Microsoft will launch Windows 10 globally on July 29. The latest version, which combines the strengths of its predecessors, is free to upgrade for users of genuine Windows 7 and 8. According to DRAMeXchange, a division of TrendForce, the PC replacement demand generated by Windows 10 will be noticeably weaker than the vendors’ initial expectations. Besides being free for users of earlier Windows, the latest Windows does not require specific hardware upgrades.
The fabless IC design industry during the first half of this year has not performed well due to lower-than-expected shipments of end products such as smartphones, PCs and notebooks. However, the market is hoping that the situation will improve with the coming peak season in this year’s second half.
On October 14, 2014, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced the establishment of the National Integrated Circuitry Industry Investment Fund. This fund shows China’s intention of building a domestic semiconductor sector with the DRAM industry as the cornerstone.
Due to uncertainties in the global economic conditions, the DRAM market has seen oversupply for the first half of 2015. The industry are having difficulties consuming PC DRAM capacity because the notebook shipments have been weak. As a result, the contract prices for PC DRAM have been falling.
The IC sector is spurred by demands related to IoT businesses and 4G LTE technologies, but it is also dragged down by the below-expectation sales of PCs and mobile devices. On the whole, the sector’s revenue performance has been slightly disappointing so far this year.
