One of the milestones ST reported in its Q3 2011 earnings release states: "Demonstrated first images of a high-end “35mm” digital single-lens reflex CMOS sensor, based on 90nm technology with 2-Directional color stitching capability on 12” wafer size."
ST also mentions that its imaging product business experienced a growth in the last quarter, but does not release numbers. ST CEO Carlo Bozotti said the imaging products grew in Q2 and year-over-year too.
Update: ST SEC filing state that imaging segment sales were $152M in Q3 2011 vs $142M a year ago. The sales for 9 months of 2011 are reported to be $475M vs $393M a year ago.
Bravo!
ReplyDeleteWow looks like ST (35mm) and Aptina (Nikon 1 camera) are moving on to High end camera market. Wonder when OV tries that..
ReplyDeletemaybe they are pushed by OV's pressure on the low end market... no way to continue, so change direction.
ReplyDeleteSTMicro making about $500M yearly revenues in CMOS image sensors? NO WAY! They are rather around $150M year to year... It is well known that ST imaging division is not profitable... they even tried to sell this activity till recently... Just wonder how this information has been gathered??!!
ReplyDeleteRevenues not equal to profit .....
ReplyDeleteLike AMD, revenues is in range of ~5-6B USD but most of time, but profitable is in deep red.
ST report only mentioned imaging revenues, not a profit, so cant say if imaging business is profitable or not...
actually i think someone needs to revisit their assumptions that STMicro imaging is not profitable.
ReplyDeletethis was turned round last year mainly due to increased yields.
its a good thing that STM is branching out a little more, whether it prooves a good move will be found in future years.
Would this be a part available to all who want, or developed for one particular customer?
ReplyDeleteAlso keep in mind that financial reports don't necessarily tell the whole story.
ReplyDeleteUntil last week or so Olympus had a sterling reputation, but is now embroiled in huge accounting scandal. Surely this will have effects on component suppliers, and possibly be an opening for would-be competitors.
Also, I don't see how ST or an image sensor player of any reasonable size is going to avoid hardships related to the on-going European debt problems, or other bigger-picture economic problems that are likely to follow - Japan aging crisis, Chinese real estate bubble, US all-of-the-above.