After three consecutive years of growth – and a sales increase of 13.2 percent in 2018—the global semiconductor market is forecast by IDC to decline to $440 billion this year, down 7.2 percent from $474 billion in 2018. IDC’s Semiconductor Applications Forecaster also expects that semiconductor revenues will recover in 2020 and log a compound…
The electronics supply chain, for the past year, has been marked by component shortages, lead-time extensions and tariff uncertainties. Nevertheless, it’s been a good year for component manufacturers and distributors—many of which have reported record quarterly sales during 2018. In 2019, IDC projects, the supply chain writ large is poised to transition from a cost…
Significant change is coming to the manufacturing arena. As artificial intelligence, the industrial IoT and the smart factory begin to transform production, Intel Corp. is gauging the impact such technologies will have on manufacturing and the supply chain — and the humans that oversee these complex operations. The benefits of smart factories are many: autonomous…
The digital supply chain, once more big talk than reality, will be emerging as a force for change in most procurement organizations over the next five years. A truly digital supply chain will improve processes even as it disrupts the way many procurement professionals do their jobs day to day. Some of the biggest opportunities…
The worldwide wearables market continued its upward trajectory in both the fourth quarter (4Q17) and full year 2017 with total shipment volumes reaching new records. Moreover, thanks to a surge in smartwatch shipment volumes, Apple moved past competitors Fitbit and Xiaomi to claim overall leadership for both the quarter and the year. According to data…
The overall wearables market is expected to grow from 113.2 million shipments in 2017 to 222.3 million in 2021 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.4%, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker. The most popular wearables to date have been basic wristbands like the Xiaomi Mi Band or…
All annual business forecasts have a theme, and 2018 will mark the year of the supply chain’s digital transformation. By the end of 2018, half of manufacturers will be using analytics, IoT, and social collaboration tools to extend the integrated planning process throughout the enterprise in real time, according to IDC. Digital transformation is opening…
The supply chain is undergoing major changes as the manufacturing sector ramps up its effort to adopt new capabilities and technologies around advanced analytics, cloud networking, the internet of things (IoT), and blockchain. The supply chain’s core goals of improving productivity, quality, service and cost efficiency remain unchanged. However, what is shifting is how these…
Chip sales for automotive systems and the internet of things (IoT) will grow 70 percent faster than total IC revenues between 2016 and 2021, according to IC Insights’ 2018 Integrated Circuit Market Drivers Report. IC sales for automobiles and other vehicles are forecast to grow from $22.9 billion in 2016 to $42.9 billion in 2021, while revenues for…
IDC’s latest report on worldwide spending for the Internet of Things (IoT) pegs investments on hardware, software, services and connectivity at $737 billion in 2016. This translates into 17.9 percent growth last year. The industries expected to make the largest IoT investments include manufacturing, transportation and utilities. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR)…