Palo Alto Networks didn’t see Covid-19 coming but was better prepared than most when the global supply chain abruptly froze. The cybersecurity systems business had been digitizing its supply chain for several years and had modelled for various sourcing extremes. “I wouldn’t say we were more prepared, but we had things in place,” explained Jonathan…
On January 6, 2021, the day the U.S. Capitol was stormed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would introduce the Substance Control Act (TSCA) on March 8, banning five persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) substances. One of those substances, phenol isopropylated phosphate (3:1), or PIP 3:1, is of particular concern to the electronics…
Since the onset of Covid-19 supply chain disruptions have only gotten worse. Shortages that began with global quarantines have been exacerbated by demand- and logistics-driven delays. But expectations of ongoing demand are prompting electronics companies to expand. Chip consumption, for example, isn’t going to decline. Semiconductor manufacturers are set to build 29 fabs over the…
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with a statement from Avnet. Maxim Integrated Products, which was officially acquired by Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) in August, is discontinuing its relationship with distributor Avnet Inc. Maxim accounted for roughly 3 percent of Avnet’s fiscal 2021 sales of $19.5 billion. The transition will take place over the…
Cree has announced the sale of its LED products business unit to Smart Global Holdings for up to $300 million.
The electronics supply chain relies on new product introductions (NPI) to drive both innovation and sales. More than half (53 percent) of electronics industry product launches have been delayed or cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Dimensional Research study commissioned by Supplyframe. Covid-19 also has led to increased component costs, the need…
U.S. purchasing and supply executives expect the nation’s economic downturn will continue for the rest of the year as the Covid-19 pandemic obscures forecasts in the manufacturing sector. Factory revenue is expected to drop 10.3 percent in 2020 — down 15.1 percent from December 2019 forecasts. The manufacturing and services sectors are both signaling contraction…
U.S. factory output in April accelerated its slide into contraction, falling to levels not seen since 2009. The Institute Supply Management’s (ISM) PMI dropped 7.6 percent — from 49.1 in March to 41.5. Any reading above 50 indicates growth; below 50 signifies contraction. In the computer and electronics segment, one executive reported a 30 percent…
For the past six months, the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) has been in a state of flux. For the procurement community, that became evident though changes to ECIAauthorized, the association’s inventory-aggregation site. In October, some of ECIA’s biggest members – global distributors Arrow Electronics Inc., Avnet Inc. and Electrocomponents plc—left the trade association to…
Waymo recently released via Youtube a lecture on “Waymo Driver,” the company’s fifth-generation robocar platform. Presented by YooJung Ahn, head of design at Waymo, the video clip shares the new platform’s basic design ideas. Ultimately, the trick that caught many industry observers’ eyes about the latest robocar was Waymo’s liberal use of various sensors, including…