“Strong competition contributed to declining prices for semiconductors, which resulted in nominal growth on higher unit sales in July,” says George Scalise, SIA president. “Although unit sales of personal computers and cell phones are running well ahead of earlier projections, a very competitive market has resulted in substantial price attrition.” Scalise notes that the Gartner Group projects that prices for personal computers will decline by approximately 13% this year. Pathfinder Research projects an even more dramatic 25% decline in prices for desktop systems. Prices for cell phones are also declining in the face of strong competition. “Consumers are the beneficiaries,” Scalise notes.

(September 7, 2005) San Diego, Calif. &#8212 KIC has appointed Valencia, Spain-based Sogelectro s.l. to represent the company in Spain and Portugal. A specialized company with expertise in machinery, tools, consumables, and maintenance internationally, Sogelectro’s has offices throughout Spain and Portugal.

“KIC’s thermal management products for reflow, wave, curing, and rework are a perfect addition to Sogelectro’s existing products,” states MB Allen, general manager of KIC international sales and service in Europe. “Their sales and support team are quite impressive and have shown excellent relationships with their customers in Spain and Portugal. Their knowledge of the lead-free process allows them to assist many customers now making this transition.”