Gartner:2009 global chip industry revenue than expected to improve

According to data released by the U.S. market research firm Gartner latest data show that in 2009 the global semiconductor industry revenues totaled $212 billion, down $17.1% compared to $255 billion in 2008. Gartner has predicted that the second quarter of 2009, the chip industry sales revenue will be reduced by more than 22.4% in 2008, while the latest forecast is better than expected. Gartner research vice president Bryan Lewis said, the performance of the global semiconductor market better than expected in the second quarter of this year, the global semiconductor market growth of around 17% is evidence. Consumers PC and LCD TV price to make a positive response, the price elasticity of these products surprising. The semiconductor industry has also been driven by China's economic stimulus package, which effectively stimulates short-term demand. Governments around the world are quick to act and to prevent a recession on a large scale. "

According to reports, some of the leading chip manufacturers have announced second quarter revenue over the first three months of this year, revenue chain improvement is a good sign for PC and mobile phones and other industries. For example, Intel (IntEL) announced its 12% revenue growth continuously, and by 2008 revenue ranking, second semiconductor manufacturers Samsung (Samsung), announced that its revenue growth of 30%, the exchange rate and the yield of PC, stable memory price rebound driven by chip sales growth. Last year ranked eighth in the United States (Qualcomm) semiconductor supplier, it is reported that its mobile phone chip sales growth of 35.7%.

Although the 2009 global chip sales outlook has improved, however, Gartner analyst pointed out that this year the semiconductor market is expected to face two major areas of revenue decline. As the semiconductor industry the largest market range, 2009 application specific standard products (ASSP:application-specific standard product) revenue will reach $57 billion 200 million, compared with 2008, but fell by 16.5%. Sales of the second largest memory market is expected to reach $41 billion, compared with the same period last year fell by 13.5%. On the micro component Market (microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors), revenue will reach $39 billion 400 million this year, compared with 2008 fell by 19.2%.

Although the industry has seen the semiconductor industry revenue than expected in the second quarter of 2009 is better, but it is still uncertain whether the growth of the semiconductor industry will last until 2010. According to Gartner's latest forecast for semiconductor industry in 2010 showed that in 2010 the global chip revenues will reach $233 billion, compared with this year's forecast data grew by 10.3%.

Lewis said, the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first quarter of 2010, the annual revenue of the year to achieve the annual growth of 2010 is of great significance. Semiconductor revenues in the fourth quarter of this year is expected to grow slightly, will be consistent with the seasonal changes in previous years. However, it is reported that a number of chip manufacturers are worried that the fourth quarter of the demand decline may exceed the normal seasonal fluctuations, and this trend may continue until the first quarter of 2010. Gartner said that in the first quarter of 2010, global chip revenues may be 5% negative growth. "(http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090827PR200.html)