End Users' Cost-saving Measures Increase Outsourcing Revenues for Asian VLSI Vendors

Business Wire, Jan 4, 2007

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c47815) has announced the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report: World VLSI Design Services Market to their offering.

This Frost & Sullivan research service titled World VLSI Design Services Market provides forecast by geographic regions and analysis of the drivers, restraints, and challenges faced by the industry. In this research, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the following technologies: digital design services - application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and application specific standard product (ASSP) design services, field programmable gate array (FPGA) and structured ASIC design services, analog and mixed signal design services, and radio frequency (RF) design services.

Market Overview

Proliferation of Smaller Geometries Compels Very Large-Scale Integration Design Service Providers to Upgrade Technical Skills

With end users showing a marked preference for smaller geometries and more complex designs, providers of very large-scale integration (VLSI) design services need to shape up their ability to handle sophisticated designs. They need to develop high understanding and skill sets to deal with complex 90 nm, 65 nm, and 45 nm geometries as well as low-power designs, address signal integrity in high speed design, and create full chip designs for various electronic design automation (EDA) flows. They should be equipped to cope with the design for test (DFT) and mixed signal related issues.

Such rapid technological changes compel market participants to assimilate the innovations in their designs to attract a wider customer base. "To stay competitive, companies need to handle the technical issues with ease and complete the design work in time," says the analyst of this research service. Design service providers have to find personnel with the right skills since region-specific talent restricts most of the digital design service to Asia, while analog and radio frequency (RF) design services are carried out in eastern Europe. Due to this lack of knowledgeable workforce, most major companies outsource their design jobs, boosting the service provider market.

End Users' Cost-saving Measures Increase Outsourcing Revenues for Asian VLSI Vendors

Third-party design service providers are experiencing a spurt of opportunities with original equipment manufacturers streamlining their processes to save costs. The low-cost Asia Pacific region is expected to account for more than 60 percent of design work in 2006 and can grow further, as service providers in this region offer quality designs at low costs. "Fabless companies are increasingly outsourcing design jobs to service companies due to their reluctance to invest in expensive EDA tools, especially for 90 nm and 65 nm process technologies," notes the analyst. "The evolution of new technologies in the design services market is expected to further enhance prospects for third-party design service providers."

This rising trend is compelling design service providers to acquire knowledge of the outsourcing business, especially with larger companies contributing to numerous areas including architecture and design. They need to demonstrate the immediate and long-term cost benefits of outsourcing design service jobs. They should offer greater flexibility in the scope of portfolios and business objectives while drawing up a contract. They also have to constantly improve their design flows and methodologies to differentiate themselves in an intensely competitive market.

Technologies

The following technologies are covered in this research:

- Digital design
- ASIC and ASSP design
- FPGA design
- Structured ASIC design
- Analog and mixed signal design
- RF design

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c47815