Jon Barrett
Editor of Electronics Sourcing UK, North America and Europe
During his publishing career, Jon has continued to develop his mechanical, electronic and software skills ranging from recent qualifications in precision welding to the development of hosted business software.
Plug-and-play comes of age
Thanks to a unique set of circumstances, there is a single day when I judge the accomplishments of the electronics industry over the previous year: Christmas day. On that day, as if by magic, electronic products appear on the living room floor. The time frame to enable them is immediate. The userbase comprises demanding children. Finally, any form of meaningful technical support is non-existent. This year the challenge was an app-controlled toy and this is…
Press go for growth
I always look forward to the December issue of Electronics Sourcing. It’s an opportunity to ask a wide range of manufacturers and distributors for their experience over the past 12-months and their expectations for the coming year. Every year, for the last decade, these Forecast features have typically delivered a diversity of views. Some contributors are bullish, others are bearish. Some see growth in one industry, others in a different sector. Not this year. This…
Think, make or serve
It’s been an interesting 55-years. Like many children of the ‘60s, I was born into a manufacturing economy. As the years ticked by this was subsequently swept away by the knowledge economy, which was looked upon as higher value, cleaner and more environmentally sound. Just as I got to grips with that concept, it too was pushed aside by the service economy, which itself spawned its little brother: the gig economy. Then along comes Covid-19…
John Denslinger
Editorial contributor to Electronics Sourcing
John Denslinger is a former executive VP Murata, president SyChip Wireless, and president/CEO ECIA, the industry’s trade association. His career has spannned up to 40 raw years in electronics.
Small but big impact
John Denslinger investigates why supply constraints of the tiniest components can have significant consequences for even the biggest industries. A WSJ article published in mid-February spoke to the impact of electronic components on the automotive supply chain. What prompted me to read the piece was the title: ‘How car makers collided with a global chip shortage’. Curiosity set in. Could a massive market segment like automotive really miss the warning signals? The warning signs were…
5G: just in time for work from home
John Denslinger shows how 5G is turning the ‘work from home’ phenomenon from an emergency solution to a sustainable and infinitely more productive alternative. Covid is once again rewriting ‘business as usual’. The virus single-handedly triggered the great workforce reformation of 2020 where the central office vanished and a dispersed ‘work from home’ (WfH) alternative took its place. Temporary? Hardly! That trend is not likely to change anytime soon. If you think about it, the…
IoT: resolving the unknowns
In this article, John Denslinger sees the expansion of existing IoT applications, plus the introduction of new connected technologies, as a fundamental driving force over coming years. Forecasting several years out is often futile. Results are rarely accurate and frequently altered by disruptive technologies unknown at the time. Somehow, that doesn’t stop us from planning the future for many new technologies like IoT. I admit a certain fascination with IoT. It stems from a white…
James Carbone
Editorial contributor to Electronics Sourcing
A veteran journalist, James was a writer and editor for Electronics and Purchasing magazines for 21 years. He covered electronics distribution, semiconductors, passives and connectors for the magazines.
IoT, 5G and alternate energy will help drive the North American EMS market
EMS providers say while the pandemic slowed production of equipment last year, demand is recovering and single-digit growth for many contract manufacturers is possible. Electronic manufacturing services providers say they are optimistic that they will grow business over the next five years because of rising demand from companies making products for alternative and clean energy, industrial applications, 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) and an overall increase in outsourcing by OEMs in some industries. Many…
Strong demand, limited capacity will boost PMIC tags
Expect a seller’s market for power management integrated circuits for the rest of the year because of strong demand and limited production capacity. A double-digit increase in unit demand, tight supply and higher prices will result in the worldwide power management integrated circuit (PMIC) growing 19 per cent this year. PMIC unit demand will rise 13 per cent while prices will increase five percent, resulting in revenue growing from $14.6 billion in 2020 to $17….
Distributors see increased opportunities from automotive
Some distributors say their sales to the automotive supply chain are rising because of semiconductor shortages, rising electronic content in cars and the trend towards electric vehicles. Automotive represents a small percentage of electronics distributors’ overall sales, but distributors say there has been a sharp increase in demand by automakers and their key systems suppliers and contract manufacturers fueled by severe shortages of some semiconductors. Some distributors say demand by automotive customers may be short…
Amy Leary
Marketing Manager of eBOM.com
Amy Leary has been working within the electronics industry for over three years. Along with Marketing, Amy also produces unique editorials connected to the industry which have been published in widely recognised publications globally.
The Impact Chinese New Year 2021 Will Have on The Electronics Industry
Chinese New Year usually falls somewhere between the end of January and the middle of February. Next year in 2021, it is set to commence on 12th February and will be the year of the Ox. Chinese New Year is a time for celebration and is known to cause the largest human migration in the world, resulting in many employees taking time off work to be with family and friends. The holiday period often causes…
Let’s Get the Industry Moving Again
This year has seen one of the worst financial crises since 1929, the Wall Street Crash. The economy has seen a rough start to 2020, with thanks to COVID-19 causing mass disruption for manufacturers globally and over 437,000 deaths within seven months. Same as all major industries, the electronics sector has been substantially affected by the virus in all divisions including events, manufacturing, supply chain and staffing. With COVID-19 grinding spending and production to halt,…
Did You Stockpile Because Of BREXIT?
For those who may not be aware, the United Kingdom held a referendum vote on its relationship to the EU back in 2016. With virtual guarantees that the United Kingdom would remain in the EU – it came as a shock that by a slim margin, more of the public had voted ‘leave’ by a majority of 52% to 48%. The impact of the surprise vote caused lots of uncertainty with UK citizens and has…