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To: David Rosenthal who wrote (20586)	6/19/1998 12:48:00 AM
From: Rick Mai	Respond to of 70976

Novellus to cut 10 percent of worforce SAN JOSE, Calif., June 18 (Reuters) - Novellus Systems Inc., a NEWS FROM NOVELLUS: ??HOW CAN YOU GET A RALLY IF THINGS ARE GOIN THIS GREAT??? semiconductor equipment maker said Thursday it would cut its workforce by 10 percent in the face of a weak semiconductor market. ''It is prudent to aggressively control our cost programs in the face of economic conditions in the semiconductor industry,'' Chief Executive Richard Hill said in a statement. Hill added the company plans a high level of spending on new products it hopes will lead the industry as market conditions improve. Earlier this month Novellus unveiled a line of systems for chip companies to manufacture faster semiconductors using a much-vaunted copper technology.

To: David Rosenthal who wrote (20586)	6/19/1998 10:05:00 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 70976

Light at the end of the tunnel???? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Taiwan Tech Firms Boost Investments to Counter Market Slump June 19, 1998 (TAIPEI) -- Many high-technology companies have decided to install new equipment and expand their production capacities to cope with the Asian market slump. This is in sharp contrast to the cutting of staff levels and slashing of procurement done by most other firms in the industry. The growing prevalence of low-priced PCs has fueled a wait-and-see atmosphere in the market, which has hurt corporate profitability. Executives at Acer Inc., Mitac International Corp. and First International Computer Inc. (FIC) assert that the market slump presents a great challenge to manufacturers of information-related products. Some of the less qualified companies are at risk. Yet the trend toward low-priced computers has proven profitable for some of Taiwan's established companies. For example, computer orders won by major OEM manufacturers have expanded in recent months. IBM Corp., for example, has established an OEM outlet in Taiwan. Representatives from Packard Bell NEC Inc., Dell Computer Corp. and Gateway 2000 recently came to Taiwan to learn about market conditions, and are expected to place their first OEM orders in Taiwan soon. Thus, some local high-tech companies have lost confidence and are retrenching, while others that are well-established tend to be speeding up new investments. Acer said it hopes to deliver 1 million notebook PCs this year. The company decided to install new production equipment at its Subic Bay factory in the Philippines. Acer said its notebook PC deliveries soared 30 percent in the initial five months of this year. FIC has set up a new foothold in the Netherlands, to strengthen its European presence. Mitac is constructing a plant in China's Guangdong province, to enable the company to double its PC production. (Commercial Times, Taiwan) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++