Responding to the evolving needs and desires of today's consumers, the strategic merger of CSR and SiRF Technology is positioned to revolutionize the wireless communications landscape. GSA sat down with Joep van Beurden, chief executive officer of CSR, to discuss the new, exciting location solutions resulting from the merger; how technology convergence is critical in many consumer electronic devices; the immense value of start-ups in terms of technology development;
and much more.

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Jim Finch
Chief Executive Officer, Amalfi Semiconductor

The survival rate of many emerging companies in today’s industry is steadily declining. However, with a revolutionary CMOS solution that is bound to grab significant share in the handset market, Amalfi Semiconductor is an emerging company that has gone against the odds and is experiencing great growth. GSA sat down with Jim Finch, chief executive officer of Amalfi Semiconductor, to discuss the difficult criteria that start-ups must meet to secure funding in today’s economy; what strategy enabled Amalfi to continue its novel product development during the downturn; what new business model must arise to sustain innovation; and much more.

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Driving Packaging Innovation
Bob Warren, Director, Packaging Engineering and Assembly Manufacturing, Conexant Systems Inc.

The number of fabless semiconductor companies has grown at a 20 percent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) over the last decade. At present, more than eight out of 10 semiconductor companies are outsourcing some or all of their semiconductor fabrication and assembly. While use of the outsourced business model has allowed companies to lower costs, specialize and focus on core competencies, and reduce time-to-market, it has also created challenges for achieving and maintaining technology and product alignment. Selection of the right IC assembly and packaging technology is important to meet product cost, size, thermal, electrical, reliability and time-to-market requirements. Often, companies are faced with the dilemma of not having the right technology or capability available from their existing off shore assembly and test (OSAT) provider.

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Semiconductor Cost Reduction Strategies
Bob Scarborough, Chief Executive Officer, Tensoft Inc.
Regis Bescond, Corporate Controller, Amlogic

A semiconductor operations executive recently shared that his company challenged him to reduce the company’s average product cost by a penny a week, a seemingly modest and attainable goal. For the typical semiconductor company, however, this goal is at the core of business success. Sustained achievement of this goal brings the better part of a dollar to the bottom line for each unit delivered, and over the millions of units typical to a semiconductor operation, it harvests measureable and significant profit. Additionally, reducing product cost directly improves gross margin, the primary indicator of semiconductor value creation and a core metric of management effectiveness for the entire executive team.

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