Vimicro International Corporation (Vimicro), founded in Beijing, China in 1999, is a worldwide leading fabless semiconductor company that designs, develops and markets proprietary embedded multimedia signal processing chips and solutions that enable multimedia applications for mobile phones over 2.5G/3G networks and PCs over broadband Internet. Because of the downturn in the semiconductor industry in 2007 and the global financial crisis in 2008, VIMC's revenue fell from $126.6 million in 2006 to $86.5 million in 2008.[1] Although VIMC expects the worst to be over, according to analyst firm Gartner, demand for semiconducter goods will not reach 2007 levels until after 2014.[2]
Business Overview
VIMC is a multimedia semiconductor and solution provider with three primary business segments. In 2008 the company had revenues of $86.5 million, a fall of 6.7% from 2007[3] and a net loss of $13.6 million, an 80% greater loss than in 2007.[4] On continued weakness in demand for high-end technology goods, in Q1 2009, yoy revenue fell $2.1 million, to $22.2 million, and net income fell $9.7 million, to a net loss of $8.3 million.[5]
- PC and embedded notebook camera multimedia processors (42% of 2008 revenues): VIMC designs single-chip, branded processors used to process and transmit the image signals from the camera sensor of a PC or notebook camera into digital format. These processors have been incorporated into PC and embedded notebook cameras sold by large PC and embedded notebook camera vendors like Logitech.[3] Revenues from this segment have suffered the most as a result of the global economic downturn.
- Mobile phone multimedia processors (23% of 2008 revenues): VIMC designs processors used to process and transmit the image, video, and audio signals that a mobile phone receives, captures, or generates. These processors have been used by large international and China-based mobile phone brand owners, such as Samsung, LG, Lenovo Mobile, ZTE and Huawei, as well as large mobile phone design houses based in China, like China Techfaith.[3] Sales from this segment have also decreased as a result of falling demand for high-end technology goods.
- Image sensors (20% of 2008 revenues): To meet Chinese demand for more comprehensive system solutions, VIMC purchases and bundles third-party image sensors with its PC multimedia image processor approximately 50% of the time.[6][3]
References
- ↑ VIMC, 2009 20-F, Item 5, Page 38
- ↑ V3 - Semiconductor industry may have had its chips
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 VIMC, 2009 20-F, Item 5A, Page 40
- ↑ VIMC, 2009 20-F, Item 1, Page 5
- ↑ JLM Pacific Epoch - Vimicro Revs Slide Thru Q4, Bottom Out in Q1
- ↑ VIMC, 2009 20-F, Item 1D, Page 7
