capital equipment spending is projected to surpass $29.4 billion in 2010, a 76.1 percent increase from 2009 spending of $16.7 billion, according to market research company Gartner Inc. (Stamford, Conn.). Following significant declines in 2009, all segments of the semiconductor capital equipment market will experience double-digit percentage growth in 2010, Garter said.

Broadcom takes stake in multicore pioneer Tilera  

Source: Peter Clarke, EETimes, March 8 2010   www.eetimes.com

Broadcom Corp. (Irvine Calif.) has made an investment in multicore processor developer Tilera Corp. (San Jose, Calif.). Neither the amount of money invested, nor the percentage size of Broadcom's stake, were disclosed, but Tilera has appointed Nariman Yousefi, senior vice president of infrastructure technologies at Broadcom, to the Tilera board of directors.

IC Insights boosts 2010 chip growth forecast to 27%  

Source: Dylan McGrath, EETimes, March 8 2010   www.eetimes.com

Market research firm IC Insights Inc. Monday (March 8) increased its estimate for 2010 semiconductor growth, saying it now expects chip revenue to increase 27 percent this year, reaching $253 billion. IC Insights (Scottsdale, Ariz.) said it expects semiconductor revenue to increase another 15 percent in 2011, reaching $290 billion.

Broadcom completes acquisition of Teknovus  

Source: EDACafe News, March 8 2010   www10.edacafe.com

Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Teknovus, a leading supplier of Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) chipsets and software. In connection with the acquisition, Broadcom paid approximately $123 million to acquire all of the outstanding shares of capital stock and other rights of Teknovus. The purchase price was paid in cash, with a portion placed into escrow pursuant to the terms of the acquisition agreement.

Taking technology to grassroots  

Source: CIOL, March 8 2010   www.ciol.com

The whole idea of innovation at low cost has been there in India for a long time but we have not given much attention to it, thinks Anil K Gupta, president, SRISTI, and professor at IIM Ahmedabad. Giving an example to his point, he talked about many unsung leaders in the industry who came out with several innovations. One of the heroes was a Haari Narayanan who invented a scooter which could run on compressed air. He was talking at Social Innovation Session held as part of EmTech 2010.

Dexcel on IP re-use, Indian semicon product companies  

Source: CIOL, March 8 2010   www10.edacafe.com

Dexcel Electronics Designs Pvt. Ltd. is an electronics design house with capabilities in embedded systems development, firmware designs and development, DSP processors based designs, imaging software, device drivers, Linux porting, system level designs and development, application and automation software, development of audio and video codec, telecom related stacks, board designs and FPGA based digital designs services, and providing end-to-end solutions to customers.

India can outshine big brains in innovation  

Source: CIOL, March 9 2010   www.ciol.com

India is looking at innovations that come from overseas while we forget to see and appreciate our own innovations, feels Samir K. Brahmachari, director general, CSIR. For him India has as big brains as other developed countries do. Giving an example of his point, Brahmachari said, “Twenty-five years back, our Prime Minister was denied of the technology sharing from a developed country. We took that opportunity and responded to them by building our infrastructure and now we talk about multicore processors.”

Will agribusiness be a growth market for solar? Two businesses that depend on the sun come together  

Source: Greentech Media, March 9 2010   www.greentechmedia.com

Produce and solar, it turns out, have a lot in common. Agribusiness has a number of characteristics that could make it a prime sub-market in the solar business, according to Mike Miskovsky, General Manager of Canadian Solar's U.S. operations.

IC business is looking up  

Source: Mark LaPedus, EETimes, March 9 2010   www.eetimes.com

Not long ago, the IC sector was terrible due to the recession. Now, business is looking up in the IC industry, based on a sampling of announcements in several sectors. ASE, Diodes, RFMD and UMC separately report strong demand. And market research firm IC Insights Inc. Monday (March 8) increased its estimate for 2010 semiconductor growth, saying it now expects chip revenue to increase 27 percent this year, reaching $253 billion. IC Insights had previously predicted that chip revenue would increase 15 percent in 2010.

Indian cos in hiring mode, may add 1 million jobs in FY11  

Source: The Economic Times, March 10 2010   www.ibef.org

Indian companies are the most optimistic on hiring plans for April-June 2010, with the organised sector expected to create close to a million new jobs in FY11, driven by a revival in economic growth and strong job opportunities, according to two global employment trend surveys. The quarterly Employment Outlook Survey conducted by HR consulting firm Manpower showed two in every five Indian companies plan to increase their headcount in the second quarter of 2010. A separate survey by HR Services provider Ma Foi Management Consultants showed companies are optimistic about FY11, but are treading with caution in the April-June quarter.

Vikram Group of industries invests rs. 100 crore in solar photovoltaic module manufacturing plant at Falta, Special Economic Zone.  

Source: India PRWire, March 10 2010   www.indiaprwire.com

Shri Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Hon'ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, is inaugurating the Solar Photovoltaic Module Manufacturing Plant of Vikram Group of Industries at Falta, Special Economic Zone, in the presence of Shri Debesh Das (Hon'ble Minister of Information and Technology and Shri S P Gon Choudhuri (Managing Director, West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Ltd.)

Indian solar photovoltaic technology for Canada  

Source: newKerala.com, March 10 2010   www.newkerala.com

A city-based company has signed a joint venture to set up an amorphous silicon solar panel manufacturing plant in Canada, becoming the first company to export Indian solar photovoltaic technology to a Developed country. Solar Source Corp (SSC), a Canadian renewable energy holding company had entered into a Joint Venture with Hind High Vacuum Company Pvt Ltd (HHV) to build Canada's first amorphous silicon solar panel manufacturing plant based on technology and equipment developed by HHV.

India's IT, ITES up 50 p.c during 2007-09  

Source: CIOL, March 10 2010   www.ciol.com

The Information Technology (IT), IT enabled services (ITES) and electronic hardware industries have sustained the global recession and continued to grow during 2008-09. While electronics hardware production registered a growth of 12.1 per cent in 2008-09, the IT and ITES exports registered a growth of 16.6 per cent in the same year. This was informed by A. Raja, the Union Minister of Communications & IT in the meeting of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Communications & IT held late last evening.

Govt's solar mission aims adding 22,000 MW by 2022  

Source: The Hindu Business Line, March 10 2010   www.thehindubusinessline.com

Mr Bibek Bandyopadhyay, Advisor on the Solar Thermal Programme of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has said that the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission aims at setting up 20,000 MW grid solar power and 2,000 MW of off-grid solar power by 2022. Speaking at the Indo-German dialogue on ‘Accelerated dissemination of solar energy technologies in India' at the Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology, he said the programme also intends setting up 20 million solar lights and 20 million square metres of solar thermal collectors by 2022.

Flash will be bigger than you ever imagined in the coming decade: Dr. Eli Harari, SanDisk CEO  

Source: Pradeep’s Point, March 10 2010   pradeepchakraborty.wordpress.com

Next time you buy a new smartphone or mobile Internet device(MID)/handheld device/tablet PC/netbook with more storage capacity, you may want to thank SanDisk, as chances are that the internal flash memory inside your new smartphone or MID/handheld device/tablet PC/netbook could have well come from this company! No surprises for sure, but flash will be bigger than you ever imagined, in the coming decade, said Dr. Eli Harari, SanDisk chairman and CEO! He was speaking at a Thought Leadership Forum organized today by the India Semiconductor Association (ISA).

Solar energy will be the star of the 2010’s slowly  

Source: Anne-Francoise Pele, EETimes, March 11 2010   www.eetimes.com

No news announcement. No press release. Yet, Synopsys Inc. has acquired Gemini Design Automation (Fremont, Calif.), a start-up company focused on the challenges of verifying complex analog and mixed-signal designs. Earlier this year, Synopsys sent out two press releases to announce it had acquired ESL design software vendor CoWare Inc. and virtual system prototyping technology provider Vast Systems Technology Corp.

Synopsys discreetly acquires Gemini  

Source: Compound Semiconductor, March 10, 2010   www.compoundsemiconductor.net

Third-CPV method for generating solar electricity is becoming the center of the field. The photovoltaic power generation has experienced the first generation of crystalline silicon cells and second-generation thin-film battery, the process of industrialization will gradually present systems to highly efficient power generation CPV. Compared to the previous two generations of cell multi-junction III-V CPV composed of cells, inspiron 2600 battery , with an absorption spectral important advantages of high conversion efficiency and small size required for the battery to a relatively cheap alternative to cooling device expensive semiconductor materials in the production of electricity on a large scale can be effectively applied to reduce costs, reduce energy consumption.