Flextronics Showing PC Muscle

How can you not like what Flextronics is doing in the computing space right now?

The world’s second-largest EMS player just opened its fourth end-to-end computing campus in China, a one million sq. ft. behemoth that offers complete design and manufacturing services for desktop, computers, notebook products and tablets.

More significant, the move underscores that Flextronics is going right after Foxconn. Unlike some competitors that have chosen to cede entire industries to Foxconn, Flextronics is turning that approach on its head.

While most analysts see computing as a relatively flat industry over the next few years — a prediction that is complicated by the growth of 4G smartphones, which act like de facto PCs — Flextronics has grown its revenue in the segment by taking market share from the very players most saw as the entrenched winners. From practically non-existent a few years ago, Flextronics’ PC segment is expected to nearly double to $2 billion this year and is forecast to hit $4 billion in 2012.

American companies pioneered volume manufacturing. There’s no reason they should not compete in that domain anywhere in the world.

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About Mike

Mike Buetow is president of the Printed Circuit Engineering Association (pcea.net). He previously was editor-in-chief of Circuits Assembly magazine, the leading publication for electronics manufacturing, and PCD&F, the leading publication for printed circuit design and fabrication. He spent 21 years as vice president and editorial director of UP Media Group, for which he oversaw all editorial and production aspects. He has more than 30 years' experience in the electronics industry, including six years at IPC, an electronics trade association, at which he was a technical projects manager and communications director. He has also held editorial positions at SMT Magazine, community newspapers and in book publishing. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois. Follow Mike on Twitter: @mikebuetow