Intel Needs To Adjust With Pricing Trend

Many analysts believe that Intel is not only weathering the impact of a recession, but also battling the demand for “the same functionality for less price” phenomenon that is washing over the shores of the technology industry in every direction. I think there is a lot of truth to this, and it is a trend that will for sure impact Intel in a big way and will lead to significant restructuring and fat trimming. Let’s take a look.

On January 15, Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC), the world’s largest chip maker, reported a weak fourth quarter that met Street estimates. For the first time since 2000, Intel reported a sequential decline in the fourth quarter as a result of reduced demand for PCs and servers as well as inventory contraction across the supply chain. The one bright spot in the results was the 50% increase in sales of Intel’s new Atom processor. >>>

India Looks To Infosys To Salvage Reputation

The Indian IT industry is going through turbulent times with Satyam’s (the fourth-largest player in the country) CEO reporting a $1 billion fraud. The results announced by the largest player, Infosys Technologies (INFY), did manage to bring some respite to the market. Narayan Murthy must be ashamed of his compatriot, Ramalinga Raju for jeopardizing India’s reputation. >>>

Micron’s Misery

On December 23, Micron Technologies, with annual revenue of $5.8 billion, reported results for the first quarter of fiscal 2009. Results were mixed, with stronger-than-expected sales and a wider-than-expected loss as DRAM and NAND ASP declines outpaced cost reductions. >>>

3Com Excels in China

Amidst the gloomy economic background, there is a bright spot in the form of 3Com, a major networking player with annual revenue of $1.3 billion. Last month, on December 18, in its Q209 results, the company reported another strong quarter that beat estimates. This is the second consecutive quarter that 3Com has reported a profit and beat estimates. In my recent Networking Sector Overview, we explored how 3Com, with its Chinese cost structure, could give Cisco a run for its money. >>>

Outsourcing: View From Accenture

The New Year doesn’t seem to be bringing any cheer to the market. Though the $20 billion consulting giant, Accenture, continued to beat the market’s expectations with its Q1 results, the company lowered its outlook for the coming year. >>>

Paychex Reflects Dismal Broader Economic Outlook

Right before the holidays, on December 17, Paychex, the leading payroll and personnel services provider with annual revenue of $2.06 billion, reported second quarter earnings that fell below analyst expectations. But what is even more telling is the gloomy snapshot Paychex provides of the economy. Let’s take a closer look. >>>

Oracle Will Shop SaaS in 2009

Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL) reported its Q209 results on December 18. Revenue was up 6% to $5.6 billion, missing analyst estimates of $5.84 billion. However, as the company cut costs aggressively across the board, non-GAAP EPS of $0.34 met analyst estimates for earnings. Operating margin improved 166 basis points to 35% versus 34% last year. GAAP net income was down 1% to $1.3 billion. >>>

Sector Overview: Handsets

An IDC report released last week said that the mobile phone market will slow down in 2009, with mobile phone volumes expected to decline 1.9% due to the global economic crisis. However, the converged device market is still expected to grow, although at a slower pace of 8.9% in 2009. IDC expects the handset market to recover by 2010, with the converged device market expected to return to 24% growth and mobile phones to about 5% growth. Let’s take a closer look. >>>