Category Archives: Market Analysis

China Emerges as Worlds Fastest-Growing Automotive MEMS Market

Driven by the aggressive implementation of vehicle safety and pollution mandates, China has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing country for sales of automotive microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), according to a new IHS iSuppli Automotive MEMS Market Brief from information and analysis provider IHS.

China’s automotive MEMS market is expected to expand to $387.9 million in 2015, up from $194.3 million in 2010. This equates to a five-year compound annual growth rate of 14.8 % significantly higher than the worldwide average of 9%. “MEMS are a key enabling technology to improve the safety and reduce carbon emissions in motor vehicles,” commented Richard Dixon, senior analyst for MEMS and sensors at IHS. “With China’s car sales booming and its sensor usage soaring, the country’s automotive MEMS market is set for world-leading growth through the year 2015.”

Car market gets back in gear
The expansion of the global automotive MEMS market is being fueled by a revived passenger vehicle industry, which is projected to rebound from the economic slump. Production of passenger cars for the Chinese market is set to increase to 22.2 million units in 2015, up from 16.3 million in 2010.

Overall, China will remain the world’s third biggest user of automotive MEMS sensors during the five-year period, ahead of Japan and a collection of countries under the designation “Rest of the World.” North America will continue to lead the space, followed by Europe. Global automotive MEMS revenue is forecast to hit $2.9 billion in 2015, up more than 50 % from $1.9 billion in 2010.

Currently the largest automotive MEMS applications in terms of unit shipments are airbags, followed by silicon MEMS manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensors needed for engine management. However, TPMS will outpace airbags in 2015.

One other application, electronic stability control to help prevent skidding in vehicles, is currently underpenetrated in China and will remain so unless there is a government mandate. Official government recommendations have set a national standard in China for TPMS, which should have come into effect during July but will ramp up in mid-2012. China is adopting TPMS ahead of Japan with an eye to the practical benefits that can be derived: The feature in vehicles not only saves lives but affects the environment, as correct tire pressure results in better mileage and less carbon emissions. China’s prominent role in implementing TPMS for its vehicles will accelerate the global TPMS market to a fitment rate of 73 % by 2015.

By next year, more high-end vehicle models in China will be equipped with TPMS ahead of other mandates, such as adaptive front headlights, brake assist and adaptive cruise control, IHS research indicates.

Find Better Yields With Money Market Accounts

If you’re tired of earning next to nothing with your cash parked in a bank savings account, you should consider a money market account instead. Money market accounts almost always yield more than a savings account for several reasons, and are considered to be just as safe.

Safety

Money market accounts are insured by the FDIC. This is an agency within the federal government that operates completely independently, and reimburses you if the bank you have funds deposited in should fail. The FDIC came into existence during the Great Depression to restore public confidence in banks. Ever since its creation, not a single depositor has lost a single penny from a bank failure. The FDIC has always made good on its insurance promise. The FDIC pays depositors out of a special insurance fund, that is contributed to by the banks it insures, and from interest on its own portfolio of US Treasury securities.

Yield Correlates to Safety

The safer an investment is, the lower a yield it will offer. The way risk-reward is naturally structured is that in order to convince an investor to place his or her funds in a very risky investment, he will require a higher yield to be enticed to take on that risk. If the risk is very low, then the investor will not require a lot of convincing to invest in the proposition. However, just because an investment carries no risk at all, like money market accounts, that doesn’t mean the yield will be zero. The investor has to be offered something to place his or her funds in the deal.

Yield Correlates to Interest Rates

The biggest driver of money market yields, however, is interest rates. As interest rates rise, the yields on money market investments also rise. It has become costlier for the government to borrow money, which drives up Treasury yields. Corporations must raise the yields they pay on commercial paper to compete with other investments — such as bank savings accounts. The more interest a corporation must pay on a debt, the higher the risk that they may not be able to pay. That risk, again, is minimal. Nevertheless, it is a risk, so that boosts the yield.

Account Restrictions

There is a trade-off for enjoying the higher yields that money market accounts offer, but they are not at all significant. Many have a minimum balance requirement, which could be anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500. This contrasts with a regular bank passbook savings account, which can often be opened with just a few dollars. It’s important to note that this is an ongoing minimum balance requirement, not a minimum deposit requirement. A bank will often assess a fee if you fall below that minimum, so always be certain to check your balance before making a withdrawal.

Speaking of withdrawals, there are also restrictions placed on the number of withdrawals within any given statement cycle, usually around six. Generally speaking, these withdrawals can be automated or done via the telephone, and sometimes with a check.

Putting It All Together

There’s no better place to hunt down the highest money market rates than the internet. You can compare rates side by side in many cases. Bankrate.com lists average money market account rates, based on the amount you invest in the account. With the averages known, you’ll be able to find out if your bank is beating that average.

However, be careful. Don’t just go with the highest interest rate you find. Be sure the fund you choose has a long history. Make sure the bank offers the ability to write checks on the account. Having the equivalent of a cash account without the ability to draw from it easily will cause more problems than it’s worth.

Acer Iconia Tab A500 Compact Bunch Of Entertainment

According to the market analysis firm Display Search, Acer is the fourth leading PC makers with the 7.6% shipment of Personal Computers in Western Europe followed by the Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Dell. The Display Search has counted the Tablets as the mobile PCs along with the notebook computers. Though, the mobile PC market in Western Europe reported the decline by 20.4%, mini netbook/ netbook by 53% and Desktop PCs by 15.4% year-on-year.

The principal analyst Mr. Meike Escherich admitted that, “The much anticipated uptake in the professional segment, in the wake of migration to Windows 7, was subdued by the negative economic outlook. PC shipments in the professional segment declined 9 percent in the second quarter of 2011. The biggest decline continued to come from the consumer segment which decreased 27 percent year-on-year.”

As per some rumors, Acer Inc. is precisely working on its own Ultrabook research and development project to produce the ultra-thin laptops, which are expected to introduce in September. Company has excellent team and strong network across the world with total 8, 000 employs and estimated revenues of US$19.9 billion for 2010.

Acer has been honored by various prestigious awards like Gold Computer SuperBrand in Asia from seven consecutive years, Acer TravelMate 8200 & 5-series LCD monitors have won the 2006 iF Design Awards, Acer TravelMate 3000 has won world’s most sought-after design awards ‘The Red Dot’, Acer’s AL2032W LCD monitor has won 2005 iF design (International Forum Desing) Awards, acer’s AL1731 LCD monitor has won Red Dot Design Award by the World-class German Design Institute and lots more.

Acer Iconia Tablets are the hottest discussion topic in the market, which have been designed in very sophisticated manner and receiving the huge response from the crowd. Acer Iconia Tab A500 Tablet PC is the sleek, compact and feature-packed means of quality communication and entertainment.

The display of Acer Iconia Tab A500 has been managed by the 10.1 inches LCD capacitive touchscreen that displays the content in effective 800×1280 pixels resolution counts and 256K colors. This sharp and bright display screen supports various other accessorial features like Acer UI, Multi-touch input method, Gyro, Accelerometer and Proximity sensor. This Acer Tablet brings you the pleasure of all the Android OS and high-tech features including 5MP with 2592×1944 pixels resolution counts & video recording option, 2MP front facing video calling camera, direct access to the Social Network Sites, various internet services and web apps through Wi-Fi internet connectivity feature, multiple audio file supported media player and more. Acer Iconia Tab A500 price is Rs.26, 990 approximately.

Can Marketing Research Save a Business from Losses

Not every business thinks positive impact of doing marketing research till they suffer losses. Yes, this is quite true in the sense when we read many businesses going in losses, shutting their offices or decreasing manpower. And the main reason that has been seen is either due to lack of planning which obviously requires market analysis and other factors can be low market demand. Though low market demand can’t be seen as a major reason of business loss. If the demand is low companies do take of their expenses of decreasing man power and other overhead expenses.

Only reason that compels a business to shut down is not doing the best possible marketing research analysis that helps in determining the market trend for another 5-7 years. This can be done in many ways, either by recruiting a marketing research analyst in your company or by hiring a company who does market surveys and research on regular basis. Recruiting an analyst though is not a smart decision when you don’t his/her services quite often. The best way to get this done is hiring a company which has been working for some time in this sector and have a qualified team to deliver what you need.

When a market research report is prepared it must contain a market analysis report as well that predicts the market trend for another 5 years at least. This not only helps in planning your finances but helps you in deciding on the viability of the business. Not many companies agree to this but the logic applies is simple. Here is a simple example, when you or your wife runs a household it runs smoothly when planned for each month and some months ahead. If you have a family income of $10000 per month it’s quite obvious you plan what to spend on food articles, weekend holidays or festive spending. Then only you come to know what you save for future.

The same way this needs to be applied to any business we run. Marketing research helps us in understanding how that business will run, how it has been, what competitors do and what’s new in the market. The important part of any market research report is market analysis trend. This is what not all businesses think of getting done and stress on. Any business either small or big which is looking to run for a long time need to get market trend of the business for coming years. It is quite right nobody know what the future will be but this where role of marketing research companies comes to play. They predict the future of a business keeping various factors in mind. They are the experts in this and know how they can help their clients know the future of their business.

Hire a marketing research company and see the difference that actually shows the fact between your flourishing business and the one that is going into losses. If you are serious in getting involved into your business with positive signs visit a premier marketing research company, Visha Consultants right away.

How to Analyze Money Market Rates

A money market account combines the thrill of a short-term, high-yield investment with the security of a savings account, which often intrigues new investors. Much like a savings account, this type of account is accessible – meaning you can transfer money from your checking and savings accounts to it, and you can even write checks against this account. Yet it still offers higher interest – or money market rates – than a standard savings account. If you’re considering this investment tactic, you’ll want to be sure you comprehend the basics about rates on money market accounts:

Understand why money market accounts offer higher rates. This is because unlike with a savings account, the financial institution you’re partnering with is able to use your funds to invest in its own capital. Although you’re in a low-risk situation, the banks may wager your money in higher-risk gambits, such as federal securities and bonds. The bank owes you only the money market rates discussed on top of your initial investment, regardless of how much money it makes (or loses) in this time. Because you give the bank the chance to make money for itself with your money, in turn it pays favorable interest rates for this type of account.

Compare an array of rates from top banks. You’ll want to assess at least five banks’ rates to be sure you’re getting a competitive rate that accurately reflects the current market. Most sites offer calculators that can help you determine how much money you stand to make during the length of an agreement – typically about a year – given the current money market rates.

Know the money market rates are not the bottom line. In addition to figuring out the best annual yield (with compounded interest over time, if the length of term allows it) and how much money you’ll walk away with, there are other factors to compare. For example, some banks require a higher original deposit than others. Or you may need to sustain a certain minimal balance at all times. Some may have steeper fees if you need to cancel your account or if you accidentally withdraw more times than allowed per term (typically 3-6 per month). Start-up fees may simply be higher at some banks, negating the high money market rates offered. Look at the big picture and total costs before settling for what seems like the best money market account offer.