Mr. Buehler: We're a business publication that goes to three target audiences ' engineering heads and section managers in semiconductor fabs; the fab managers; and executives who are making business decisions around the fab. We target the fabs, the foundries and the fab capital equipment and materials manufacturers. Our circulation is about 40,000, definitely global and definitely engineering-based.
TWST: What is it you're trying to bring them?
Mr. Buehler: We bring them the best information that they can get about
the semiconductor manufacturing industry to help them make smarter
business decisions. This is a highly capital-intensive industry and a
highly technical industry, and risks are great. We help people with the
data and the knowledge that they can turn into wisdom to make
intelligent business decisions going forward.
TWST: As you look out, what are the key issues for this segment you're
addressing?
Mr. Buehler: The major key issue in the short term is a hoped-for return
of demand, something to pull semiconductor-based products through the
channel. We're hoping that telecom comes back ' which will obviously
take a while ' and that replacement of PCs in corporations will
increase, and that capital will be freed up in the consumer space for
the purchase of electronic products. But there's a lot of consolidation
going on in this industry. The recent shakeout has forced a lot of
companies to look very carefully at what it is they do and do well.
There have been several acquisitions and there are a few companies no
longer in this industry. Given the high capital costs, the cost of
staying up to date with technology capability and the speed of change in
good products, it's been very difficult on companies. There's been quite
a shakeout ' it's a fairly good-sized change in the landscape.
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