How different is it to serve the Semiconductor Industry as compared to other industries?
Surjit Lahiri: The semiconductor industry brings a unique set of challenges to the service providers. Deemed as the sunrise industry for technology, the growth of the electronics/high technology market is typically predicted based on equipment sales revenues. Software releases for equipment usually take place every quarter for existing products, which are less stable, and once in 6 months for more stable products. The average time to market for new products is usually 6 to 8 months. Additionally, the traditional semiconductor equipment software consists of mission critical and reliable real-time control software, reliable messaging systems/middleware for interoperability between subsystems, external equipments based on SEMI guidelines and specialized application and analysis software. It is, therefore, essential that service providers focus on delivering specialized services to the SEMI industry. Frost & Sullivan: Why is the volume of offshore work in Semiconductor Manufacturing Indust
