Front End I News
Has Infineon paid over the odds for International Rectifier?
Infineon Technologies AG has announced that it is to acquire International Rectifier in a deal that values the US company at $3bn. The acquisition will combine two leading semiconductor companies with
before the deal was announced. Infineon brushed off those concerns arguing that the cash deal promised a broad range of benefits for the German chipmaker.
their application understanding, IR will contribute to Infineon's strategic development from product thinking to system understanding and system solutions. The combination of Infineon's and IR's products, technological and innovative excellence, as well as distributional strength will, I believe, unleash great potential." IR's expertise in low-power, Intelligent Power Modules, power MOSFETs and
Partnership: Vishay Precision Group has announced that it has partnered with Charcroft Electronics Ltd. to boost the availability of Bulk Metal Foil precision resistors made in the United Kingdom by the Wales-based electronics distributor and manufacturer.
VPG is working with Charcroft to implement new equipment that will increase capacity for Bulk Metal Foil resistors made in the UK while allowing Charcroft to support more volume with shorter lead times.
Smart card shipments: Smart card shipments in 2019 will rise to 10.9 billion units, up from 8.8 billion in 2014, according to new research from IHS Technology. That means the number of smart cards shipped in 2019 would allow each of the world’s 7.6 billion projected inhabitants to obtain 1.4 smart cards during the year. “The key end-user sectors that will drive growth over the next five years include payment and banking, e-government, and healthcare and transportation,” said Don Tait, senior digital & ID market analyst at IHS. “The market will expand despite declines in subscriber identification cards (SIM), which are used in mobile phones. Slowing growth in mobile phones will cause SIM card shipments to flatten or decline.”
New website: Smiths Connectors, a provider of high performance interconnect solutions, has unveiled a new website. The website is the culmination of a major initiative unifying the brands of Hypertac, IDI and Sabritec and looks to promote the company as a comprehensive and global interconnect solutions provider.
strong market shares in power management technology and, according to Infineon, the acquisition will complement its offerings and will enable it to provide customers with a much broader range of products and services. However, a number of analysts have raised concerns that the $3bn price tag is far too high. The price being paid is 51% above International Rectifier's market value
Infineon's finance chief Diminik Asam said that while chip-sector premiums were high, "the 50 per cent we are offering is pretty much in the middle of the bandwidth in this space". According to Dr. Reinhard Ploss, the CEO of Infineon Technologies, "The acquisition of International Rectifier is a unique opportunity. With its great knowledge of specific customer needs and
Japan’s Murata looks to acquire Peregine Semiconductor
Murata Manufacturing has announced that it is looking to buy the part of US radio frequency chipmaker Peregrine Semiconductor it does not already own for $465 million in cash. The move comes as the company looks to strengthen its RF business. Peregrine is the founder of RF SOI (silicon on insulator), a pioneer of advanced Radio Frequency (RF) solutions and a leading developer of RF front-end (RFFE) solutions for mobile and analogue applications. While Peregrine will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Murata it will continue with its current business model, according to the announcement. As with Infineon's acquisition of
International Rectifier the offer price is at a considerable premium - around 62 per cent on Peregrine's stock price. The high premium is the result of a competitive bidding process, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Douglas Freedman.
4 September 2014
However, in response to the announcement Peregrine's stock rose by as much as 62 percent to $12.43, making it the biggest percentage gainer on the Nasdaq on the day the deal was announced.
Murata Manufacturing is one of the world's biggest makers of ceramic capacitors, which are used in a variety of products, including TVs, car engine controls and gaming consoles, and is also one of Peregrine's top customers – it sources most of its RF switch requirements from the US company. Murata's decision to acquire Peregrine Semiconductor comes as it is looking to expand its core business and move into developing more sophisticated products. PSMI is a key trading partner for the company supplying many of the parts Murata needs, so the acquisition, securing that supply, is being seen as a sensible move by industry analysts.
Components in Electronics
power ICs will be integrated with Infineon's offering in power devices and modules.
While analysts said that the purchase of
International Rectifier would strengthen Infineon's position in power-management chips, the integration of the business would need to be flawless if it was to generate the savings required to justify the price.
"This acquisition will combine Murata's world-leading mobile RF module capabilities with Peregrine's best-in-class RF front-end products," said Norio Nakajima, Executive Vice President, Director of Communication Business Unit of Murata. "Peregrine invented RF SOI, has led its development for 20 years, and accomplished a large number of industry firsts. We have worked closely with them for many years. Their innovation, including the Global 1 all-silicon integrated RF front-end, is a key strategic area for the mobile industry. This transaction will deepen our existing partnership and help Murata meet the expanding opportunities in this field." Since it went public in August 2012
Peregrine has posted a loss five times in the last eight quarters. Revenues have fallen 25 percent since touching a record high of $63 million in the quarter ended December 2012.
While Murata has said it will look to
acquire Peregrine other companies may be interested in bidding for the company. Names mentioned include: Qualcomm , Intel , Skyworks Solutions and MediaTek.
The new site has been designed to offer visitors a broad range of relevant and timely information in a user-friendly format. The home page welcomes visitors with a plethora of product images and featured content that underscores the support its complete product portfolio is able to offer.
Appointment: Nujira, the Envelope Tracking (ET) chip company, has appointed Hugh Baker-Smith as Vice President of Sales, with a focus on driving sales of Nujira’s Coolteq.L ET IC to leading smartphone vendors. The strategic hire underlines Nujira’s focus on accelerating growth in Asia, driven by increased customer demand. Baker-Smith has an extensive track record in global electronic sales and will be focused on building up the sales channel and field support networks, utilising his extensive experience in the global smartphone market to secure customers and drive revenue.
3G modem: Intel has unveiled a 3G modem, little bigger then a UK penny, with the aim of embedding it in connected devices around the home. The company said that the XMM 6255, with an area of about 300 sq mm, is the world's smallest modem. The standalone chip is expected to be used in wearable tech, as well as security devices such as "smart" smoke alarms having been built to protect against overheating, and withstand tough
conditions.The modem also features an embedded power supply.
www.cieonline.co.uk
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