The Marketing Minute: If Your Marketing Budget Gets Cut in Half, Then What?
Punching Out: How Are the Big Boys in Electronics Doing?
It’s Only Common Sense: Complexity Is the Enemy of Profit
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
June 27, 2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
While news outside our industry keeps our attention occupied, the big news inside the industry is the rechristening of IPC as the Global Electronics Association. You can find the press release here, but my must-reads begins with Marcy LaRont’s exclusive and informative interview with Dr. John Mitchell, president and CEO of the Global Electronics Association.
Also this week, I include the Global Electronics Association’s generally upbeat May reports on PCB and EMS. For designers, have we finally reached the point in time where autorouters will fulfill their potential? Finally, I highlight columns on using glass as a substrate, and tin whiskers, especially in aerospace applications.
IPC Rebrands as Global Electronics Association: Interview With Dr. John W. Mitchell
Published June 22
In Marcy LaRont’s exclusive interview, Dr. John Mitchell provides details on why now is the right time to update the name and brand for the organization. In many ways, this rebranding simply reflects the association’s current mission and purpose, Mitchell points out.
North American PCB Industry Sales Up 21.4% in May
Published June 25
There is plenty of ongoing strength in the PCB fabrication part of the supply chain for May, with a book-to-bill ratio slightly positive at 1.03. While the EMS report headline reads somewhat negatively, book-to-bill holds at 1.43 for May. So, while there is a certain ebb and flow in both sectors, the overall trend is strong and upward.
Cadence AI Autorouter May Transform the Landscape
Published June 19
Patrick Davis has guested on some of our “On The Line With…” podcasts, and here he tackles the question, “will AI help autorouters finally gain industry-wide acceptance?” This article appeared in the June 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine, which thoroughly covers the topic of autorouters and their place in today’s PCB designs. Which team are you on? Can you be on both? Patrick has some interesting observations.
The Chemical Connection: Through-glass Vias in Glass Substrates
Published June 24
Columnist Don Ball gives his take on one of the persistent challenges to using glass as a PCB substrate: via creation. Seems there are many obstacles, but he sees progress toward making glass a new standard substrate.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
Published June 25
Nash Bell continues his exploration of tin whisker migration in his column, with this, the third part of his ongoing series. In this installment, Nash looks specifically at aerospace applications, but Nash’s points are good information for any application sector.
Share on:
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Advance Your Electronics Expertise in June and July
05/14/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationStay current with design, manufacturing, and quality standards by enrolling in one of these online instructor-led courses starting in June and July from ElectronicsU at the Global Electronics Association, designed to help professionals at every level sharpen their skills and advance their careers. These live, expert-led sessions combine flexibility with real-time interaction, allowing participants to learn directly from seasoned industry professionals while collaborating with peers worldwide. Access to all applicable IPC standards is included in the courses.
Punching Out: M&A North American PCB and EMS Deals for the First Half of 2025
07/23/2025 | Tom Kastner -- Column: Punching Out!As we entered 2025, the M&A deal world was prepared for a busy year in electronics, plus sentiment for the overall M&A market was bullish. We had “a deal guy” entering the White House, and he’d pledged to support U.S. manufacturing. All signals were green. However, to date, M&A deals this year are around the same as in the first half of 2024.
Hon Hai Reports New June Sales High Amid AI Boom
07/07/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamTaiwan-based manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. reported on July 5 that its sales for June rose 10 percent from the previous year, driven by cloud and networking growth because of the boom in artificial intelligence (AI), the Taipei Times reported.
I-Connect007’s Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/04/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007For our industry, we have seen several bullish market announcements over the past few weeks, including one this week by IDC on the massive growth in the global server market. We’re also closely watching global trade and nearshoring. One good example of successful nearshoring is Rehm Thermal Systems, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in Mexico and the official opening of its new building in Guadalajara.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
06/20/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007It’s been a busy week in this industry, and we have news and articles from the PCB design, fabrication and assembly communities. Some of this news is out of this world. We may be losing the high ground—the really high ground. Columnist Jesse Vaughan explains how the U.S. seems to be falling behind in space, and how this could affect our ability to defend ourselves in the future. We have an update on the U.S.-China tariff talks, which seem to be moving forward, though sometimes at a snail’s pace.