Untitled

2012

Prepared by

Ferhat Ünlükal

10/29/2012

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY REPORT


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BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY REPORT OCTOBER 2012

Headlines

Consumer Electronics (CE)

• Samsung Electronics reported a record quarterly profit of $7.3 billion

• Samsung is reportedly starting to procure 40-inch LCD TV panels from Sharp's 10G production.

• Samsung is planning to open several innovation centres outside South Korea.

• Spotify has launched on Samsung's Smart TVs.

• LG Electronics reported a third quarter swing back to profit.

• LG has teamed up with Gram, the organization established by HP to handle the WebOS Project.

• LG Electronics USA has entered into an agreement with The Walt Disney Studios.

• Sony says it plans to close a factory in central Japan.

• Japan-based TV vendors such as Sony and Toshiba have plans to start using 39- and 50-inch LCD TV panels.

• Haier is planning to double its production capacity in India.

• Fisher and Paykel Appliances said shareholders should reject a takeover.

• Haier Group announced it is poised to complete a takeover bid.

• Foxconn Technology Group’s plan to buy a stake in Sharp (6753) Corp. may end after the Japanese TV maker signed loans from banks.

• NEC Corp. said it has sold a liquid crystal display panel patent to Foxconn.

• Foxconn Electronics and Sharp have been cooperating to develop a 60-inch LCD TV model.

• Foxconn Zhengzhou factory have gone on strike off of the onsite quality control line.

• Wistron has reportedly landed OEM LCD TV orders from China-based brand Haier.

• Kitchen appliance retailer Appliances Online has teamed up with Beko.

• The global penetration of smart TVs will rise to 50% in 2013.

• The Global smart TV market is expected to ship 198.2 million smart TVs by 2017.

• India smart TV market was valued at $0.22 billion in 2011 and is expected to reach $10.41 billion by 2017.

• LCD TV shipments from China-based brand vendors to the domestic market during the fourth quarter of 2012 will reach 13-13.5 million units.

• China's TV market is still showing steady growth.

• Global consumer electronics original equipment manufacturer (OEM) revenues this year will rise to US$361 billion, up from US$356 billion in 2011.

• The annual growth rate for unit shipments of digital set-top boxes in 2012 will exceed 15%.

ICT

• Apple is expected to ship 9-10 million units of the new tablet in the fourth quarter.

• Apple Inc will host an event on October 23 where it is expected to unveil a smaller iPad.

• Apple this week unveiled its highly anticipated iPad mini

• Apple tablet products are expected to stay strong in terms of sales.

• Apple will reportedly announce a 13-inch MacBook Pro.

• Apple has filed applications for seven patents.


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• Apple's Passbook technology has come under legal attack by hospitality software solutions.

• Samsung has unveiled a smaller and cheaper version of the Galaxy S III smartphone.

• Google has unveiled its latest Chromebook.

• Samsung Electronics is mulling over opening a new mobile phone production facility in Vietnam.

• Samsung and Google are boosting their alliance in preparation to launch a 10.1-inch Nexus tablet PC.

• LG and T-Mobile announced that the stylish and powerful LG Optimus.

• The LG Nexus 4 smartphone will be unveiled at next week.

• LG Electronics USA and SOTI Inc announced that the next generation of LG 4G LTE mobile devices.

• Nokia Oyj has agreed to give Oracle Corp's customers access to its mapping products.

• Nokia has been ousted from the world’s top five smartphone makers for the first time.

• HTC Corp. reported a 79 percent drop in third quarter profit.

• RIM has struck an agreement to help manage security technology that will make it possible for many Canadians to pay with their smartphones

• Barnes & Noble and Microsoft announced the completion of their previously announced "strategic partnership" for NOOK Media LLC.

• General Motors will hire 3,000 workers from Hewlett-Packard.

• Acer Inc reported third quarter net profit of $2.32 million.

• Cisco and Citrix announced a significant expansion of their successful desktop virtualization partnership.

• Celeno Communications and ZTE announced a partnership to develop a range of wireless products.

• Accenture has acquired the software and skills of Nokia Siemens Networks Internet Protocol television (IPTV) business.

• Nokia Siemens Networks announced the expansion of its LTE Portfolio.

• Siemens has identified about 8,000 potential job cuts.

• Foxconn have moved inland for cheaper labour.

• Foxconn may be looking to diversify its revenue base.

• The arrival of the smaller iPad will drive the market for 7in tablets to nearly double in 2012 and 2013.

• China successfully launched another satellite.

Panel Industry

• Sharp has started production of 5-inch full-HD.

• Sharp Corp. will expand production bases for its newest liquid crystal display panels.

• Sharp announced the AQUOS Phone Zeta SH-02E for DoCoMo.

• Sharp Corp. plans to drastically reduce production of liquid crystal display panels for televisions.

• Sharp is also in separate talks to raise money by issuing convertible bonds to Intel.

• Panasonic will stop production of LCD and plasma TV panels next year.

• LG Display Co. returned to profit for the first time.

• LG Display has acquired most of the panel orders for Apple.

• LG and Samsung will most likely start to lose the market share in tablet PC.

• Samsung has decided to terminate an ongoing contract with Apple to supply LCD panels.

• AUO is still expected to report losses for the third quarter of 2012.

• AU Optronics (AUO) is still facing issues with mass producing 4.3-inch AMOLED panels.

• AU Optronics (AUO) has announced its 65-inch ultra HD (4K) IGZO TV panel technology.

• AUO announced the world's narrowest border on its 4.46-inch cell phone.

• Chimei Innolux (CMI) and AU Optronics (AUO) are expected to see increased consolidated revenues.


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• AUO is expected to benefit the most from its signed patent cross-licensing agreements with E Ink.

• AUO has announced that it has signed patent cross-licensing agreements with E Ink Holdings.

• AU Optronics (AUO) is holding an optimistic outlook for 2013.

• CMI and AUO are likely to face excessive supply of their LCD TV panel products in the fourth quarter of 2012.

• AUO aims to ship four million iPad Mini panels in the fourth quarter.

• AUO has accused two former R&D exeuctives of leaking trade secrets

• CMI has announced that its consolidated revenues for September 2012 reached US$1.5 billion.

• CMI still remains the top LCD TV panel supplier to China-based TV vendors.

• CMI is likely to expand its production of 39-inch TV panels to over one million units a month in 2013.

• CSOT will increase its monthly shipments of TFT LCD panels.

• CSOTannounced that its 8.5G LCD panel production line has reached full capacity three months ahead of the original schedule.

• CSOT has surpassed BOE in TV panel shipments.

• Worldwide FPD revenues will reach US$120 billion in 2012, up 8% from US$111 billion in 2011.

• The global flexible display market is forecast to be worth USD 3,298 million by 2017, at 45.1% CAGR during 2012-2017.

• Market observers in the panel industry are holding conservative views for large-size panel growth in 2013.

• Large-size panel prices will remain steady.

• Panel makers instead are focused on producing 39-, 50- and 58-inch size panels.

• Windows 8 in particular will be a big driver for panel makers.

• Overall iPad 3 LCD panel shipments are expected to increase to -14M units in 2Q12 from 6-7M units in 1Q12.

Component & Semiconductor Industry

• Intel, has announced a sharp drop in quarterly profits.

• Advanced Micro Devices has swung to a net loss in the third quarter of 2012.

• Broadcom reported third quarter sales of $2.13 billion.

• Broadcom announced a joint development agreement with Hyundai Motor to power the next-generation connected car.

• Broadcom announced availability for TR-069 protocol support.

• NXP Semiconductors' SmartMX2 secure microcontroller has been awarded the Common Criteria EAL6+ certification.

• sMedio announced that it is partnering with NXP to optimize its WiFi.

• Atmel Corporation has introduced a new family of 8-channel LED drivers.

• OMRON and STMicroelectronics announced the completion of the development of a MEMS-based gas flow sensor.

• STMicro has collaborated with Microsoft Corp. to develop a motion and orientation Human Interface Device sensor solution for the Windows 8.

• Freesclae is demonstrating dual-PAN functionality.

• Renesas and Grid2Home reiterated their dedication to continued collaboration on the creation of Smart Energy Protocol (SEP) 2.0-compliant solutions.

• Qualcomm is the latest member of the Heterogeneous System Architecture Foundation.

• CSR Plc posted a 33 percent rise in quarterly operating profit.

• TSMC has unveiled its 20nm and Chip on Wafer on Substrate (CoWoS) design support.

• MStar has announced consolidated revenues of US$124 million for September 2012


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• ALi Corporation announced that its new DVB-T high definition STB system-on-chip.

• ALi and MNITI have agreed to join forces on introducing a reference set-top-box solution to assist Russian STB manufacturer.

• Skyworks Solutions, has commenced volume shipments of several medium to high-power ZigBee front-end solutions.

• Calxeda announced that it plans to formally roll out its first 64bit server chip by 2014.

• Diodes Inc. has recently announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Power Analog Microelectronics.

• FocalTech Systems has cooperated with China-based LCD panel maker Shenzhen Tianma Micro-electronics to develop in-cell touch technology.

• In 2012, the LCD backlight unit market size approximated US$15.5 billion, down 3.1% from US$16 billion in 2011.

• The worldwide consumption value of General Lighting OLEDs will reached (only) $34.8 million; consumption value is forecast to increase at an average annual growth rate of 104 percent to $1.19 billion in 2016.

• The market value of functional OLED materials will grow from its current value of approximately $1.7 million in 2012 to over $1.1 billion in 2019.

• Global MEMS market to grow at a CAGR of 12.4 percent over the period 2011-2015.

• The market for combo motion sensors will rise by more than 700 per cent at the end of the year.

• The output value of China's IC foundry industry will reach US$3.29 billion in 2012, up 13.7% from US$2.89 billion in 2011.

• Global WSN chipset shipments for home automation and entertainment will reach 400 million in 2016.

• Taiwan-based IC design houses have seen improvements in order visibility.

• Total wireless combo IC’s annual market shipments are expected to surpass 2 billion units by 2017.

Service&Content Industry

• Deutsche Telekom is in talks to merge its T-Mobile USA unit with smaller rival MetroPCS.

• Deutsche Telekom aims to complete the merger of its T-Mobile U.S. unit with MetroPCS.

• Vodafone Ireland has acquired Dublin-based data network provider, Complete Telecom.

• Vodacom Group has launched the first commercial 4G LTE service in South Africa.

• Japan’s Softbank Corp. has agreed to buy a controlling stake in Sprint Nextel Corp. for $20.1 billion.

• JCOM is eyeing an acquisition of its main domestic rival, Japan Cablenet.

• Turkcell has reported that its third quarter revenues rose by 9 percent to TRY 2.75 billion.

• LG Uplus has become the first IPTV provider to offer an integrated Google TV set-top box.

• The British Film Institute (BFI) will invest nearly 500 million pounds.

• CX is leading the industry as one of the first cloud storage providers.

• Worldwide fixed broadband market continues to grow across different regions to reach 618.7 million subscribers at the end of 2012.

• The global market of services on connected TVs will reach USD $3.23 Billion in 2016.

• The global broadcasting & cable tv market grew by 4.6% in 2011 to reach a value of $400.6 billion.

• In 2012 there are around 55 million IPTV subscribers worldwide and the market grew by around 30% between 2010/2011.

• Mobile subcriptions worldwide is 6 billion.

• eMarketer predicts that in the apparel and accessories category alone, e-commerce sales in the U.S. will grow to $224.2 Billion by the end of 2012.


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Software Industry

• Microsoft posted lower earnings and revenues.

• Steve Ballmer has confirmed he plans to release more devices

• The launch of Windows 8 is a more significant event.

• Microsoft kicked off a campaign for its newest operating system, Windows 8, and its Surface tablet computer.

• Microsoft’s new operating system (OS), the technology giant is attempting to rethink its platform to bring in big changes.

• Windows 8 will be getting a completely-redesigned version of Internet Explorer.

• Microsoft Corp opened its Windows 8 operating system for pre-orders.

• Microsoft Corp said it plans to add Google Inc as a defendant in Germany.

• Microsoft's Surface RT tablets for sale at US$499-699 are expected to put large competitive pressure on Widows 8 tablets.

• Motorola achieved a rare victory against software giant Microsoft (MSFT) in a patent case.

• Microsoft has bought multi-factor authentication specialist PhoneFactor.

• Oracle intends to drive growth at the world's No. 3 software maker by promoting its current suite of cloud computing products and not through an acquisition.

• There will be 2.3 billion computers, tablets and smartphones using Android software, compared with 2.28 billion Windows devices.

Hospitality Industry

• Roomlinx said it has expanded its existing agreement with Starz Entertainment.

• Locatel has acquired Docomo Intertouch Europe.

Healthcare Industry

• The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new

partnership called the 'm-Health' Initiative.

• The global smart pill technology market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 17 percent and will be worth $965 million by 2017.

• The global digital pathology market is estimated to be $191.00 million in 2012.

Retail and Payment Industry

• VeriFone announced an international expansion of the SAIL mobile payments platform with an agreement with Isracard Ltd.

• VeriFone formally unveiled the next evolution of media at gas stations.

• Ingenico said its third quarter revenue was Euro 311.3 million.

• Starbucks will begin accepting payments through Square’s Wallet mobile app this fall.

• PayPal is planning to cut as much as 3 percent of its workforce.

• Isıs will start the operation on Oct 22. • Isis is out being tested at hundreds of

merchant locations. • Groupon is increasing its bet on

payments with the introduction of Breadcrumb.

• Turkcell , has developed the most advanced mobile wallet solution in the world.

• Turkcell has announced that the "Cep-T Paracard" has received the "Best Global Prepaid Innovation" category award at the Prepaid Awards UK & Global 2012.

• Agilysys, Inc. announced the availability of Agilysys Elevate™, the company's next-generation point-of-sale solution.

• Carrefour is selling its Colombian assets for US$2.6 billion.

• Future POS Inc. announce the release of two new mobile apps for restaurants.

• The Merchant Customer Exchange has announced that six new companies have joined its group of retailers.

• In the year 2016, more than $100 billion in NFC payments will be processed.


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Energy Industry

• Hitachi Ltd, is close to buying British nuclear new-build project Horizon in a deal.

• Siemens announced that it plans to sell off its solar business activities.

• Taiwan-based BenQ Solar is currently showcasing its latest AC Unison integrated solar PV solution

• Foxconn and GCL-Poly Energy Holdings will build and jointly operate a solar- power plant in China’s Shanxi province.

• SmartEnergy IP announced being awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to create the Smart Grid Customer Education Working Group.

• HEM investment will be more conservative than other areas in the smart grid, utilities in North America will spend approximately $577.8 million by 2016.

• The global smart gas meter market to exceed 10 million units a year by 2015.

• Japan is set to lead work to decide global standards for large storage batteries.

• Global Smart Energy Meter market to grow at a CAGR of 23.15 percent over the period 2011-2015.

Consumer Electronics (CE)

Samsung

Financial

• Samsung Electronics reported a record quarterly profit of $7.3 billion, nearly double last year's figure, as strong sales of high-end TVs and Galaxy smartphones more than offset reduced orders for chips and screens from Apple Inc, its main rival and leading customer.

• Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) expects Q4 profit to decrease from Q3 levels as competition increases in smartphones during the year's peak sales season. An executive from Samsung said: "We expect increases in marketing expenses and even more intense competition in Q4 ," says the Wall Street Journal.

Samsung’s stock performance

40’’ LCD TV panels from Sharp’s 10G

• Samsung Electronics is reportedly starting to procure as many as 100,000 40-inch LCD TV panels from Sharp's 10G production line per month, according to industry sources.

Innovation center

• Samsung's newly appointed chief strategy officer, Samsung Electronics is planning to open several innovation centres outside South Korea as part of a project to reinvent the company and


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catch the next wave of business and consumer-driven opportunities.

Music Streaming Service

• Spotify has launched on Samsung's Smart TVs, marking the first time that the popular music streaming service has been offered by a TV manufacturer.

• A new Spotify App is now available on selected Samsung internet-connected TV sets, Blu-ray Players and home theatre systems today, enabling users to stream a library of more than 18 million songs.

LG

Financial

• South Korea's LG Electronics reported a third quarter swing back to profit on compared to a huge loss a year ago, after its mobile phone business moved back into the black. Net profit of the country's second-largest mobile phone maker was 157.1 billion won ($142.4 million) for July-September compared to a net loss of 415.3 billion won in the same 2011 period, LG said in a statement.

• Operating profit stood at 220.5 billion won in a sharp turnaround from a loss of 31.9 billion won a year ago. It was higher than the average of 152 billion won forecast by six analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires.

LG’s stock performance

Cooperation with Gram for WebOS

• LG has teamed up with Gram, the organization established by HP to handle the WebOS project, to create a television that will be running on the open-source operating system, according to a new report from WebOS Nation. That blog reports that LG and Gram have been working closely for several months on the project.

• The road to Gram has been a long and hard one for HP. In 2010, the company made the ill-advised decision to acquire Palm for $1.2 billion. After a few product launches -- including the HP Veer smartphone and TouchPad tablet -- turned customers away, HP quietly folded the operation.

Cooperation with Walt Disney

• LG Electronics USA has entered into an agreement with The Walt Disney Studios to add popular 3D movies for rental to the "3D World" application on LG's Smart TV platform.

Sony

Closing a factory and cutting jobs

• Sony says it plans to close a factory in central Japan, tweaking its restructuring plan by cutting 2000 jobs from its workforce in moves expected to save it $US385 million ($A373.19 million).

Sony’s stock performance


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Using 39 and 50’’ LCD TV Panel

• Japan-based TV vendors such as Sony and Toshiba have plans to start using 39- and 50-inch LCD TV panels made by Taiwan-based panel makers AU Optronics (AUO) and Chimei Innolux (CMI), according to industry sources.

Haier

Acquition of Fisher and Paykel

• The board of New Zealand cooking and laundry appliance maker Fisher and Paykel Appliances said shareholders should reject a takeover offer by cornerstone shareholder Haier Group because it undervalued the company.

• Chinese home appliance giant Haier Group announced it is poised to complete a takeover bid for the small but well-regarded New Zealand manufacturer Fisher & Paykel Appliances after sweetening an earlier offer.

Haier’s stock performance

Double production in India

• Chinese durables major Haier is planning to double its production capacity in Ranjangoan facility near Pune in a bid to consolidate its position in the Indian market in the next two years.

Foxconn

Buying stake in Sharp

• Foxconn Technology Group’s plan to buy a stake in Sharp (6753) Corp. may end after the Japanese TV maker signed loans from banks, giving the Taiwanese manufacturer a reason to exit its commitment to help the unprofitable company.

• Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry is asking Sharp to turn the Japanese company's small and mid-sized liquid crystal display panel (LCD) business into a joint venture between the two, Yomiuri newspaper reported.

Foxconn’s stock performance

Buying patents of NEC

• NEC Corp. said it has sold a liquid crystal display panel patent to Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. for ¥9.45 billion. The electronics giant has decided to secure additional revenues by selling the patent for personal computer and mobile phone displays, NEC officials said.

Cooperation with Sharp for 60’’ LCD TV

• Foxconn Electronics and Sharp have been cooperating to develop a 60-inch LCD TV model for sale under the brand SIO, which is likely to be launched in October, according to industry sources.

• The TV's panels are expected to be produced at Sharp's 10G plant and the model is estimated to have a price of US$999 in North America markets. The sources said there is a probability the


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TV will be released in October but that mass production for it may need to wait until the beginning of 2013.

Strike off

• According to a new report by New York based China Labor Watch, approximately 3,000 workers at the Foxconn Zhengzhou factory have gone on strike off of the onsite quality control line, paralyzing multiple iPhone 5 production lines for the entire day. A combination of tightening quality control requirements coupled with mandatory shifts during the holiday reportedly led to violence and the strike. The strike echoes an event from last month, where 2,000 workers at a different factory staged a walkout and strike, shutting down production for a day.

Wistron

Orders from Haier

• Wistron has reportedly landed OEM LCD TV orders from China-based brand Haier with shipments to start at a rate of 100,000 units a month initially in October 2012, according to a Chinese-languageCommercial Times report.

• Haier's total orders are likely to reach 2-3 million units in 2013, which will be efficiently boosting the capacity utilization rate of Wistron's plant in Zhongshan, China, said the paper.

• The Zhongshan plant has been operating at a low gear after Sony switched its orders for four million LCD TVs from Wistron to Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) this year, added the paper.

Wistron’s stock performance

Arçelik

Teaming up with Appliances Online

• Kitchen appliance retailer Appliances Online has teamed up with Beko to cater for families looking for quality white goods without the hefty price tag.

CE Market

Smart TV Market

• According to 6Wresearch, the Global smart TV market is expected to ship 198.2 million smart TVs by 2017, growing at a CAGR of 20.8% from 2012-2017.

• According to 6Wresearch, India smart TV market was valued at $0.22 billion in 2011 and is expected to reach $10.41 billion by 2017, growing at a CAGR of 87.02% during the period 2012-2017.

LCD TV Shipments in China

• LCD TV shipments from China-based brand vendors to the domestic market during the fourth quarter of 2012 will reach 13-13.5 million units due to various holiday seasons during the period as well as the government's energy-saving subsidies that provide funding for LCD TVs, according to market observers.

• LCD TV sales in China from September 8 to October 7 reached 6.7 million


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units, up 1.8% from 2011, due to two major holidays (Moon Festival and National Day) during that period, according to WitsView.

Local Players in China

• As China has become the world's largest LCD TV market and China-based vendors have dominated the market, local TV panel makers are moving product development forward from mainstream 32- and 37-inch sizes to larger sizes such as 55-inch and higher resolutions such as 4Kx2K, according to industry sources.

• China's TV market is still showing steady growth and there is high demand for TV products from local vendors as almost 80% of the TV market share in China is to local-based vendors. Local consumers are reportedly becoming more interested in large-size TVs along with ones that have higher resolutions, added the sources.

Global Consumer Electronics Market

• Global consumer electronics market revenues are set to expand by a scant 1.3% in 2012 as brands focus on low pricing during the holiday season to lure buyers impacted by weak global economic conditions.

• Global consumer electronics original equipment manufacturer (OEM) revenues this year will rise to US$361 billion, up from US$356 billion in 2011, according to the IHS iSuppli Home and Consumer Electronics Service. Revenues during the fourth quarter, encompassing the peak holiday sales season that starts with Black Friday, will amount to US$99 billion, up 2.2% from US$96 billion during the same period in 2011.

IHS iSuppli: Global consumer electronics OEM revenues, 1Q11-4Q12 (US$m)

1Q11 2Q11 3Q11 4Q11 1Q12 2Q12 3Q12 4Q12

Revenues

80,005 84,579 95,101 96,376 77,693 86,915 97,634 9

8,516

Source: IHS iSuppli, compiled by Digitimes, October 2012

Digital STB

• MRG projects that the annual growth rate for unit shipments of digital set-top boxes in 2012 will exceed 15%. Total worldwide unit shipments will end the year at 250 million, a new record high.

• Significant challenges to the set-top box market exist. Foremost among these is the potential virtualization of the set-top box. Virtualization could shift the functionality of the set-top box into a software platform or even the Internet cloud.

Smart TV and new IC vendors

• As smart TVs have become a main source of profitability for LCD TV vendors and the global penetration of smart TVs will rise to 50% in 2013 based on Gartner projections, smart TV vendors have been seeking alternative chip suppliers to MediaTek to avoid the company's upper hand in price negotiations, according to industry sources. In terms of providing TV chips, MediaTek is likely to reach a global market share of nearly 80% following its merger with MStar Semiconductor, the sources said. Gartner expects smart TV penetration rate to increase to as high as 80% as of 2016.

• Taiwan-based Novatek Microelectronics and Realtek may be two of the alternative sources, the sources added.


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ICT Industry

Apple

New Tablet PC

• Apple is expected to ship 9-10 million units of the new tablet in the fourth quarter, but it remains to be seen whether AUO and LG Display - the other panel supplier for iPad Mini - can meet the target, the sources said.

Apple’s stock performance

iPad Mini

• Apple Inc will host an event on October 23 where it is expected to unveil a smaller iPad that will take on the less expensive devices offered by Amazon.com Inc and Google Inc, a source familiar with the matter said.

• Apple this week unveiled its highly anticipated iPad mini, a 7.9in tablet available that will became available to pre-order today, ahead of its 2 November launch date.

• Apple Inc will begin to sell an 8-inch version of the iPad on Friday to compete with smaller tablets including Amazon.com Inc's Kindle, but set a higher-than-expected price tag of $329 that Wall Street fears could curb demand.

Tablet PC

• Apple tablet products are expected to stay strong in terms of sales and the

amount of tablet users is expected to keep increasing, with estimations that tablet users may reach around 124 million globally by 2014, up from 78 million in 2011.

13’’ Macbook Pro

• Apple will reportedly announce a 13-inch MacBook Pro at its rumored iPad Mini launch event on Oct. 23. Apple has not confirmed the existence of the iPad Mini or even sent out invites for the event, but is expected to do so early this week.

Advanced Camera Patents

• Apple has filed applications for seven patents that relate to advanced camera features that could be introduced in future iOS devices.

• Patently Apple reports that Apple’s new patent applications detail advanced red-eye technology and gesture techniques that could be used to improve the camera in future iPhones and iPads.

Legal Attack

• Apple's Passbook technology has come under legal attack by hospitality software solutions purveyor Ameranth. The developer is asserting four patents against Apple claiming that Apple is fully aware of the existence of the patents. The suit seeks triple damages for willful infringement, associated fees, and any other relief that the court "may deem just and proper."

Samsung

New Galaxy S

• Samsung Electronics Co. has unveiled a smaller and cheaper version of the Galaxy S III smartphone with the same screen size as the iPhone 5.


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Chromebook

• Google has unveiled its latest Chromebook -- a thin, light, Samsung-built laptop priced at $250.

Production in Vietnam

• Samsung Electronics is mulling over opening a new mobile phone production facility in Vietnam following its successful operations in Bac Ninh province, several local news outlets reported last week. Building a technology complex will ring Samsung up by $700 million.

Nexus Tablet PC with Google

• Samsung Electronics and Google are boosting their alliance in preparation to launch a 10.1-inch Nexus tablet PC.

LG Electronics

Optimus with T-Mobile

• LG Electronics USA and T-Mobile USA , Inc., announced that the stylish and powerful LG Optimus L9 smartphone will be available this fall.

Nexus 4

• The LG Nexus 4 smartphone will be unveiled at next week's Android event, it has been confirmed, according to Digital Spy.

Cooperation with SOTI

• LG Electronics USA and SOTI Inc., a world leader in enterprise mobile device management (MDM) solutions, announced that the next generation of LG 4G LTE mobile devices - starting with the LG Intuition, will incorporate SOTI¹s award-winning MobiControl MDM solution.

• SOTI leverages new LG APIs (application programming interfaces)

and its exclusive Android+ APIs to create an enterprise-grade solution to help address even the most stringent compliance requirements.

Nokia

Cooperation with Oracle for LBS

• Nokia Oyj has agreed to give Oracle Corp's customers access to its mapping products, as the mobile phone company seeks to expand its location services business.

• The Finnish company, which bought the world's largest digital mapping firm, Navteq, in 2008, has been looking for ways to boost the business and recently signed mapping deals with Groupon Incand Amazon.Com Inc.

Nokia’s stock performance

Market Position

• Nokia (Stockholm: NOKI-SEK.ST - news) has been ousted from the world’s top five smartphone makers for the first time, as figures showed the growing strength of China’s technology firms.

HTC

Financial

• Taiwan smartphone maker HTC Corp. reported a 79 percent drop in third quarter profit as intensifying competition from Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. hurt sales.


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HTC’s stock performance

RIM

Mobile Payment

• Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) has struck an agreement to help manage security technology that will make it possible for many Canadians to pay with their smartphones through "mobile wallets." The BlackBerry-maker said Monday it has been chosen by EnStream, a mobile payment company set up by Canada's three largest wireless networks, to provide the security infrastructure that would make the technology work at retailers.

RIM’s stock performance

Barnes&Noble

Cooperation with Microsoft

• Nook maker Barnes & Noble and Microsoft announced the completion of their previously announced "strategic partnership" for NOOK Media LLC.

Barnes&Noble’s stock performance

HP

Hiring workers by GM

• General Motors will hire 3,000 workers from Hewlett-Packard as the carmaker moves more computer functions in-house.

HP’s stock performance

Acer

Financial

• Taiwanese PC maker Acer Inc reported third quarter net profit of T$68 million ($2.32 million), well below estimates.

Acer’s stock performance


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Cisco

Cooperation with Citrix for cloud computing

• Cisco and Citrix announced a significant expansion of their successful desktop virtualization partnership into three strategic areas: cloud networking, cloud orchestration, and mobile workstyles.

Cisco’s stock performance

ZTE

Partnership with Celeno for IPTV services

• Celeno Communications, a leading provider of high-performance Wi-Fi chips and software for HD multimedia and high-performance data home networking applications, and ZTE Corporation (“ZTE”), a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, announced a partnership to develop a range of wireless products that address IPTV service providers’ growing need for carrier-grade Wi-Fi solutions.

ZTE’s stock performance

Nokia - Siemens

IPTV Assets acquired by Accenture

• Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has acquired the software and skills of Nokia Siemens Networks Internet Protocol television (IPTV) business. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

LTE

• Nokia Siemens Networks announced the expansion of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) portfolio. The company aims to help mobile operators increase their coverage and further improve network efficiency and speed.

• Nokia Siemens Networks has announced that it is extending its partnership with China Mobile with a new deal for the deployment of TD-LTE in three cities by the end of 2012.

Siemens

Job Cuts

• Siemens has identified about 8,000 potential job cuts globally, a number that may reach 10,000 by year-end as chief executive Peter Loescher seeks to boost efficiency, a person familiar with the plan said.

Siemens’s stock performance


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Foxconn

Moving Inland for cheaper Labour

• As wages in China's manufacturing coastal cities jump, companies like Foxconn that assemble the iPad and iPhone have moved inland for cheaper labour.

• A new Foxconn factory in the central province of Henan has recruited 120,000 workers and claims to be expanding.

Diversifying the product line

• According to Digitimes, Apple currently accounts for more than 40 percent of Foxconn's sales, which is a windfall in good times but a problem that could bring down the company to its knees should Apple begin to pull orders or experience problems on its own. Not surprisingly, Foxconn may be looking to diversify its revenue base with other high volume products.

Celestica

Financial after losing ECM contract

• Celestica Inc. (TSX:CLS) says its restructuring efforts will stretch into next year as it works to broaden its customer base after losing its manufacturing contract with Research In Motion (TSX:RIM), once its biggest customer.

• The Toronto-based electronic component manufacturer said that third-quarter earnings dropped 13 per cent to $43.7 million, or 21 cents per share, from $50.2 million or 23 cents per share a year earlier.

Celestica’s stock performance

ICT Market

Tablet Market

• According to the latest data from IHS, the arrival of the smaller iPad will drive the market for 7in tablets to nearly double in 2012 and 2013. Global sales of 7in tablets are expected to rise by about 100 per cent this year to 34 million units, up from 17 million in 2011. Sales will nearly double again in 2013, rising 96 per cent to 67 million, added the market research firm.

Figure: Worldwide Tablet Sales Forecast by Size (In Thousands of Units) Source: IHS Research, October 2012.

• The 7in size range will account for 28 per cent of all tablets this year, up from 24 per cent in 2011. In 2013, the 7.xin share will rise to 33 per cent. IHS iSuppli regards its 2013 forecast for 7.xin tablet sales as conservative, with some factors potentially boosting the market to higher levels for the year.


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Launching satellite for navigation

• China successfully launched another satellite into space for its indigenous global navigation and positioning network.

Flat Panel Industry

Sharp

CG-Silicon Technology panels

• Sharp has started production of 5-inch full-HD (1080 by 1920) LCD panels for smartphones with a pixel density of 443 ppi. Production began at the end of September 2012 and full-scale production will begin in October.

• Sharp says the new display uses “CG-Silicon technology” to fit “the same number of pixels in a smartphone-size screen as there are in a full-HD LCD TV.” Google (GOOG) is rumored to be partnering up with HTC (2498) to build the 5-inch Nexussmartphone with a 1080p resolution display. Aside from the Oppo Find 5 that uses a 5-inch 1080p LCD, most smartphones and “phablets” usually top out at 720p (1280 x 720 resolution). Sharp’s new LCDs will usher in a new age of visual clarity on smartphones.

Sharp’s stock performance

IGZO LCD Display

• Sharp Corp. will expand production bases for its newest liquid crystal display panels in hopes of turning around its flagging LCD business, industry sources said.

• Sharp's IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) panels, which boast higher picture quality and lower power use, are only produced at its No. 2 panel plant in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture. Sharp wants to secure higher


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production capacity by converting its LCD plant in Tenri, Nara Prefecture, to handle the new panels, they said.

• The Kameyama plant is expected to focus on making IGZO panels for notebook and tablet computers via long-term deals with the Lenovo Group Ltd., Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. The plant in Tenri will mainly churn out smaller panels for smartphones, the sources said.

IGZO LCD for Smartphone

• Sharp announced the AQUOS Phone Zeta SH-02E for DoCoMo, the first device equipped with the company's new IGZO LCD technology.

Reducing production of LCD TV panels

• Sharp Corp. plans to drastically reduce production of liquid crystal display panels for televisions at its plant in Mie Prefecture and shift the focus to producing LCD panels for smartphones, according to the company's restructuring plan.

• The struggling electronics maker intends to end production of 32-inch LCD panels for home-use TVs at the Kameyama plant around 2014 as prices for such TVs have plunged amid intense competition with South Korean rivals, according to the restructuring plan, which was obtained Wednesday.

• The plant produces "Kameyama model" televisions that are highly praised in Japan for their quality.

Raising Money by issuing bonds to Intel

• Sharp is also in separate talks to raise money by issuing convertible bonds to Intel and aims to reach an agreement by the end of the month, the paper said.

Panasonic

Stop production of LCD and Plasma Panel

• According to Reuters, Panasonic will stop production of LCD and plasma TV panels next year, focusing instead on small and midsize panels for products like tablets.

Panasonic’s stock performance

LG Display

Financial

• LG Display Co. returned to profit for the first time in over a year as strong demand for the iPhone 5 and tablet computers increased sales of its display panels.The South Korean company said it earned 158 billion won ($144 million) in the July-September third quarter, turning around from a loss of 688 billion won a year earlier. It was its first quarterly profit since the April-June quarter of 2011.

LG Display’s stock performance


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Panel orders from Apple

• LG Display (LPL) has acquired most of the panel orders for Apple's (AAPL) new products announced this week, reports DigiTimes. Citing industry sources, AU Optronics (AUO) will also supply panels for the iPad mini.

Excessive supply of LCD TV panel

• LG Display and Samsung Electronics now hold a 60% market proportion of panels produced for tablets but will most likely start to lose ground to Panasonic, Sharp and AU Optronics (AUO) in the near future, according to industry sources.

Samsung Display

Terminating LCD panel supply to Apple

• Samsung has decided to terminate an ongoing contract with Apple to supply LCD panels for use in its growing range of devices. That means, come next year, there will be no Samsung panels used across the iPad, iPod, iPhone, and Mac range of devices.

• Samsung Display was the top panel supplier to Apple as of the end of the first six months of this year, shipping over 15 million LCDs, followed by its biggest rival LG Display with 12.5 million and Japan's Sharp with 2.8 million, the Korea Times said, citing market research firm DisplaySearch.

AUO

Financial

• Despite the increase in panel orders, AUO is still expected to report losses for the third quarter of 2012 due to recent fines it incurred from a price-fixing lawsuit, making it the eighth consecutive quarter the company will face losses.

• LCD panel maker AU Optronics (AUO) has announced that its third-quarter

2012 consolidated revenues reached NT$102.781 billion (US$3.509 billion), up 8% from the previous quarter, but net loss widened to NT$16.479 billion from the second quarter's loss of NT$12.461 billion.

• Third-quarter shipments of large-size panels reached around 33.2 million units, up by 4.6% on quarter, according to AUO. Shipments of small to medium-size panels were around 42.2 million units, up 11.1% sequentially.

AUO’s stock performance

AMOLED Display

• AU Optronics (AUO) is still facing issues with mass producing 4.3-inch AMOLED panels but is expected to solve the problems sometime in 2013, according to company vice president Dagang Wu.

• AUO originally planned to mass produce 4.3-inch panels for use in smartphones in the second quarter of 2012, but faced issues with low yield rates. AUO said the panels are at the sampling stage and will be ready for mass production in 2013.

• Wu also said he is optimistic about the use of AMOLED panels in smartphones from 2013-2014, stating that the technology is expected to start replacing LCDs. This will increase AMOLED penetration rate to 20%.

65’’ 4K IGZO TV Panel

• AU Optronics (AUO) has announced its 65-inch ultra HD (4K) IGZO TV panel technology. The indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) technology was adopted


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to achieve an ultra HD of 3840x2160, which is four times the resolution of full HD. The panels create image depth for more stereoscopic pictures. Also, with higher light transmittance comes lower power consumption, making the panel even lighter and slimmer, according to the company.

The narrowest border on 4.46’’ panel

• AU Optronics Corp. ("AUO" or the "Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO), announced the world's narrowest border (*) on its 4.46-inch cell phone and touch panel integration technology. AUO's proprietary super narrow border technology and low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) method are applied to reduce the border width to just 1mm when touch panel is placed on the module surface, allowing the screen to appear in its largest at the cell phone's display area. In addition, AMOLED, IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) and AHVA (Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle) technologies are being developed by AUO to constantly drive the trends for ultra high resolution, ultra wide viewing angle and super narrow border technologies.

Increased revenues due to the orders

• TFT-LCD panel makers Chimei Innolux (CMI) and AU Optronics (AUO) are expected to see increased consolidated revenues for September and October mainly due to orders from China-based LCD TV vendors, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

• Orders from China-based LCD TV vendors have increased mainly due to the October 1 holidays in China where the vendors are holiding promotions for their products. Additionally, energy-saving subsidies issued by China's goverment for purchase of electronic devices continue to play an important

factor in increased LCD TV sales in China.

Cooperation with E Ink for patent

• AU Optronics (AUO) has announced that it has signed patent cross-licensing agreements with E Ink Holdings and its subsidiary in South Korea, Hydis Technologies. The parties have agreed to cross license specified patents owned by each party.

• Under the terms of the agreements, which will be effective for 10 years, the parties will be able to use the specified proprietary technologies of the other, according to AUO. The patent cross-license agreements primarily involve LCD related technologies, including the fringe field switching (FFS) technology with applications to smartphones and tablets.

• AU Optronics (AUO) is expected to benefit the most from its signed patent cross-licensing agreements with E Ink Holdings and Hydis Technologies, reports DigiTimes. According to market observers, the benefit is due to LCD related technologies, including fringe field switching technology with applications to smartphones and tablets.

Panel Demand

• Despite its losses in the third quarter of 2012, LCD panel maker AU Optronics (AUO) is holding an optimistic outlook for 2013, as demand from the market will grow faster than capacity expansion at suppliers, according to company president Paul Peng.

• AUO expects overall panel demand to grow 8-15% in 2013, but supply will increase only 10%, which is expected to make 2013 a better year than 2012 for the LCD industry, he said.

Excessive supply of LCD TV panel

• Taiwan-based Chimei Innolux (CMI) and AU Optronics (AUO) are likely to


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face excessive supply of their LCD TV panel products in the fourth quarter of 2012 due to expected releases of various consumer electronics products, according to industry sources.

iPad Mini Shipments

• Taiwan-based TFT-LCD panel maker AU Optronics (AUO) shipped 400,000 panels for use in the iPad Mini (tentative name) in the third quarter of 2012, fewer than originally expected due to low yield rates, but aims to ship four million panels in the fourth quarter, according to sources with Taiwan's supply chain.

Leaking Trade Secrets to CSOT

• LCD panel maker AU Optronics (AUO) has accused two former R&D exeuctives of leaking trade secrets to competitor China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT), but the accused have dismissed the allegations.

CMI

Financial

• Chimei Innolux (CMI) has announced that its consolidated revenues for September 2012 reached NT$45.4 billion (US$1.5 billion), the company's highest monthly consolidated revenues of 2012. The sum represents an increase of 2.1% on month.

• CMI's large-size panel shipments hit a record at 14.2 million units in September 2012, an increase of 2.6% on month while shipments for small- to medium-size units reached 37.7 million, up 3.1% on month, according to the LCD panel maker.

Product Differenctiation Strategy

• Chimei Innolux (CMI) still remains the top LCD TV panel supplier to China-based TV vendors and is expected to continue doing so throughout the end of 2012 due to the company's product

differentiation strategies, according to industry sources.

• CMI shipped a total of 1.7 million LCD TV panels to China in August and that number is expected to increase as the company's 39- and 50-inch panel products have been increasingly popular with China-based TV vendors. CMI has also been shipping a lot of 32- and 42-inch TV panels to China because of the China National October 1 holidays and is increasing its 4Kx2K TV panel shipments to China, said the sources.

• CMI is also reportedly pushing new 29- as well as 58-inch TV panels, particularly 58-inch HD ones, to maintain the strength of its product differentiation strategies against the 60-inch TV market, said the sources.

39’’-50’’ TV panels

• Chimei Innolux (CMI) is likely to expand its production of 39-inch TV panels to over one million units a month in 2013 compared to 800,000 units currently, as current market demand for the 39-inch models is outpacing the industry's supply capacity, according to industry sources.

• CMI has been mulling to expand its output of 39-inch as well as 50-inch TV panels for a while, but it is still unable to implement the project due to limited production capacity, said the sources, adding that the company is expected to re-allocate its capacity in 2013 to ramp up the two sizes of new panels.

CSOT

Increasing shipments

• China-based China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) will increase its monthly shipments of TFT LCD panels equivalent to 130,000 substrates from its 8.5G plant by the end of 2013, while Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology, a subsidiary of BOE Technology, will expand its 8.5G production capacity from 90,000


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substrates a month currently to 130,000 by the same time, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

Full capacity

• China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co Ltd., a business union of TCL Corporation -- a world leader in consumer electronics industry, announced that its 8.5G LCD panel production line has reached full capacity three months ahead of the original schedule. The 8.5G LCD panel production line is now able to produce 108,000 sheets per month, with a product yield of 95%. This achievement not only marks the total success of China Star Optoelectronics Technology's 8.5G LCD panel project but also sets a new milestone for China's LCD panel industry.

Surpassed BOE

• China-based China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) has surpassed BOE in TV panel shipments, and is now one of the three largest providers of LCD TV panels in China, surpassing AU Optronics (AUO) and Samsung Electronics, according to Digitimes Research.

• The main reason for CSOT's fast progress is because most of the company's engineers and management team used to work at Taiwan-based panel companies such as AUO and CMI, and are now helping CSOT develop its technology and resource management as well as improve production yield rates.

Ortus

4K 9.6’’ Display

• Japanese firm Ortus Technology Co., Ltd. has revealed its development of what the company is calling the world's smallest LCD display panel that meets the 4K standard. At just 9.6 inches with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, the

new display will be small enough for use in handheld devices.

Panel Market

Flat Panel Market

• According to a recent DisplaySearch report, worldwide FPD revenues will reach US$120 billion in 2012, up 8% from US$111 billion in 2011, and exceeding 2010 revenues. Among the various FPD technologies, TFT LCD accounts for the majority of revenues at US$107.7 billion in 2012, up from US$99.4 billion in 2011.

Flexible Panel Market

• The global flexible display market is forecast to be worth USD 3,298 million by 2017, at 45.1% CAGR during 2012-2017, driven by the distinctive features of the display and a growing consumer goods industry. Among the factors restraining the market growth are rising competing technologies like OLED, LCD displays and design challenges. Region-wise, the Americas, led by the U.S., dominate the overall flexible display market, followed by Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. In RoW, the Middle East, and Africa are the largest contributors.

Conservative views for large size panel

• Market observers in the panel industry are holding conservative views for large-size panel growth in 2013 due to the upcoming release of Sharp and Foxconn Electronics' 60-inch LCD TV and rising popularity for small- to medium-size panel products among consumers.


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Panel Prices

• Large-size panel prices will remain steady throughout the end of October 2012, according to research firm DisplaySearch. LCD TV panels sized 26-inch will be priced at US$101 while 32-inch TV panels will go up US$1 to US$129 and 32-inch open cell TV panels will also rise US$1 to US$104, said the firm.

• Full-HD TV panels in the 40-42-inch segment will rise US$3 to US$228 while 40-42-inch full-HD 120Hz edge-type LED-backlit panels will also rise US$3 to US$289. Additionally, 46-inch TV panels will increase by US$1 to US$287.

• LCD TV panels have seen a US$3 increase in price due to TV sales growth in China during the nation's October 1 holidays.

• Large-size TVs, particularly ones with new sizes such as 50-inch, as well as 32-, 39- and 42-inch sold well in China during the holidays, which bumped up LCD TV panel prices, according to industry sources.

• The sources said that approximately three million TVs were sold during the October holidays, most of which were from local-based makers. Taiwan-based panel makers such as AU Optronics (AUO) and Chimei Innolux (CMI) benefited from the sales and still have orders from China-based TV vendors until November, added the sources.

• LCD TV panel prices are expected to remain stable for the most part in the fourth quarter of 2012 aside from 55-inch ones due to the expected release of 60-inch LCD TV models during the same time period.

Panel Allocations

• Within the LCD TV panel market in 2013, approximately 39% of demand will be for 32-inch units; however, panel makers will only allocate 32% of their production for 32-inch models, which will cause a squeeze on demand,

according to research firm DisplaySearch.

• Panel makers instead are focused on producing 39-, 50- and 58-inch size panels and are expected to allocate 6% of their overall production to 39-inch units, hoping that 5% of their overall TV panel sales come from the size in 2013.

• Additionally, panel makers are also expected to allocate 4% of their overall production to 50-inch units, with plans that 3% of their overall TV panel sales come from the size. Other sizes such as 55- and 58-inch will reportedly be given 6% of the makers' overall TV panel production on hopes that 3% of their overall TV panel sales will come from the two sizes during the same time period.

The affect of Windows 8

• The sources said Windows 8 in particular will be a big driver for panel makers possibly oversupplying LCD TV panels and that they need to adjust their inventories to avoid possible ramifications.

• However, market observers have recently been stating that they hold conservative views for Windows 8 products, which are also expected to have limited growth in China.

iPad 3 LCD panel Shipments

• Overall iPad 3 LCD panel shipments are expected to increase to -14M units in 2Q12 from 6-7M units in 1Q12. We believe that Sharp and LGD are ready to ramp up their iPad 3 panel productions starting from April. In contrast, we project that total iPad 2 panel shipments for LGD and CMI may reduce to -4-5M units in 2Q12. This suggests to us that iPad 2 productions are likely to phase out by the end of 2Q12. In our view, this is in line to our previous estimate of Foxconn's build plans of iPad 3's -13M units and iPad 2's 5-6M units in 2Q12.


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China’ TFT LCD Panel Market

• The China government is continuing to help China's TFT LCD industry by increasing funding to various companies for development of technology, as well as by reducing or eliminating taxes on imported goods to develop the technology, according to Digitimes Research.

• It is estimated that China's three largest makers of large-size TFT LCD panels will reach an accumulative shipment quota of over 88.4 million units by the end of 2012, a 107.9% on-year increase followed by a quota of 101 million units in 2013, which would be a 14.7% on-year increase over 2012.

Semiconductor&Component Industry

Intel

Financial

• The world's largest computer chipmaker, Intel, has announced a sharp drop in quarterly profits. The technology firm said the drop was partly because of its failure to break into the tablet market.

• They fell 14% to $2.9bn dollars worldwide, compared to the same time last year.

• The company has also predicted weak sales ahead, as the shrinking global economy forces many companies to cut spending on computers.

Intel’s stock performance

AMD

Financial and job vuts

• Microprocessor vendor Advanced Micro Devices has swung to a net loss in the third quarter of 2012 and has announced it will restructure in the fourth quarter and reduce its global workforce by approximately 15 per cent. AMD said that job cuts would be mainly be completed in the fourth quarter of 2012.


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Broadcom

Financial

• Broadcom Corp, fabless chip vendor, has recently reported a quarterly revenue of more than $2billion for the first time. The reported revenue defies the difficult macroeconomic conditions that have plagued rivals to post sales increases across all of its business lines.

• Broadcom reported third quarter sales of $2.13 billion, up 8 per cent compared to the previous quarter and up 9 per cent compared to the third quarter of 2011. The company reported a net income of $220 million, or 38 cents per share, up 38 per cent from the previous quarter but down 19 per cent compared to the third quarter of 2011.

Broadcom’s stock performance

Cooperation with Hyundai for connected car

• Broadcom Corporation, a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, announced a joint development agreement with Hyundai Motor to power the next-generation connected car.

TR-069 Protocol support for carriers

• Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and

wireless communications, announced availability for TR-069 protocol support across all broadband carrier access (xDSL, EPON, GPON) and HomePlug Powerline Networking (PLC) platforms. TR-069 allows carriers to enhance home networks with a more complete layer of management including remote configuration, performance monitoring, firmware download and diagnostic capabilities.

NXP

Secure Microcontroller with EAL6+

• NXP Semiconductors' SmartMX2 secure microcontroller with a contactless interface based on 90-nm technology has been awarded the Common Criteria EAL6+ certification.

NXP’s stock performance

Optimizing Wi-Fi Data Transfer

• sMedio, a leading developer and provider of wireless content mobility solutions, announced that it is partnering with NXP to optimize its WiFi data transfer, sync and media streaming software in support of NXP's NFC drivers and chips. The partnership will result in the delivery of NFC-WiFi coupled content mobility solutions between enabled Windows 8 PCs and Android and other OS supported mobile devices.


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Atmel

LED Drivers

• Atmel Corporation has introduced a new family of 8-channel LED drivers with an integrated boost controller to deliver a complete power management system with patented Efficiency Optimizer (EO) to enhance power efficiency for LCD backlighting applications.

Atmel’s stock performance

STMicroelectronics

MEMS based gas flow sensor

• OMRON Corporation (TSE: 6645) (ADR: OMRNY), a world leader in automation technology, and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronic applications, announced the completion of the development of a MEMS-based gas flow sensor with industry-unique built-in correction for differences in gas composition. OMRON will start sample shipments of the new sensor in November 2012.

STMicro’s stock performance

Cooperation with Microsoft

• STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications and the world's top MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) manufacturer[1], has collaborated with Microsoft Corp. to develop a motion and orientation Human Interface Device (HID) sensor solution for the Windows 8 operating system. ST's MEMS sensors and the sensor-hub solution are now ready to ship in high volumes with the release of Windows 8. Several major worldwide OEMs and ODMs have selected ST's sensor solutions for their Windows 8-based devices.

Freescale

Dual –PAN Network solution

• Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL) is demonstrating dual-PAN (personal area network) functionality with its new generation of Kinetis wireless solutions. As the deployment of IEEE® 802.15.4 ZigBee® networks continues to expand, multiple ZigBee networks (including ZigBee Home Automation, ZigBee RF4CE and ZigBee Smart Energy versions 1.x and 2.0) may exist simultaneously in a home or building. The dual-PAN capability in Freescale’s Kinetis KW20 wireless microcontroller (MCU) allows a single device to


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seamlessly connect and actively participate in two separate networks.

Freesclale’s stock performance

Renesas

Cooperation witg Grid2Home for SEP

• Renesas Electronics America Inc., the premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, and Grid2Home, a leading software communications company, reiterated their dedication to continued collaboration on the creation of Smart Energy Protocol (SEP) 2.0-compliant solutions. In an industry-first move, the companies have ported SEP 2.0 to Renesas’ microcontrollers (MCUs) and multiple PHYs (IEEE802.15.4 RF, IEEE802.11b RF and NB-FSK PLC (SAE J 2931/2) frequency shift keying (FSK), and power line communication (PLC). Grid2Home was a key developer of the SEP 2.0 energy alliance standard specification, widely adopted by industry leaders and a forthcoming industry requirement. Renesas’ partnership with Grid2Home resulted in Renesas’ first-to-market advantage in SEP 2.0-compliant products for the smart vehicle, smart meter, smart appliance and home area network (HAN) markets.

• “SEP 2.0 will enable smart devices such as appliances, electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines to communicate with one another within the HAN and ultimately back to the energy utility,” said Mike Bourton, founder and vice president of business

development at Grid2Home. “This partnership encourages the development of technology solutions that will interact more efficiently, safely and intuitively than previously possible.”

Renesas’s stock performance

Qualcomm

Heterogeneous System Architecture

• Qualcomm is the latest member of the Heterogeneous System Architecture Foundation, joining the likes of Advanced Micro Devices, ARM and Samsung Electronics in creating a single architecture spec for chips that leverage both compute and graphics capabilities.

• HSA Foundation founders have said that such an open, single architecture specification and surrounding ecosystem will become the foundation for future computing devices and platforms, making it easier for software developers to program for such heterogeneous environments. Adding Qualcomm, whose ARM-based Snapdragon systems on a chip (SoCs) can be found in many mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, enhances the stature and work of the organization, according to Phil Rogers, HSA Foundation president and AMD Corporate Fellow.


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Qualcomm’s stock performance

CSR

Financial

• British chipmaker CSR Plc posted a 33 percent rise in quarterly operating profit, helped by sales of its bluetooth and GPS technology in music devices and car dashboards.

CSR’s stock performance

TSMC

20nm chip

• TSMC has unveiled its 20nm and Chip

on Wafer on Substrate (CoWoS) design support within the Open Innovation Platform (OIP). The Reference Flow enables double patterning technology (DPT) design using proven design flows.ÿIn addition, TSMS stated that EDA vendors' tools are qualified to work with TSMC 20nm process technology by incorporating DPT aware place and route, timing, physical

verification and design for manufacturing (DFM).

TSMC’s stock performance

Mstar

Financial

• MStar Semiconductor has announced consolidated revenues of NT$3.68 billion (US$124 million) for September 2012, representing an increase of 4.4% on month and hitting the highest monthly level in the company's history. The planned merger between MStar and MediaTek seems to have further enhanced the competitiveness of both IC design houses, according to industry sources.

Mediatek’s stock performance

ALi

DVB-T HD STB

• ALi Corporation, a leading provider of set-top box (STB) system-on-chip (SoC)


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solutions, announced that its new DVB-T high definition STB system-on-chip, M3801, will be demonstrated with partner solutions at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition), the largest fair of its kind in the world, to be held on October 13-16, 2012 .

Cooperation with MINITI for Russian market

• ALi Corporation, a leading Set-Top Box (STB) solution provider, announced that ALi and MNITI have agreed to join forces on introducing a reference set-top-box solution to assist Russian STB manufacturers in the deployment of digital terrestrial television adopting the DVB-T2 standard. MNITI, Moscow Scientific-Research Television Institute, is the leading organization in Russia in the field of television equipment and currently heads the development and organization on the production of receivers for digital television.

Skyworks

Zigbee Solution

• Skyworks Solutions, has commenced volume shipments of several medium to high-power ZigBee front-end solutions for smart meters, home automation, security sensors and gateway applications.

Skyworks’s stock performance

Calxeda

ARM Based Server

• Calxeda, a U.S. start-up firm that produces ARM-based computers for the server market, announced that it plans to formally roll out its first 64bit server chip by 2014.

Diodes

Acquisition of Power Analog

• Diodes Inc. has recently announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Power Analog Microelectronics, Inc. The acquisition is set to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter of 2012. Details regarding the transaction have not been disclosed.

• Both companies have been focused on high-efficiency, space-saving analogue IC products. The acquisition is set to provide Diodes with an expanded product portfolio as well as access to a larger customer base. It will also have the capability to leverage an even greater application expertise for their next generation product design.

Diodes’s stock performance

FocalTech

Cooperation with Tianma to develop in-cell touch

• Taiwan-based LCD touch controller and driver IC design house FocalTech Systems has cooperated with China-


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based LCD panel maker Shenzhen Tianma Micro-electronics to develop in-cell touch technology, which may go into production in mid-2013, according to industry sources.

• FocalTech has claimed that it is now the biggest supplier of capactive touch panel ICs in Greater China and has a market share of over 60% in China's smartphone segment. The company plans to list on the Taiwan stock market as soon as the third quarter of 2013.

Semiconductor and Component Market

LCD Backlight

• In 2012, the LCD backlight unit market size approximated US$15.5 billion, down 3.1% from US$16 billion (a YoY decline of 4.2% over 2010) in 2011. The continuous decline mainly resulted from the sharp fall in the price of LED chips, the key raw materials for backlight unit. Meanwhile, due to the insufficient demand for TVs, it is expected that in 2012, the global LCD-TV market size will be 216 million units, with a growth rate of merely 2.85%.

Lighting OLED

• ElectroniCast estimates in 2012, the worldwide consumption value of General Lighting OLEDs will reached (only) $34.8 million; consumption value is forecast to increase at an average annual growth rate of 104 percent to $1.19 billion in 2016. From 2016-2021, the total consumption value of General Lighting OLEDs is forecast an increase 28 percent per year, reaching nearly $4.1 billion in the year 2021.

OLED Materials

• NanoMarkets forecasts that the market value of functional OLED materials – emitters, hosts, and blocking/transport/injection materials – will grow from its current value of approximately $1.7 million in 2012 to

over $1.1 billion in 2019. The market value of solution-processable small molecule OLED materials will account for nearly $400 million by 2019. Growth in solution-processable materials will help to bring costs down and allow OLED lighting to better compete with other, alternative lighting applications. The market value of encapsulation in OLED lighting applications is expected to grow from under $1 million today to a value of over $50 million by 2015 and over $450 million by the end of the forecast period in 2019.

MEMS Market

• TechNavio's analysts forecast the Global MEMS market to grow at a CAGR of 12.4 percent over the period 2011-2015. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increasing demand for MEMS in consumer electronics. The increasing sale of smartphones is also contributing to the growth of the Global MEMS market. However, the lack of product differentiation poses a challenge to the growth of this market.

IC Foundry in China

• Digitimes Research predicts that the output value of China's IC foundry industry will reach US$3.29 billion in 2012, up 13.7% from US$2.89 billion in 2011. Looking into 2013, the output value for China's IC foundry sector will see a modest 2.1% increase to US$3.36 billion. In Taiwan, the foundry sector will report US$21.95 billion and US$23.32 billion, respectively, in output value for 2012 and 2013. The former figure and the latter represent growth of 11.8% and 6.2%, respectively.

Combo motion sensors

• As a result of the rapid uptake of smartphones and tablets, the market for combo motion sensors will rise by


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more than 700 per cent at the end of the year, stated IHS. Revenue for combo motion sensors will grow to $189.1 million in 2012, up from just $23 million last year.

Figure: Worldwide Motion Combo Sensor Revenue Forecast (Millions of US Dollars). Source: IHS iSuppli, October 2012.

WSN Chipset shipments

• In 2016, global WSN chipset shipments for home automation and entertainment will reach 400 million, an increase of 1380% from 2011 from a moderate viewpoint. Smart home and media center applications will make up 63% of 802.15.4 chipset shipments and 34% of the 802.15.4 module revenues at this time.

Improvements in orders of TV chips

• Taiwan-based IC design houses offering TV chips and LCD driver ICs have seen improvements in order visibility for the fourth quarter of 2012 due to strong sales of LCD TVs in China during the October holidays and a pick-up in demand for TVs in the US, according to industry sources.

Wireless Connectivity Combo ICs

• Wireless Connectivity Combo ICs have already seen rapid adoption in smartphones and are now seeing strong usage growth in many other end applications including laptops, flat panel TVs, and automotive infotainment systems. Total annual market shipments are expected to surpass 2 billion units by 2017.

Service & Content Industry

Deutsche Telekom

Merging T Mobile USA with MetroPCS

• Deutsche Telekom is in talks to merge its T-Mobile USA unit with smaller rival MetroPCS, in a move that could pave the way for the German company to eventually exit the U.S. wireless market.

• Deutsche Telekom aims to complete the merger of its T-Mobile U.S. unit with MetroPCS between April and June 2013, Chief Financial Officer Timotheus Hoettges told a German newspaper.

Deutsche Telekom’s stock performance

Vodafone

Acquisition of Complete Telecom

• Vodafone Ireland has acquired Dublin-based data network provider, Complete Telecom for an undisclosed sum.

Vodafone’s stock performance


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4G LTE Service

• Vodacom Group, a subsidiary of telecoms giant Vodafone, has launched the first commercial 4G LTE service in South Africa.

Sprint Nextel

Acquisition by Softbank

• Japan’s Softbank Corp. has agreed to buy a controlling stake in Sprint Nextel Corp. for $20.1 billion, money that will be divided by the company and its shareholders.

Sprint Nextel’s stock performance

JCOM

Acquisition by CableNet

• Japan's biggest cable television operator JCOM is eyeing an acquisition of its main domestic rival, Japan Cablenet, which would see it control half of the country's market, a report said Saturday.

• JCOM, also known as Jupiter Telecommunications, had a roughly 39-percent share of the domestic market for cable pay television services in the year to March 2012, while Japan Cablenet held about 11 percent.

• The combined firm would be 50-50 owned by trading house Sumitomo and telecom firm KDDI in a bid to challenge Japan's top telecom operator NTT, the business daily Nikkei said.

JCOM’s stock performance

Turkcell

Financial

• Turkey based mobile network operator, Turkcell has reported that its third quarter revenues rose by 9 percent to TRY 2.75 billion, while net profits also rose, by 6 percent to TRY571 million.

Turkcell’s stock performance

LGUplus

Google TV

• South Korean Internet TV operator LG Uplus has become the first IPTV provider to offer an integrated Google TV set-top box that combines its own TV subscription service with the Google TV platform, Google said.


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British Film Institue

Investment to boost the industry

• The British Film Institute (BFI) will invest nearly 500 million pounds ($810 million) over the next five years in a bid to boost the industry and build audiences, it announced.

CX

Cloud based secure content sharing

• CX, a premier application and platform provider of cloud-based secure content sharing and collaboration to businesses and individuals, is leading the industry as one of the first cloud storage providers to offer a full suite of devices and web applications for cloud-based content in a white label (private) product.

Sevice & Content Market

Fixed Broadband Market

• Worldwide fixed broadband market continues to grow across different regions to reach 618.7 million subscribers at the end of 2012, increasing 7.3% from 2011. In terms of penetration, more than one-third of world’s total households will have a fixed broadband connection at the end of 2012.

Connected TV services market

• The global market of services on connected TVs will reach USD $3.23 Billion in 2016. This market will represent 16.8% of the OTT video market and about 1% of the global fixed video services market. These figures correspond to overall analysis of the deployment of connected TV services, which concluded that the right conditions for rolling out new services were not yet entirely there in early 2012, so researchers do not expect to

see the market really take off until 2015.

Broadcasting & Cable TV market

• The global broadcasting & cable tv market grew by 4.6% in 2011 to reach a value of $400.6 billion.

• In 2016, the global broadcasting & cable tv market is forecast to have a value of $518.2 billion, an increase of 29.3% since 2011.

• Tv advertising is the largest segment of the global broadcasting & cable tv market, accounting for 47.1% of the market's total value.

IPTV Market

• The TV market will soon be changed without recognition, with Smart TVs capturing a larger market share week by week. Interesting IPTV developments are also taking place in Europe, particularly France and Italy; as well as China, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. In 2012 there are around 55 million IPTV subscribers worldwide and the market grew by around 30% between 2010/2011.

Mobile subscriptions

• The UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) told us there were five billion mobile subscriptions worldwide at the close of 2010, and now it's reporting that at the end of 2011, that figure hit a staggering six billion.

e-commerce market in US

• eMarketer predicts that in the apparel and accessories category alone, e-commerce sales in the U.S. will grow to $224.2 Billion by the end of 2012, up 15.4% since 2011.


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Software Industry

Microsoft

Financial

• US computing giant Microsoft posted lower earnings and revenues for its fiscal first quarter, citing the slowdown in the personal computer market. Microsoft, the world's top software maker, reported after the markets closed that net profit fell 21 percent from the year-ago quarter, to $4.5 billion.

Microsoft’s stock performance

Releasing more devices from Microsoft

• Steve Ballmer, the chief executive of software giant Microsoft, has confirmed he plans to release more devices.

Windows 8

• The launch of Windows 8 is a more significant event than the release of Windows 7, both for Microsoft and for the industry as a whole. It represents an extension of the PC industry's applications and ecosystem and an attempt to secure core value in the mobile computing market. Analysis by Digitimes Research shows that Windows 8 is not simply a necessary pushback by Microsoft against the challenge of the Android and iOS platforms; even more importantly, it

marks the opening salvo in the battle for users between PCs and mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

• Digitimes Research projects Windows Phone 8 (WP8) smartphones launched between the second half of 2012 and early 2013 will focus on the high-end market, with WP7 models targeted at the lower end of the market; a simplified version of WP7 is also likely to ship on handsets with an unsubsidized price of less than US$100. Windows 8 will have two major impacts on the PC and tablet markets. Firstly, it will stimulate growth in touchscreen devices. Projective capacitive touch panels are likely to become the mainstream touch technology on the basis of current trends, and their use with spread from mobile devices into PC products. However, as Windows 8 systems are not likely to be launched until the end of 2012, the penetration rate of projective capacitive panels in PC products for the whole of 2012 will be only around 1%. Second, Windows 8 will expedite the uptake of ultra-thin systems like ultrabooks and tablets, and will therefore increase the penetration rate of SSDs in Windows systems. SSD-equipped notebooks have already seen major breakthroughs in sales during 2012, with whole-year shipments surpassing 10 million units. Windows 8 tablets that use Intel CPUs will also use SSDs as their main storage devices, and are projected to ship around one million units in 2012.


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• Microsoft Corp opened its Windows 8 operating system for pre-orders, setting the price for an upgrade to the full version of the software at $70 for a DVD pack.

New Version of Internet Explorer

• Windows 8 will be getting a completely-redesigned version of Internet Explorer when the new operating system releases on October 26, and Microsoft has mentioned in the past that it plans to bring the same version to Windows 7 at some point. The company announced today that Internet Explorer 10 will be hitting Windows 7 in mid-November.

Surface RT Tablets

• Microsoft kicked off a campaign for its newest operating system, Windows 8, and its Surface tablet computer at New York's Pier 57. Designed to run on both PCs and tablet computers, Windows 8 heralds the biggest change to the industry's dominant operating system in at least 17 years.

• Microsoft's Surface RT tablets for sale at US$499-699 are expected to put large competitive pressure on Widows 8 tablets from Acer, Asustek Computer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu, Lenovo, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, ZTE and other vendors because

features and positioning are similar but Surface RT has a price advantage.

Application development

• With Windows 8, Microsoft’s new operating system (OS), the technology giant is attempting to rethink its platform to bring in big changes to the user interface and navigation. One of the biggest components of this platform’s success would be application developers.

• Microsoft has announced that developers from 120 markets (including India) will be able to publish their Windows 8 apps and start selling them online on Windows App Store from October 26, when the new OS will be commercially launched.

Skype

• Microsoft said that a free Windows 8 and Windows RT Skype app will be ready for downloading from the Windows Store on Friday, Oct. 26.

Patent Issues

• Microsoft Corp said it plans to add Google Inc as a defendant in Germany in one of its patent actions against Google's phone maker, Motorola Mobility, the first time the two tech giants have come into direct legal conflict over Google's Android mobile software.

• Mobile phone maker Motorola achieved a rare victory against software giant Microsoft (MSFT) in a patent case before a German court on Friday, the latest in a wave of patent lawsuits by technology firms fighting over market share.

Acquisition of PhoneFactor

• Microsoft has bought multi-factor authentication specialist PhoneFactor with the goal of integrating the company's technology into its cloud services and on-premises applications.


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PhoneFactor, based in Overland Park, Kansas, sells phone-based multi-factor authentication products for enterprises. Its technology was designed to work with both Microsoft enterprise products and with platforms from other vendors.

Oracle

Cloud Computing

• Oracle Corp CEO Larry Ellison said he intends to drive growth at the world's No. 3 software maker by promoting its current suite of cloud computing products and not through an acquisition.

Oracle’s stock performance

Software Market

Android versus Windows

• At the end of 2016, there will be 2.3 billion computers, tablets and smartphones using Android software, compared with 2.28 billion Windows devices, Gartner data showed.

Hospitality Industry

Roomlinx

Cooperation with Starz

• Roomlinx Inc. (RMLX), the innovative developer of media networks and interactive TV (iTV) applications for the hospitality industry, said it has expanded its existing agreement with Starz Entertainment to include a commitment to promote their services on Roomlinx's iTV system.

Roomlinx’s stock performance

Locatel

Acquisition of Docomo Intertouch Europe

• Locatel, European leader in interactive multimedia systems for the hospitality and healthcare sectors, has acquired Docomo Intertouch Europe, along with its suite of solutions for premium quality internet access, in-room entertainment technologies and managed web platforms for hotels. Locatel's purchase of Docomo Intertouch Europe, which is based in London, includes the company's solutions, as well as its commercial and development organisation.


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Healthcare Industry

ITU

m-Health

• The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new partnership called the 'm-Health' Initiative to use mobile technology, in particular text messaging and apps, to help combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory diseases.

Healthcare Market

Global Smart Pill Technology Market

• A new report from market research firm MarketsandMarkets forecasts that the global smart pill technology market is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 17 percent and will be worth $965 million by 2017.

• The report seeks to highlight the promise of the revolutionary technology ofmedical electronic technologies using Bio-MEMS (Biological Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems).

Digital Pathology

• The global digital pathology market is estimated to be $191.00 million in 2012, and is poised to grow at a CAGR of 12% to reach $336.61 million by 2017. North America is the largest digital pathology market, followed by Europe and Asia. The Asian region's contribution to the global digital pathology market is also expected to pick up in the coming years, as the technology gets more recognition and becomes more cost effective.

Retail & Payment Industry

Verfione

SAIL Mobile Payment Platform

• VeriFone Systems, Inc. (NYSE: PAY), announced an international expansion of the SAIL mobile payments platform with an agreement with Israel’s largest card issuer and acquirer, Isracard Ltd., to distribute SAIL encrypted card readers for iOS and Android devices and to bring smartphone based mobile payments to merchants in Israel.

• Isracard will market a customized SAIL solution to a market targeting tens of thousands of small businesses that currently do not accept credit cards, including its own credit card holders. With over 45% market share, Isracard will offer the solution to its own credit cards holders, SOHO merchants and individual professionals in Israel.

Verifone’s stock performance

Gas Station solution

• VeriFone Systems, Inc. (NYSE: PAY), formally unveiled the next evolution of media at gas stations, providing advertisers and marketers with new promotional capabilities including on-demand coupons at the pump and transaction-specific promotions at the c-store checkout counter.


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Ingenico

Financial

• Ingenico (INGIF.PK) said its third quarter revenue was Euro 311.3 million, up 24.9 percent on a reported basis and 16.7 percent on a comparable basis.

• The company said this included a positive foreign exchange impact of Euro 9.7 million and a Euro 5.0 million contribution from ROAM Data. Total revenue included Euro 254.2 million generated by the Payment Terminal activity and Euro 57.1 million generated by Transaction Services.

Ingenico’s stock performance

Square

Mobile payment in Starbucks

• Coffee chain Starbucks will begin accepting payments through Square’s Wallet mobile app this fall, including the capability to digitally tip favorite baristas.

• The move further legitimizes Square’s software-based mobile payment system, which is already accepted at several retailers including Best Buy, OfficeMax, Staples, AT&T, and Sprint. The announcement accompanied an update to Starbuck's iOS app that adds its loyalty card to the Passbook app in iOS6.

Isıs

Mobile payment

• Isis, the carrier-led mobile payment play from Verizon, AT&Tand T-Mobile, missed its summer launch and had been put on hold with no launch date announced. But a new internal document obtained by Android Central indicates the NFC (near field communication)-based payment system is set to go live on Oct. 22 in two pilot cities: Austin, Tex. and Salt Lake City.

• Isis, the mobile wallet created by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, is out being tested at hundreds of merchant locations in Austin and Salt Lake City, where consumers now have the option to "wave and pay" with their NFC-enabled smartphones.

Paypal

Cutting workforce

• PayPal is planning to cut as much as 3 percent of its workforce as the payments division of eBay Inc looks to streamline its operations under new President David Marcus, a person familiar with the situation said on Friday.

Groupon

iPad POS

• Groupon is increasing its bet on payments with the introduction of Breadcrumb, an iPad point of sale system designed for restaurants and hospitality customers. The move pits Groupon against Square Register and shows how Groupon continues to expand beyond daily deals.


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Groupon’s stock performance

Turkcell

Cep-T Paracard

• Turkcell (NYSE: TKC, ISE: TCELL), the leading communications and technology company in Turkey has announced that the "Cep-T Paracard", the co-branded prepaid card launched in collaboration with Garanti Bank, the leading bank in payment systems; has received the "Best Global Prepaid Innovation" category award at the Prepaid Awards UK & Global 2012.

Agilsys

Next Generation POS

• Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading provider of innovative information technology and hospitality software solutions, announced the availability of Agilysys Elevate™, the company's next-generation point-of-sale solution. It is designed initially for the managed foodservice market and will be available to customers in North America.

Agilsys’s stock performance

Carrefour

Selling Colombian Assets

• Struggling French retail giant Carrefour is selling its Colombian assets for US$2.6 billion (RM7.93 billion) to Chile’s Cencosud, pulling out of another non-core country to better defend its key markets.

Carrefour’s stock performance

Future POS

Mobile Applications

• Future POS Inc., the developer of Future POS software, is pleased to announce the release of two new mobile apps for restaurants - Future POS Mobile Ordering and Future POS Remote Control – now available for Android and coming soon for Apple iOS.

• With Future POS Mobile Ordering, restaurateurs can enhance the end-


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user experience by offering their customers the convenience of placing orders directly from their smartphone. The app offers quick access to previously ordered items, configurable order types and a customizable information page for advertising. Customers can simply visit their smartphone’s app store, search for the desired restaurant and download the free app for fast and easy order entry.

Turkcell

Mobile Wallet Solution

• Turkcell , the leading communications and technology company in Turkey has developed the most advanced mobile wallet solution in the world, Turkcell Wallet, offering all innovative solutions on a single commerce and payment platform.

Turkcell’s stock performance

Merchant Customer Exchange

Mobile Payment

• The Merchant Customer Exchange has announced that six new companies have joined its group of retailers that are working to create a mobile payment system run by Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, and several other stores. The MCX has added Bed Bath & Beyond; Dillard's; Dunkin' Brands, which operates Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins; Gap; Sheetz; and Wakefern Food, which operates the ShopRite and PriceRite grocery chains.

Retail&Payment Market

NFC Payment

• The research group predicts that in the year 2016, more than $100 billion in NFC payments will be processed. The momentum won’t disappear after that, with ABI saying that 2017 could bring in nearly $200 billion. In 2012, it expects there to be a modest $4 billion in NFC transactions.


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Energy Industry

Hitachi

Buying nuclear project

• Hitachi Ltd, Japan's largest industrial electronics maker, is close to buying British nuclear new-build project Horizon in a deal expected to be worth more than 50 billion yen ($628.46 million), Japanese media said on Saturday.

Hitachi’s stock performance

Siemens

Selling off solar business

• Siemens announced that it plans to sell off its solar business activities and restructure its energy sector.

• In FY 2011, the full Siemens energy sector pulled in around $32.5 billion in sales and just over $5 billion in profit.

BenQ Solar

Integrated solar PV Solution

• Taiwan-based BenQ Solar, a subsidiary of AU Optronics (AUO), is currently showcasing its latest AC Unison integrated solar PV solution at PV Taiwan 2012. The firm has also been promoting mini-grid solution for residents in remote areas in Taiwan for saving energy cost.

Foxconn

Cooperation with GCL Poly for solar power

• Foxconn Technology Group and GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd. (3800) will build and jointly operate a solar- power plant in China’s Shanxi province.

• The 310MW plant obtained a license from the China government at the beginning of September. According to Hua Shu, executive director and president of GCL-Poly, the project will begin construction in second-quarter 2013.

• GCL-Poly is responsible for providing polysilicon and solar wafers for the project while Foxconn is responsible for solar cells and modules. The project is estimated to cost CNY3.1 billion (US$105 million).

• GCL-Poly introduced the S2 multi-silicon solar wafers with efficiency in the range of 17.6-17.9% at PV Taiwan 2012. Shipments of the product began in September and have reached beyond 40MW per month. Sales in the Taiwan market have accounted for 20% of the firm's total revenues.

SmartEnergy IP

Cooperation with DOE

• SmartEnergy IP™, a leading strategy and research firm dedicated to smart grid customer education, announced being awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to create the Smart Grid Customer Education Working Group. The working group will bring stakeholders from the energy and utilities industry together with the common purpose of sharing information and building best practices around smart grid customer education. By evaluating tools, techniques and programs used by utilities across the United States to introduce advanced metering, time-of-use rates, and energy management to its customers, the group will develop a Smart Grid Customer Education Model that will


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become a resource for utilities rolling out smart grid programs.

Energy Market

Home Energy Management Market

• The new report emphasizes that while growth in home energy management (HEM) investment will be more conservative than other areas in the smart grid, utilities in North America will spend approximately $577.8 million by 2016. To date, North American utility investment in HEM has supported pilot programs and test deployments. Looking to 2016, IDC Energy Insights forecasts broadening adoption as consumers become increasingly engaged and as utilities comply with regulatory mandates for home area network development as a critical component of the emerging smart grid.

Smart Energy Market

• TechNavio's analysts forecast the Global Smart Energy Meter market to grow at a CAGR of 23.15 percent over the period 2011-2015. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the need to support a complex billing process. The Global Smart Energy Meter market has also been witnessing an increase in deployment of smart energy meters. However, the increased exposure to cyber-attacks could pose a challenge to the growth of this market.

Large Storage Batteries

• Japan is set to lead work to decide global standards for large storage batteries at the International Electrotechnical Commission.

• Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. said the Geneva-based IEC approved their joint proposal to establish a technical subcommittee on the batteries at its meeting in Oslo.

Smart Gas Metering Market

• Industry analysts expect the global smart gas meter market to exceed 10 million units a year by 2015.

References

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• Please follow my twitter accounts (ferhatunlukal) if you want to reach the details of the news in the report.

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