News

• Japan earthquake's full impact on ICT yet to be determined: IDC

  It may be weeks before the full impact of the Japanese quake and resulting tsunamis is on the flow if ICT between the disaster-affected country and Australia is known, IDC has warned.

• Memory-chip prices set to rise with DRAM demand in Q2

  Taiwan’s largest computer memory chipmaker on Tuesday forecast a jump in demand for its components in the second quarter of the year as orders from contract computer manufacturers pick up, heralding an all-but-certain DRAM price hikes.

• Optimism for DRAM rises despite tablet threat

  The price of DRAM, the main memory chips inside personal computers, may tick up in coming months as stronger demand for laptop and desktop computers with new microprocessors from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) drives stronger PC buying, analysts and market researchers say.

• DRAM prices to keep falling through the first half of 2011

  The price of DRAM, the main memory inside personal computers, will likely keep falling throughout the first half of next year before a recovery takes hold, analysts and market researchers say.

• DRAM prices to continue to lower through second half

  Prices of DRAM, the main memory chips used in personal computers, fell for the first time in over a year in June as companies increased production and PC vendors toughened their stance on further price increases.

• Europe fines nine chipmakers €331M over price fixing

  European antitrust regulators fined nine semiconductor manufacturers more than €331 million (US$404 million) on Wednesday following a years-long investigation into price fixing in the market for DRAM memory chips.

• Global chip sales skyrocket in January

  While worldwide semiconductor sales in January were up just slightly from December, they wildly outpaced numbers from the same time a year ago.

• DRAM industry on the road to recovery, study says

  Global revenue for DRAM more than doubled during the fourth quarter of 2009 on a year-over-year basis, driven by increased PC shipments and higher average selling prices, research firm iSuppli said on Thursday.

• Samsung, Rambus deal could rev new memory technologies

  Rambus' agreement to settle legal claims with Samsung Electronics could accelerate deals that could help new memory technology being developed by Rambus get to market faster, analysts said.

• Chip makers see stronger DRAM memory prices this year

  Taiwan's biggest DRAM maker, Nanya Technology, reported its first net profit in nearly three years on Wednesday, as DRAM prices rose and demand remained strong in the fourth quarter of last year.

• Rambus and Samsung reach settlement agreement

  Samsung Electronics and Rambus on Tuesday announced they had settled outstanding claims over licensing, which should net Rambus more than US$700 million over the next five years.

• Elpida sees DRAM prices rising next year, lifts spending

  The global DRAM industry will see higher prices per chip next year than in the past three because the global recession has forced many chip makers to reduce spending on new factories, the head of Japan's Elpida Memory has said.

• DRAM sales highest in five years, says iSuppli

  The DRAM industry in the second and third quarters of 2009 posted the strongest sequential growth in revenue and pricing seen in at least five years, according to market research firm iSuppli. The record sales figures indicate that the market recovery is real and will likely continue into next year.

• Google: DRAM error rates vastly higher than previously thought

  A study released this week by Google Inc. and the University of Toronto showed that data error rates on DRAM memory modules are vastly higher than previously thought and may be more responsible for system shutdowns and service interruptions.

• DRAM prices continue to surge in August

  DRAM prices continued to rise in August, finally reaching profitable levels for most chip makers after they reached multi-year lows early this year.