Consumer market to drive semiconductor industry

As we move towards the fourth generation of digital revolution, the consumer market would trigger the growth for the semiconductor industry as compared to the government sector earlier, according to David E Orton, president and chief executive officer of ATI Technologies Inc, a $2-billion company in visualisation technologies.

Orton was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 19th international conference on VLSI design and 5th international conference on embedded systems conducted under the theme of 'Mobile Embedded Systems' in Hyderabad.

"Every 18 months, there is new technology that is coming one's way. In the next two years, cell phones may provide access to real-time TV as well. The churn in the consumer market is, therefore, fuelling the growth of the industry," he added.

"Today, the semi-conductor industry is growing at the rate of around six per cent. We should actually be growing at the rate of 20 per cent - 25 per cent. Therefore, in the next several years, we need to focus on the consumer market as there is huge growth involved in it," Orton said.

"Standing before us is the fourth generation of digital convergence where consumer is at the centre," he added.