September 2008

Electronica, or electronica with its lower case e as the organisers like us to spell it, looms. Seriously it does, though I’m pushed to believe it. Why so, Mick I hear you cry? Well as some of you may know, at present I have another gig acting as editor of EPN until the real star Caroline Hayes takes over on September 29. This means, smart move Caroline, I am editing the November electronica preview issue. Well thinks I, one thing I won’t have to worry about is content. The preview press releases will be flowing over me in a positive Niagara. Hmm, then again maybe not. Frankly the turn out has been disappointing. Now this is not, not totally anyway, a knock on PR companies, including Publitek. I don’t mind biting the hand that feeds me, expect that it would be unfair. I’ve met any number of PR people in the past few weeks grinding their teeth in frustration at the lack of action from clients telling them about their plans for electronica including new product launches.

So let me get this straight all you marketing people out there. You spend as much money as you will ever spend on your presence at an exhibition, then don’t let anybody know about it in advance. There will be over 75,000 visitors to electronica and I think letting EPN or Markt & Technik or Electronics Weekly or any of the fine European electronics industry magazines know about your latest products might just catch a potential visitor’s eye and persuade them to pay you a visit. I’m generalising to make a point. Companies either directly or through their PR outlets have sent me material and more importantly recognised that monthly deadlines are lengthy. So a suggestion if you are planning to exhibit at electronica 2010. Go to your diary now, ring August 1 and write a memo to prepare the preview press material. If it comes to EPN, I’m certain it will be used.

So it’s good news and bad news for Richard Wallace. Looks like his criss-crossing of the Atlantic and subsequent swelling of his air miles account is coming to an end for the very good reason he has been named to lead the combined global content teams at EE Times and TechOnline. In this new position, he takes on the whole kit and kaboodle overseeing TechInsights print, events and digital media products. His will be the task to drive a new content strategy, combining what must be the world’s largest electronics market editorial and content teams into a cohesive, focused unit delivering news and technical information to global audiences. Junko Yoshida, Editor-in-Chief of EE Times; Patrick Mannion, Editorial Director of TechOnline; Richard Nass, Editorial Director of Embedded Systems print and online operations; and Peter Clarke, EE Times Europe News Director will all report to Wallace.

It would be tough for TechInsights to find a better qualified bloke. Wallace is a former EE Times Editor-in-Chief with more than 30 years of print, online and global editorial development, management and media business experience. Most recently he oversaw the launch of EETimes Europe. If you want chat to Wallace about his plans, his Air Miles haven’t totally dried up as he will be attending ESC Bangalore (October 14-17), ESC Boston (October 26-30) and Electronica in Munich (November 11-14).

IML has changed its electronics editorial structure in a move which means Tim Fryer will become Managing Editor of both EPD and Electronics Manufacture and Test. The reshuffle has been prompted by Caroline Hayes departure from the editor’s seat at EPD to become editor at EPN. Fryer has been editor of EM&T for 15 years so brings tons of experience to the EPD role. Fear not the poor bloke isn’t producing both magazines single handed. He is on the lookout for a Technical Editor for EPD. Knowledge of the technology behind electronics design and industry trends are two attributes Fryer is looking for in applicants. Direct experience in business to business publishing isn’t important. A track record in technical writing, therefore proving the ability to write accurately and fluently will be an asset.

If you are interested fire off an e-mail to tim.fryer@imlgroup.co.uk.

Are they crowing in Crowborough? Could be. MMG Publishing has announced a spectacular launch issue of Electronics Sourcing Europe. It will boast 126 pages, way above publisher Mark Leary’s wildest dreams, and more importantly double his original budget. Says Leary: “Support for ES Europe has been superb from both advertisers and readers. Circulation was predicted to be 25,000 across Europe (excluding the UK) but has already breached 31,000 and will reach 35,000 soon.” The MMG in-house circulation team has telephone researched the readers and Leary will be happy to host any current or potential advertisers to visit MMG’s East Sussex, UK offices to view the database.

This looks to be a successful print launch, and we haven’t seen too many of those recently. Leary has been smart in targeting an electronica show launch. The trick as ever will be in sustaining this fast start. If you want to meet the team behind the magazine they will be in Hall A2. 513.

http://www.electronics-sourcing.com

The Electronics Weekly Elektra awards will celebrate the very best in the European electronics industry during Electronica week in Munich. It’s the sixth year for the event, which is now established as an annual highpoint of the electronics calendar. This year will be no different and as well as the awards it’s probably as good a networking event as you will find during the week. This year’s Elektras are being staged on Monday November 10, so it is a great way to start the industry’s big week in Munich. To book a table go to http://www.electronicsweekly.com/elektra08

A stellar speaker line up will participate in a two-day seminar where programmable hardware system design is the focus. It is being held on October 8-9 at Savoy Place in London by the IET in partnership with Electronics Weekly.

Specialists from Microsoft, Texas Instruments, NXP, Xilinx, Altera and Imperial College will be investigating the crossover in programmable hardware and software design. Top industry names speaking include David May, Chief Technical Officer of XMOS, Allan Cantle, President and Founder of Nallatech, Satnam Singh from Microsoft and Doug Amos, Director of European marketing at Synplicity.

Topics covered include FPGAs versus configurable processors: assessing the different trade-offs in reconfigurability and selecting the right system and device for your application; challenges of designing novel multicore processor architectures; challenges of programming multi-core microprocessors; and exploring the challenges of cross domain high level design.

The seminars will cover design technologies for applications in wireless systems, defence and aerospace, telecoms, medical systems and video processing.

To register go to http://www.theiet.org/phs

Five German publishers have collaborated to produce readership analysis of the electronics technical press for advertising decision-makers in companies and agencies. Claimed to be a comprehensive survey comprising over a hefty 1500 interviews the results are available in a 52-page brochure or a free download PDF on the internet (in German and English language). The population was defined according to the accepted sector classification by ZVEI (Zentralverband Elektrotechnik- und Elektronik-Industrie e.V., German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association) and determined empirically among 20,000 places of business in Germany with a total of 196,000 professional electronics decision-makers. Besides reach values and demographic factors, the survey evaluates data on decision-maker types, buying centers, decision-making processes and competences for various product sectors. An online evaluation service enables readers to access all results of this survey and evaluate them in the many combinations.

Data answers key questions regarding the structure of the German electronics sector, the structure and decision-making hierarchy of the companies, the target group relevance of individual electronic trade journals was well as campaign optimization through media combinations.

The five participating publishing houses are: AT Fachverlag; Hüthig GmbH; Hüthig elektronikJOURNAL; publish-industry Verlag; and Vogel Industrie Medien.

Contact: faulstich@tele-research.de

Staying at TechInsights the very good news is that excellent electronics journalist and Charlton fan Colin Holland has been named editor in chief of Embedded Systems and senior editor on EETimesEurope. Copy machine Holland was previously acting in a freelance role but is now on the TechInsights payroll, which should fund those trips to watch Charlton Athletic at Plymouth and Preston. I’d like to have said to a European game, but unlike another South London club close to my heart (Millwall since you ask), Charlton have yet to play in a European competition!

Maury Wright, industry veteran and ace technology writer is the driving force behind TechOnline’s newly-launched DigitalHomeDesignLine.com, a one-stop resource aimed squarely at designers of systems and software for the digital home. DigitalHome is TechOnline’s 20th design-oriented community and like the others provides online support environments for engineers and engineering managers. It offers detailed technical information to improve their designs and develop their expertise in specific application or technology areas. Wright will drive the development of application content and community. He brings a shedload of experience to this job. He was previously editorial director of EDN Worldwide where he wrote shrewdly and incisively on computers and peripherals with an interest in multimedia. His design engineering experience encompasses General Dynamics and Computation, focused on microprocessors.

EE Times-India has launched a brand new digital platform with improved content access and functionality. “The File” from EE Times-India is the Indian engineer’s biweekly focus on electronics design, distributed via NXTBbook Media’s digital publishing platform.

Todd Christenson, General Manager of EE Times-Asia, explains: “With this new digital platform, EE Times-India offers its active users a brand-new interactive experience - they get to read articles, listen to audio clips, watch videos and animations, and download useful technical information. Each issue has the feel of a magazine, but offers so much more.

“The real value that ‘The File’ offers to advertisers is its measurability. Advertisers are being pressed hard to justify every investment, and we are now offering a way for them to engage with India’s design community and measure the results. Rich media technology allows us to deliver sales messages creatively and with impact, then capture data immediately.”

First results suggest it has tapped a vein as the August pilot issue saw 40% more downloads than its PDF predecessor. And each ad on the digital publication was viewed for an average one minute.

To experience the new digital EE Times-India, simply visit http://www.eetindia.co.in/STATIC/REDIRECT/080801_landing.htm.

National Electronics Week (NEW) is good to go for 2009 and Event Director Claire Jeffreys is promising bigger and better things for the show’s second year. She has confirmed that NEW 2009 will extend its scope of coverage even further to incorporate new dedicated environments for a wider range of industries.

London’s Earls Court 2 is again the venue and the dates are 16th – 18th June. New to NEW so to speak next year will be the launch of dedicated environments for Production/EMS, Test, Solar/PV, Wireless, Embedded Systems and Components. Dividing the floorplan into colour-coded sectors for different industries, Jeffreys says the initiative will enable exhibitors and visitors to make the most of every opportunity for learning, discovery, business and networking. There will also be confirmed International Pavilions from Singapore, China and Taiwan.

“The new-look show is a direct result of visitor and exhibitor feedback from last year’s event, in addition to our ongoing market research activities,” explains Jeffreys.

Confirmed exhibitors for next year include Juki, MYDATA, Parkheath, PACE, XJTAG, Lambda, Anders, EFD and Ansmann .

To find out more about National Electronics Week, visit http://www.nationalelectronicsweek.co.uk