The market research company DRAMeXchange predicts that manufacturers of DDR2 memory will not be able to meet approximately 10-20% of orders as many organizations begin upgrading their computers to be compatible with Microsoft’s new operating system this August.
Windows Vista requires a minimum of 512 MB of DRAM for the system. The high demand for DDR2 is expected to last until around September or October, after which the market will “cool down” and gradually stabilize.
Meanwhile, according to the American research firm SIA, global semiconductor sales reached $19.7 billion in May, a 9.4% increase compared to the previous year.
Success in the analog chip market (devices that process analog signals) and digital chip market (devices that process digital signals) is largely driven by demand for consumer electronics such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and MP3 players.
Sales of analog chips increased by 21.5% during the period from May 2005 to May 2006, while digital chips saw a 13.7% rise. Conversely, sales of computer chips dropped by 2% during this period due to high competition in the market, which led to lower product prices.
In the United States, overall sales of processing devices increased by 9.6%, rising from $3.2 billion in May of last year to $3.5 billion in May 2006. The Asia-Pacific region, led by China, also experienced significant growth, increasing from $8 billion to $9.2 billion.
