FRANKFURT, GERMANY - According to industry reports, the German PCB market started the year on a good note, with orders increasing by 8% from December 2007 to January 2008, as reported by the ZVEI, the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturer’s Association.

According to an association spokesman, “With longer delivery times and a longer planning periods, we have seen an increase in orders. Compared to December 2007, we see an 50% increase in order inflow.”

The German Book-to-Bill-Ratio reached 1.07.  Ratios higher than 1.0 indicate a trend toward increased sales.  Companies have also increased their staffing by 1%.

SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA – The TrueLogic Company has released its TrueChem SPC wet-process laboratory management software in simplified Chinese for use in China and elsewhere in Asia.

The company has stated that its translation of the software into Chinese is part of its move into Asia. The company has opened a new regional office in Singapore, and reports that it has also started a partnership to provide sales and service coverage throughout Greater China and Southeast Asia.

“We have several enterprise customers in China and elsewhere in Asia who have been waiting for our Chinese language release,” said Tobin Alexander of TrueLogic Asia.  “While we have quite a few English TrueChem implementations in China, clearly their preference is for Chinese.  We’re very optimistic about the opportunity for TrueChem in the Middle Kingdom.”

The company has said it will also be releasing TrueChem in other languages such as Thai and Vietnamese in coming months.