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Tier-2 Notebook Manufacturers In a Tight Spot
By
ChannelTimes Staff
Mumbai, Aug 4, 2007
A recent report published by Dram exchange indicates that there might be a short supply or a slight hike in notebook prices, especially in tier-2 notebooks.
According to Dram exchange, in the second quarter of 2007, notebook manufactures began to face a component capacity crunch, as the supply of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panels, batteries, Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), casings, and certain Optical Disk Drives (ODDs) tightened.
The research firm feels that the situation could grow more serious in the third quarter, as quarterly shipments are expected to exceed 25.6 million - an increase of 14.4% from last year. In terms of the required notebook components for the third quarter, this could pose a serious challenge to notebook makers.
In the LCD panel segment, some notebook Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have been unable to secure a sufficient amount of LCD panels. Meanwhile, in the battery segment, amid the price rise of relevant metals, raw material prices of batteries have jumped significantly. However, the tight battery supply has been mainly attributed to an inadequate battery cell production capacity. In 2007, the amount of lithium ion cell batteries set to be produced should be enough to equip roughly 96 million notebooks.
However, Dram exchange said that manufacturers are still feeling the squeeze, as the batteries are applied in other areas as well - such as mobile devices and tools. In addition, battery makers have little interest in boosting production, as the price cuts by battery testing and packaging companies have significantly driven down profit margins.
In the casing segment, brisk notebook shipments have pushed up current production to near 100% levels. According to the research, notebook makers must be careful with their purchasing and supply plans, or else they will be unable to deliver their products on time. As in the case of batteries, notebook makers face a similar capacity crunch in the aluminum casing segment, as they are also applied in cell phones and other products. As for the plastic casing, a possible shortage may occur if notebook makers fail to conduct timely procurements.
In the HDD segment, supply was relatively sufficient in the second quarter. However, for the third quarter, in light of the already high production utilization rates and strong notebook sales growth, the production of certain high capacity HDDs may not be enough. However, OEMs have responded by adopting different HDD specifications.
"Overall, tier-2 notebook brands will suffer a more serious impact during this tight-supply period. They will face both rising cost and lower-than-planned shipment volume due to insufficient quantity of components," said Dram exchange.
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it is very god |
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- V.CHAITANYA,
SRI SAI RAM TEC, VIJAYAWADA
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