> Hi  Rudy, 
> 
> Interesting comments.
> 
> If you think about what has happened over the last decade or so, one can see
> that the PCB has been reduced to a commodity even though each one is custom. A
> "custom commodity" now there is an oxymoron for you...;-)
> 
> With most OEMs, it seems that buyers are rewarded (or at least historically
> have been) for getting the best price, not the best value.
> 
> Seems also that the OEMs have done much to create this mentality. As soon as
> they gave up manufacturing and turned to outside, they began to demand price
> cuts from folks who spent money on the R&D to develop technologies that they
> (the OEM) used to have to spend.
> 
> The producer/developer had obviously hoped to hold the line on price for a
> while with the product and thus recoup some of that development cost. If the
> producer balked, the OEM simply transferred the technological knowledge,
> (which they felt they owned), to the next lower tier on the food chain. Not
> having any R&D to recoup, the next guy in line would immediately make it for
> less. I have heard variations on this story several times from different folks
> over the last 6-7 years with household names in the role of the villain.
> 
> Seems like now that some of the seeds of ruin many OEMs have sowed are now
> taking root. If one does not treat their vendors ethically, why should they
> expect them to act ethically in return?
> 
> I am not condoning the actions of the wayward vendors but it seems clear where
> they got at least some of their lessons in business ethics.
> 
> All the best in the new year.
> 
> Peace, 
> Joe --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List
> provided as a free service by IPC using
> 
> 
Perhaps I could add that famous remark attributed to General McArthur:

If my foresight was half as good as my hindsight, I¹d be a damnsight!

--
Happy New Year!
 
Regards, Graham Naisbitt
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