INTC is a big customer of FSII. That's one of the reasons I've been so positive lately about FSII. Did you see all the announcements about fab expansion by INTC and about the projected expansion in microprocessor production and other chip production? Here's one:
[Newsbytes:News-1210.26] 12/10/96
****Microprocessor Chip Market To Climb 32 Percent
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1996 DEC 10 (NB) -- By Bill Pietrucha and
Patrick McKenna. Worldwide microprocessor chip revenues already are
running 20 percent ahead of last year's levels, and are projected to
grow by 32 percent next year, according to a study released today by
Forward Concepts and Micrologic Research.
The study, "Processor97," forecasts 1996 microprocessor sales at
$17.142 million, up 20 percent from 1995 revenues of $14.279
million. The market study also forecasts a healthy 32 percent for
1997, to a $22.546 million level.
The study indicates that this year's microcontroller shipments will
also grow, reaching $11.482 million by year-end. This, the study's
author, Jack Quinn notes, is up seven percent from 1995's $10.736
million in shipments. Quinn, president of Micrologic Research, also
forecasts a 28 percent growth in shipments for 1997 to $14.701
million.
Digital signal processor (DSP) chip sales were up almost 39 percent
in 1996 to $2.397 million, the study states, while 1997 sales are
expected to continue growing at a 52 percent rate to $3.639 million.
Texas Instruments is currently building three separate fabrication
facilities in the Dallas, Texas area to accommodate projected growth
in the DSP market.
Forward Concepts' analyst, Will Strauss, told Newsbytes, "We think
there is an across the board growth in the microprocessor market.
PCs in corporate offices, small office/home offices and personal
home use are projected to grow in 1997. I think corporations are
now ready to accept Windows 95 and NT and that means having
powerful enough computers to run these systems."
The study also found microcontrollers sales growing by 7% in 1996
and jumping dramatically by 28% in 1997. "The use of
microcontrollers in automobiles is behind this strong growth," added
Strauss.
The 550-page study forecasts that by the year 2001, microprocessor
shipments will grow to over $49 billion, microcontroller shipments
will exceed $39 billion and DSP chips will pass the $12 billion
level. "The growth in the processor market would have been greater
in 1996 if the rest of the semiconductor market had not been so
weak," Quinn said.
The study also notes the overall slowdown in the semiconductor
market based on eighteen months of falling memory prices. "A lot of
semiconductor companies were affected by this dramatic change, but
the microprocessor market remained strong," added Strauss. Processor
97, the study, states microprocessor growth would have been even
stronger without the effects of a semiconductor slowdown.
One company that was not hurt by the slowdown was Intel, the report
noted, which had little competition for its Pentium and no
competition for its Pentium Pro processors in 1996, "Even Intel was
surprised by the strong demand for its microprocessors in 1996, and
went on to sell all the high-performance processors it could make,"
Quinn said.
The "Processor97" report is available from Forward Concepts for
$1,850 in North America and $1,950 elsewhere. Additional information
is available at Forward Concepts' Web site at
fwdconcepts.com  or by calling 602-968-3759.
(199612/10/Press Contact: Will Strauss, Forward Concepts, tel 602-
968-3759. Reported by Newsbytes News Network:
newsbytes.com
Copyright 1996 The Newsbytes News Network. All rights reserved.
AND HERE'S ANOTHER:
[Newsbytes:News-1210.18] 12/10/96
Intel Invests In Shanghai
BEIJING, CHINA, 1996 DEC 10 (NB) -- By Chih-Ho Yu & Ning Huang. US-
based Intel Corporation has announced an investment of US$99 million
to set up a flash-memory chip manufacturing plant in Shanghai's
Pudong Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone.
The manufactured chips will be used in mobile phones, digital
cameras as well as in computers, according to Intel officials.
The projected plant is expected to begin operation in mid-1998 and
it will employ 500 people during the startup stage. Intel expects to
hire 90 percent of the plant's staff locally.
(19961210/Reported by Newsbytes News Network
newsbytes.com)
AND YET ANOTHER
[Newsbytes:News-1209.36] 12/9/96
Electronic Equipment Factory Sales Top $295Bil In 3rd Qtr
WASHINGTON, DC, U.S.A., 1996 DEC 9 (NB) -- By Bill Pietrucha. It
looks like 1996 will be a double digit growth year for electronics.
US factory sales of electronics equipment and products hit $295.6
billion for the first nine months of 1996, a ten percent increase
over last year's nine-month total of $269.4 billion, according to
preliminary estimates released this morning by the Electronic
Industries Association (EIA).
"Based on these sales figures, we're optimistic that the year will
end with double digit growth," EIA President Peter F. McCloskey said
in releasing the figures.
According to the raw data collected by the US Department of Commerce
and compiled by EIA's Marketing Services Department,
telecommunications electronics led the growth curve, jumping 16
percent from 1995's first nine month sales of $38.4 billion, to
$44.6 billion in the same period this year.
Computers and peripherals sales also showed double digit growth,
climbing from $53.2 billion in 1995 to $60.7 billion for comparable
year-to-date periods, an increase of 14 percent.
Both the electronic components and other related products categories
tracked by EIA fell just short of double digits, with each category
increasing by nine percent.
Electronic components sales reached $82.4 billion, up from the $75.5
billion in sales in 1995's first nine months, while the other
related products category rose from $41.7 billion to $45.3 billion
in the respective year-to-date periods.
Electromedical equipment sales and industrial electronics sales
climbed eight percent and seven percent, respectively, between the
first three quarters of 1995 and 1996, respectively, according to
the data.
Electromedical equipment climbed from $7.2 billion to $7.7 billion,
while industrial electronics reached $26.6 billion from $25 billion
over the two year-to-date periods.
The US-produced consumer electronics sector also saw a five percent
rise, from $6.9 billion to $7.3 billion in the comparable three-
quarter time frame. EIA includes domestically manufactured audio,
video, and blank media products in the US produced consumer
electronics category.
According to EIA, "substantial amounts of products included in the
telecommunications and computers/peripherals categories are sold
through consumer channels, but are not separately identified in
these data."
Signaling the continued drawdown of military expenditures, the
defense communications sector was the only negative part of the EIA
picture, dropping two percent to $20.7 billion, from 1995 three
quarter sales of $21.2 billion. Defense communications includes
specialized and defense related communications and tracking devices.
(19961209/Press Contact: Mark V. Rosenker, Electronic Industries
Association, 703-907-7790. Reported by Newsbytes News Network:
newsbytes.com)
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