The latest figures on lawsuits filed by patent assertion entities (PAEs) reveal a frightening trend that suggests this activity will remain a threat to American high-tech innovation and competition in 2013. In the first 11 months of 2012, PAEs initiated 61 percent of US patent lawsuits, after initiating 45 percent of them in 2011 and…
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At the end of every year, media outlets such as EBN get retrospective lists (the best/worst of 2012) and forecast lists (what to watch out for in 2013). Supply chain security continues to top the lists of concerns. Here's a recent summary from the Information Security Forum, an independent security body, on the top five…
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In a previous Velocity post, I talked about the theory of segmentation and how tailoring supply chain solutions for each customer or product in a company's portfolio could boost overall supply chain effectiveness and balance sheet performance. It's more than a good idea, and various companies across many industries, including high-tech, retail, and apparel, have…
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Eric is my niece Sonnet's main squeeze. He's a sweet-natured young man who proudly states that he owns 11 guns. I took this alarming admission in stride, because Eric is a military veteran and a skilled hunter, well versed in firearms safety. He's not dangerous. However, in justifying his private arsenal, Eric casually articulated a…
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Listening to the customer doesn't just mean responding to a complaint or following up a sale with a confirmation email. In some cases, it means restructuring or adding to an established business model. The longtime catalogue distributor {complink 12799|Digi-Key Corp.} faced such a challenge about 10 years ago, when some customers wanted it to manage…
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Who knew deciding what to do with the cloud could be so difficult? While the cloud is being swiftly adopted by businesses (some of which are building private networks, while others are using outsourced service providers), according to industry observers, the introduction of this innovative technology solution is becoming disruptive and raising more questions than…
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Having a component or product go End-of-Life (EOL) is an inevitable market event for any OEM. However, how EOL situations are managed differs wildly. A shared challenge with EOL is timing — whether forecasting demand for EOL parts to meet service and repair needs, arranging last time buys (LTB) to meet current production demands, or…
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This isn't meant to be an all-encompassing view of media relations. Many books already exist on the subject. However, a recent experience made me realize there are marketing people who may benefit from a review of the basics. Here goes: Start early. Get your story down clearly and concisely, including how your new widget stacks…
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The manufacturing sector is starting 2013 with the tailwind of some very positive news behind it. In many parts of the globe — both developed and developing economies — manufacturers are reporting solid or stable growth in new manufacturing orders and output, according to researchers and industry organizations. One would have expected manufacturing to slow…
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Display manufacturer {complink 3074|LG Electronics Inc.} has leapfrogged competitor {complink 4751|Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.} in the large-size OLED display market. According to Reuters, LG has begun taking orders for 55-inch OLED TVs, which are slated to ship in February. Displays based on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology are thinner, lighter, and more energy efficient than…
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