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Market News

LARGO, FL - ZD Integrated Circuits, Inc. and Channel One Limited have formed EQuality Services (EQS), a company to provide material management services, which includes component inspection, quality assurance and long term secure storage, for electronic system manufacturers.

“The increasing incidence of remanufactured and counterfeit electronic components in the marketplace makes it necessary for major corporations to ensure that the key electronic components they receive...are truly original and in pristine condition,” stated Craig Zurman, company. “We have developed the expertise to verify the quality of incoming products, and [have] the facilities to store those products in a precisely controlled environment.”

Mike Hewison of Channel One Limited said “we now have the ability to provide customized solutions for all of our customer’s material supply problems so that they may focus on the development and manufacture of their high reliability systems.”

EQuality Services will be led by Lee Melatti, who was previously with Future Electronics and National Semiconductor.

ENDICOTT NY - Binghamton University has officially opened the Center for Advanced Microelectronic Manufacturing (CAMM), located on a 10,000 square-foot property owned by Endicott Interconnect Technologies (EIT). The new center will begin researching and testing new manufacturing methods for the electronics industry.

“CAMM is a true partnership between government, academia and industry, [and] will provide BU the opportunity to perform unparalleled research in the area of flexible electronics and small-scale systems integration and packaging,” said Bahgat Sammakia, CAMM’s director and BU professor of mechanical engineering.

The roll-to-roll manufacturing method that the University will attempt to develop will reportedly print electronics on plastics in a method similar to printing newsprint onto newspapers, with the claimed potential to produce flexible electronics in far greater bulk than current manufacturing processes can now produce.

“By offering unique, state-of-the-art tools and process expertise for roll-to-roll manufacturing, CAMM will be a cornerstone of the new flexible electronics revolution,” said Charles Becker, a scientist at General Electric.

SAN JOSE, CA, BELMONT, MA - Tessera Technologies, Inc. has announced its acquisition and subsequent rights to licensing of intellectual property (IP) related to Kronos’ micro-cooling proprietary technologies.

Kronos received $3.5 million from Tessera in exchange for the transfer of select patents for micro-cooling applications, with Kronos retaining the right to use these patents for applications outside of the micro-cooling market. The two companies also have the option to continue to jointly develop new technologies in this field.

"This agreement provides a significant validation of Kronos' technical expertise, while providing Tessera with the ability to further develop and commercialize this technology for a wide range of applications," said Daniel Dwight, president and CEO of Kronos.

Bruce McWilliams, president and CEO of Tessera said, "We look forward to collaborating with Kronos to build on what we believe is the earliest and most significant IP in this space."

PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island will reportedly attempt to establish a manufacturer-financed system for the collection, recycling and reuse of old computers and other consumer electronic waste, under a measure now before the R.I. General Assembly.

The measure, called the Electronic Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling Act (H7880 and S2631), also suggests state “encourage the design of covered electronic products that are less toxic, more durable and more recyclable.”

The measure would apply to new desktop and laptop computers, computer monitors, television sets, and TV or video display with a diagonally measured screen four inches or larger.

The legislation would bar non-complying manufacturers from offering the listed products in the state, and keep retailers from selling new electronic equipment from manufacturers that do not comply with the new law.

Manufacturers would be required to register each year by Sept. 1 and be assessed $5,000 per year. Companies on the list would then be required to provide a list of all brands it makes, sells or imports into Rhode Island.

Sheila Dormody, Rhode Island director of Clean Water Action, said in a statement, “When manufacturers are responsible for their waste, it creates a market incentive for them to reduce their costs by eliminating hazardous materials and designing products to be more durable, less toxic, and easier to recycle.”

Nine states have already passed legislation requiring manufacturers to contribute to the cost of collecting and recycling electronic waste produced by their products.

SCHAUMBURG, IL - Motorola will close its handset factory in Singapore by the end of the year, cutting 700 jobs. According to Mary Lamb, company spokesperson, the company will start shutting down the facilities from the second quarter.

In an ongoing effort to cut costs, the decision is part of a "strategic review of business operations" the company said an e-mailed statement.

Company CEO Greg Brown said in January that the company would start cutting costs in order to bring down expenses by $500 million. He didn't say how many jobs would be affected.

Motorola will maintain its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore, along with its research and software development centers also located there, according to the statement.

Videocon Group, the largest consumer electronics maker in India, is reportedly interested in the possible purchase of Motorola's mobile-phone business.