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Design OutsourcingThere is far too little time these days to ponder the long-run trends shaping the technology sector. Time pressures are intense and getting worse. For many, the "long run" is the next three months-the time you have to make your quarterly numbers. For others, it's the time to product launch-12 or 18 months, if you're lucky. And then some of you just don't care. As the famous British economist John Maynard Keynes once said, "In the long run, we're all dead."
But stepping back occasionally from the daily grind to look at the big picture is important. In fact, it's essential if you want to make sense of the world.
One long-term trend that Electronics Supply & Manufacturing follows closely is the transformation of the electronics OEM. It's safe to say that the acronym no longer captures the essence of the original equipment manufacturer. Many of today's OEMs are neither original nor manufacturers. I suggest the three letters should stand for "outsource everything but marketing."
Many years ago, OEMs designed and made just about everything-chips, enclosures, printed-circuit boards and, of course, systems. Everything coexisted under one roof: Silicon came in one end; computers went out the other. The first major function the OEM outsourced was board and system manufacturing. Not long after came logistics and procurement. Now,
more: www.my-esm.com/showArticle.jhtml?... (125)
2/11/2004 | Viewed 13,100 time(s)
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