Cover story


Planning for the accelerating trend of component obsolescence in 2026 and beyond


Stella Josifovska, the Editor of Electronics World, talks to Stephen Morris (left), General Manager – EMEA at Rochester Electronics, about the growing threat of electronic component obsolescence.


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ochester is described as supplying “100% authorised, traceable, certifi ed and guaranteed devices.” Can you explain what each of these terms


means? Absolutely. Each of these terms is a real commitment, and


they make Rochester very different from other distributors or brokers. Many distributors sell components without authorisation from the original component manufacturer, or OCM. Brokers, on the other hand, buy and sell parts from wherever they can, often without any formal relationship with the OCM. That means there is limited visibility into where the parts come from or whether they meet the original standards. When we say “100% authorised”


, it means every device we


supply comes directly from the OCM under a formal agreement. Traceability comes with that because we know exactly where each part comes from and can provide full, documented traceability, showing the origin, source and chain of custody for every device. Certifi cation is part of the same framework. All our devices


are verifi ed as original, compliant and made to the OCM’s specifi cations and quality standards. And fi nally, guaranteed refl ects the fact that Rochester


actually owns the product. We are not just passing parts through; we take title to the inventory. That means we can provide a warranty and stand fully behind the authenticity and performance of every device we supply.


Once you receive the components’ original fi les from the OCM, do you ever tweak or change a process, package or material of the part? Most of the time, no. Once we receive the original design fi les from the OCM, the processes, materials and packaging stay exactly the same. Customers want the parts they have already qualifi ed, even if they are mature or obsolete, so we supply them as-is for true product continuation. We also have authorised manufacturing capabilities. With


permission from the OCM, we can manufacture the part using the original die and test programs. It meets the same specifi cations and carries the same part number. The only difference is the Rochester branding. In rare cases, if no die exists, we can recreate it and even


redesign the device if the customer requests it. For example, a customer needed an ASIC from an original manufacturer that


06 December 2025/January 2026 www.electronicsworld.co.uk


had exited the market. They asked us to reproduce the ASIC and make a few design changes. We were able to do this, but the result became a custom product rather than an exact replacement of the original. For most customers, keeping the part unchanged is critical.


Even minor changes can affect timing or performance, so customisation is not our standard service. Our focus is on delivering exactly what customers know and trust, ensuring continuity, reliability and confi dence.


Engineers often prefer to continue using the original components they have already qualifi ed, fl aws and all, because they understand how to manage their behaviour and performance. This familiarity makes design work faster and more effi cient. Given this, how does Rochester help engineers manage the challenges of component obsolescence and long-term product lifecycles? Obsolescence is something every engineer designing circuits has to deal with. Semiconductors have a fi nite life, which today averages around 10 years, but many critical systems are expected to stay in service for 25 to 30 years. That gap can create real challenges. Designing a new product usually takes three to four years, including all the qualifi cation and certifi cation work. By the time the product hits the market, a big chunk of the semiconductor’s


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