Telecom Segments Forecast to Lead Top-Growing IC Markets in 2012

NAND, 32-bit MCUs, & Auto-Special Purpose Logic among the top 10 each year from 2010-2012.

October 10, 2012 - IC Insights will detail its forecast for the top-growing IC products in 2012 in its upcoming October Update to The McClean Report. Though overall IC market growth is expected to decline 1% in 2012, nine product categories are expected to show positive growth. Leading the way are three categories related to the telecom industry. As shown in Figure 1, the Wired Telecom—Application-Specific Analog segment is forecast to be the strongest-growing product segment in 2012 with a 25% increase in market size, followed by the Wired Telecom— and Wireless Telecom—Special Purpose Logic/MPR categories.

Figure 1

Application-specific processors used in smartphones and tablet computers are included in the Wireless Telecom—Special Purpose Logic/MPR category, and represent the driving force behind the strong growth in this segment. Also within the Special Purpose Logic/MPR segment, the Consumer and Industrial & Other categories are forecast to show positive growth this year. Display drivers are forecast to make a return to the top-growth list in 2012 with 2% growth. Demand for smartphones, the surging popularity of tablet computers, and potential market growth from new ultra-thin notebook computers are helping boost sales of display drivers this year.

It is not surprising to see that NAND flash appears among the top-10 fastest growing products all three years, though the rate of growth in this market has slowed considerably over this time as additional manufacturers jumped into this space and added extra capacity, which contributed to lower average selling prices in 2011 and so far in 2012.

The automotive market is responsible for only about 7% of total IC sales, but increasing electronic system content in motor vehicles is forecast to result in the Automotive—Special Purpose Logic/MPR segment being included among the list of fastest-growing IC products all three years, as well. Similarly, advanced automotive applications such as self-park systems, stability control, and collision avoidance, have been key to fast growth of the 32-bit MCU category and will contribute to these devices being among the fastest-growing products from 2010-2012.

The 2012 McClean Report

IC Insights’ 200+ page Mid-Year, August, and September Updates to the 2012 edition of The McClean Report update the forecasts for IC markets through 2016 and examine important new trends impacting the semiconductor industry this year. In addition to the Mid-Year Update, a subscription to The 2012 McClean Report also comes with monthly updates for the year (March-November) as well as three subscriber-only webcasts. An individual-user subscription to the 2012 edition of The McClean Report is priced at $3,290 and includes an Internet access password. The subscription is also available under a multi-user worldwide corporate license for $6,290.