IC vendors, get with the platform

By Scott Grant, Accenture
Jul 16 2007 (9:00 AM), Embedded.com

"I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, the world's top 20 semiconductor companies confront a whirlwind storm of their own. Leaving behind the familiar and relatively straightforward terrain of unit chip sales, they're navigating a far more complicated world where they must transform themselves to grow.

The momentum toward product platforms and new business models is accelerating. New models are pervasive among companies that manufacture and design semiconductors, as well as among their fabless counterparts. Efficient, economical and versatile platforms are tomorrow's vehicle for delivering high performance.

The platform trend will be the primary growth engine for semiconductor players going forward. If you're not already in this game or preparing to join it, you'll likely be left out.

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