Global semiconductor revenue for 2009 reaches $226billion

According to Gartner, worldwide semiconductor revenue reached $226billion in 2009, down 11.4% from 2008. Of this figure, the 10 leading manufacturers accounted for $77.3bn. HP remained the leading OEM worldwide for semiconductor consumption in 2009, gaining market share in market segments such as desktop, mobile and mini notebook pcs. Samsung accounted for the second largest demand for semiconductors, with Nokia ranked third. Apple and Acer were the only electronic equipment manufacturers among the top 10 companies to increase their semiconductor demand in 2009 – with the former growing against the background of demand shifting from hardware oriented to software oriented markets. Gartner says that preliminary results reveal that semiconductor demand for pcs has shown a firm recovery, as mini notebook pcs have sold well – not just in emerging countries, but also in developed countries. Masatsune Yamaji, senior research analyst at Gartner, said: "The supply chains of the electronics industry have become more complicated, and, thus, the importance of original design manufacturer businesses has risen. Overall, results are better than could have been predicted a year ago. Electronic equipment manufacturers made huge efforts to adjust their production and inventory in the first half of 2009 in order to deal with the economic downturn that set in at the end of 2008. Semiconductor demand has been gradually recovering since the second half of 2009, when the inventory adjustment was almost completed, but the pace of recovery differs by market segment."