According to the LinkedIn records (record 1, record 2) Omnivision seems to open a branch in Oslo, Norway. The two ex-Aptina designers started to work there in December 2011.
Update Feb 3, 2012: As of today, LinkedIn lists 5 employees in Omnivision Oslo branch, all of them are ex-Aptina.
I heard Aptina closed the old Photobit/Micron/Aptina Oslo design center. An odd move but I am sure they had their reasons. I think Aptina tried to keep one or two people active in Oslo. Not sure that worked out so well.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear some team members will stay in our image sensor community, even if with Photobit's old arch rival.
I don't think Omnivision has ever considered Photobit an arch rival. LOL
ReplyDeleteOV's back-to-Tier-1 : first step ------------> hire people close to Nokia
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, you are probably right. Omnivision was a lower class sensor provider in those days. The real rivals were VVL and Agilent for the top sockets. Omnivision with its analog output and copycat of VVL's passive pixel and then later Photobit's active pixel was really not a rival. I was just being kind.
ReplyDeleteNow that's the real Fossum....showing his true colors! An obvious Aptina cheerleader! Must be painful to be associated with a failing company that has been kicked to the side of the road! LOL
DeleteThanks for the personal attack. But for the record, I have had no association with Micron/Aptina since Jan 2003. No financial interest, no consulting activity, etc. Just respect for the technical team.
Deletenow that's the real dick foster showing his intense envy for the most respected and knowledgeable dr. fossum. i am so sorry that these ov shareholders are down on their luck, lost 2/3rd's of their share value in the last year, and that they are polluting this excellent board with their hate and dissatisfaction for ov's stock performance. and as far as aptina's concerned, i follow it as well as ov, and aptina is doing well in all of its end markets.
DeleteEK
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThe comment has been deleted as it violates the policy of this blog. Also, it's completely unrelated to the subject of this post.
Deletegetting back to the article - if OV did claim the "highly talented" Oslo design team that Aptina could not afford - says a lot about the situation at the two companies
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what is happening, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that OV is interested in hiring the old Aptina team in Oslo Norway. Only time will tell, but so far OV is definitely winning the battle.
DeleteThe battle with Aptina maybe. The ones with Sony and Samsung not so much!
DeleteI congratulate OV with their move.
ReplyDeleteI worked at this site until last year. It was hard to accept year after year of no salary increase excused by financial problems while steadily delivering both successful products and new technology, while at the same time the company with the other hand pulling down the bottom line by building design capability in new 'low-cost' locations in Asia.
Few americans realise the benefit of scandinavias 'flat'(like in less hierachy) mentality of work. I am sure that you need 3 times as much staff at a design center in India to replace the extremely friendly, experienced and well-coordinated team in Oslo.
Also, the general salary in Asia might be low, but the well-qualified and highly trained Asian professionals do know what they are worth and the end result might not be as profitable as Aptina management likes to believe. It might be though, that it is currently all about polishing the outer image...
sensoR .A
The Imaging community in Asia, especially in India has been steadily on rise. Thanks to Onsemi's acquistion of Cypress image sensor BU and also Aptina's design centre. I am pretty sure others will follow them. :-)
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