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.
Component shortages shouldn’t come as a surprise
Component shortages shouldn’t come as a surprise If there is one thing I’ve learned from working in the electronics industry for four decades it’s that no matter how hard one tries you can’t escape the ‘cycle’. The frequency and amplitude might vary but as day follows night, demand rises, capacity tightens, lead times extend and suddenly the component that represented a tiny fraction of a product’s BoM becomes the reason it can’t be built. What one can do is be prepared. AI infrastructure and data centres are consuming enormous quantities of semiconductors, memory, power products, passives and interconnects….
Enter the haunted supply chain of horrors
Step inside, if you dare: the supply chain haunted house, full of strange noises, flickering lights and things that go bump in the night. For purchasing professionals, the ghosts and ghouls can be all too real. In one darkened corridor, ghostly lead times float further away, leaving production managers shivering with uncertainty. Around a hidden corner lurk skeleton inventories, bare bones on shelves just as demand suddenly rattles to life. Cobwebbed alleyways lead to logistic…
AI enters the anticounterfeit battle zone
As a technology journalist I’ve been tracking artificial intelligence for years. I committed to working with it about two years ago and remain staggered by its capabilities on a weekly basis. Recently I’ve started seeing AI creep into anticounterfeiting discussions and could immediately see its potential on a short, medium and long term basis. Traditional anticounterfeiting measures such as manual visual inspection, verified supplier lists and time consuming testing protocols set the current pace of…
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.
Eldercare assistive robotics
As John Denslinger explains, eldercare assistive robotics offer independence, safety and a better quality of life for our seniors when they need it most. Among the world’s most developed nations, baby boomers represent a substantial share of the adult population, often exceeding 20 per cent. As they age, demand for long-term healthcare, retirement services and eldercare infrastructure also increases. By 2035, age 65 and over will approach 30 per cent. To avert widely expected shortages…
Defense 101: technology
In this month’s article, John Denslinger explains how the DoD is championing AI, QIS, 5G and nuclear to sustain military edge through commercial integration and strategic alliances. In the post WW II era, the Department of Defense (DoD) was considered the foremost developer of foundational innovation ultimately commercialized by non-military enterprises. DoD’s influence gradually declined and by the end of the 20th century major tech companies shifted attention to the consumer market. To keep pace…
Tariffs — deal or no deal?
This month John Denslinger provides readers with a fascinating insight into tariffs, concluding with hope that common sense trade policies prevail and reciprocity is quickly achieved. Mark the date 2 April 2025. It’s the day reciprocal tariffs kicked-in as foretold by President Trump in his first Congressional address of his second term. While this might be the President’s most consequential action to date, it’s just the third leg of his tariff stool. The first…
