> 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, Iąd be a damnsight! -- Happy New Year! Regards, Graham Naisbitt [log in to unmask] Mobile: +44 (0)79 6858 2121 Concoat Limited - Engineering Electronics Reliability Web: www.concoat.co.uk AND www.concoatsystems.com Sales: Millfield House, Fleet Road Fleet, Hampshire GU51 3QF UK Phone: +44 (0)1252 813706 Fax: +44 (0)1252 813709 Manufacturing and Head Office: Alasan House, Albany Park Camberley, Surrey GU16 7PH UK Phone: +44 (0)1276 691100 Fax: +44 (0)1276 691227 --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 -----------------------------------------------------