Business briefs

05 Jul 2002

Including news from TRW, Northrop Grumman, Alcatel, Dialog Semiconductor, Suss MicroTec and more.

•  Northrop Grumman is to acquire fellow US-based defense giant TRW in a deal valued at USD 7.8 billion (USD 60 per share). After the merger is complete, Northrop plans to separate TRW's automotive business, either through a sale or a spin-off to shareholders.

•  Alcatel is to cut its Canadian workforce by 480, approximately 12% of the current total. The company says these actions are necessary to address the continuing slowdown in the telecommunications industry.

•  Dialog Semiconductor of Germany has acquired the CMOS imaging business of the Sarnoff Corporation, US. Dialog president Roland Pudelko said: "The advantage to our customers is that we will own the key element that helps to drive down the cost and power consumption of camera modules for high-volume markets."

•  Germany-based Suss MicroTec has launched a new company called Suss MicroOptics. Based in Neuchatel, Switzerland, it will continue to develop high-quality refractive optics such as objectives for micro-cameras and collimators for high-power lasers.

•  Haas-Laser, a German maker of solid-state lasers, has changed its name to Trumpf Laser GmbH + Co. KG. Having been a member of the Trumpf group for the past ten years, the company says that the change represents a "one-brand strategy".

•  US-based market analyst DisplaySearch says that LCD monitor shipments were supply-constrained in the first quarter of 2002. A record 7.47 million units were said to be shipped in the quarter, an increase of 17% from the previous quarter and up 222% year-on-year.