[Tex Instruments DSP chips]
Peter,
Here is the news release that relates to the interview.
<<DALLAS, April 15 (Reuter) - Texas Instruments Inc said Tuesday that orders for its semiconductors grew sharply in the first quarter and pointed to strong demand for new differentiated chips as the market recovers from a dismal year in 1996.
TI said in its first quarter earnings statement that its semiconductor orders in the quarter grew at double-digit rates over the fourth quarter of 1996, "with strength across all products and geographic regions."
While first quarter revenues from DRAM memory chips were lower than a year ago due to lower DRAM prices, other semiconductor revenues were significantly higher, TI said.
It said revenue growth in so-called differentiated products such as digital signal processors and mixed-signal/analog products continued to surge, and those products also showed higher operating margins.
The company said it expects the world semiconductor market to grow about 10 percent this year, following a decline of nine percent in 1996.
Digital signal processors (DSPs) and mixed-signal/analog products will continue to grow two or three times faster than the overall market, it said.
TI said orders for its DSPs reached record levels in the first quarter, with particular strength in mass storage, networking and wireless communications end equipment markets. Revenues from those products accounted for more than 40 percent of total semiconductor revenues.
The company said semiconductor inventories remain at record low levels and it is seeing signs of improved stability in DRAM pricing. It was the collapse of DRAM prices last year that battered the global chip market.
President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Engibous said the company would continue to focus on differentiated products.
"Our strong leadership position in digital signal processing solutions provides significant competitive advantage to us and to our customers," he said.
"The opportunity we have today in DSPs is the biggest opportunity for TI since the invention of the integrated circuit ... This particular business has great potential to accelerate TI's move toward higher value, higher growth and better financial stability.">> |
