Commentary: A few fabless fables

Shankar Pennathur, VP of Operations and Manufacturing, Oxford Semiconductor
(12/24/2007 1:07 PM EST)
 
This commentary was provided by Shankar Pennathur, vice president of operations and manufacturing at Oxford Semiconductor Inc. (Milpitas, Calif.).

The semiconductor industry is commoditizing with opportunities to differentiate being few and far between. As the fabless companies jostle and compete for market positioning and market share, they are subject to the larger trends that transact in the fabless supply-chain world.

As a particularly competitive year ends and a new one is on the horizon, this author would like to reflect on a few trends in the past decade, and ponder about the lessons one can learn from such trends. As you read these fabless fables, any imagined similarities you may draw between real companies and the references herein, are well, a figment of your imagination.