本土厂商走自己的路，让外企在中国无路可走

中国手机芯片设计业者锐迪科(RDA Microelectronics)CEO戴保家(Vincent Tai)近日在上海接受EETimes美国版编辑采访时表示，跨国半导体供货商将再也无法于消费性电子领域与中国本土的无晶圆厂IC供货商同业竞争；对那些跨国公司来说：“游戏已经结束了。” 锐迪科是在2004年成立，并于2010年11月在美国纳斯达克(Nasdaq)上市，是一家蜂巢式网络与宽频通讯应用RF、混合讯号芯片的无晶圆厂IC设 计业者，主要供应中国本土手机制造厂。戴保家引述市场研究机构 IHS iSuppli 的统计数据表示，锐迪科已经在中国白牌产品市场取得功率放大器、蓝牙芯片、FM与DVB-S调谐器芯片(tuner)的领先市占率。 戴保家指出，虽然锐迪科要达到与博通(Broadcom)等国际大厂同等地位，还有一段很长的路要走，但该公司在中国市场的领导地位是一大优势。他表示，有 越来越高的趋势显示像是锐迪科这样的公司将会主导全球电子产业，而事实上包括ADI、TI等跨国公司都已经退出中国的基频芯片市场，目前该市场是由联发科 (MediaTek)与晨星(MStar)两家台湾芯片厂商，藉由与中国市场的关系而崛起。 甚至戴保家大胆预测，跨国芯片公司还能在中国市场混的日子已经不多了，特别是在手机与机顶盒应用领域。“这是因为中国产业供应链无法让你拥有五成的毛利；”他表示，中国有完整的晶圆代工、IC设计与封测业者，还有系统厂商所构成的产业生态系统：“你必须是本土厂商才能继续玩下去。” 戴保家列举了四条中国市场生存法则： 第一，中国手机市场的产品生命周期特别短，当中国以外的厂商花六个月的时间(或是像Nokia是花一年)设计出一款新手机，中国手机市场则是每三个月就会推出新机种。 第二，中国手机市场提供给芯片供货商的有关市场需求信息非常少，因此芯片供货商必须“与市场密切接触”才能在市场需求高峰期准备就绪，速度是一大关键：“你需要能够与中国市场的高低起伏保持一致。”戴保家表示。 第三，中国市场的芯片厂商必须要能在较低的毛利下存活；戴保家指出，很多中国本土芯片厂商能在35%的毛利率之下生存，然后达成20%的营业利润，但大多数的跨国芯片公司如果要达成相同的营业利润，通常需要50~55%的毛利：“这样无法与本地厂商竞争。” 第四，中国的系统产品供货商技术水准较低，需要芯片供货商更多的支持；台湾的联发科能取得成功，就是归功于该公司能提供中国系统厂商完整解决方案。 戴保家表示，跨国公司往往是以100个工程师的团队规模，每隔六个月开发出一款新系统：“我们看到的中国系统厂商则是每三个月就推出一款新产品，而且只用了 5~10个人：‘这是非常具破坏性的。’而且外商不只产品升级慢，对客户的抱怨也反应迟缓：“我能立即就派人到客户那边，快速诊断问题所在，但跨国公司的核心研发团队可能在美国，只能透过电子邮件往返来解决问题。” 而戴保家也指出，很多西方观点都认为中国公司的优势在于成本，事实上他们也应该要注意到中国芯片供货商与系统厂商在本土市场的灵活性：“我们是本地厂商，核心研发团队就在这里，也有应用工程师在这里，我们比跨国公司拥有更多的优势。” 锐迪科2011年度营收达到了创纪录的2.889亿美元，较2010年的1.912亿美元成长51.1%；2011年毛利率为34.5%，较2010年的 29.8%也有所增加。在2012年第一季，锐迪科营收为7,200万美元，当季毛利率35.9%，营业利润20%；该公司有1.43亿美元现金、无贷款，现有320名员工。 编译：Judith Cheng 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 本文下一页：参考英文原文：Four reasons why its 'game over' for foreign chip firms in China，by Junko Yoshida

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{pagination} Four reasons why its 'game over' for foreign chip firms in China Junko Yoshida Multinational semiconductor companies are no longer able to compete with Chinese fabless chips vendors in the consumer electronics IC business, according to Vincent Tai (shown), CEO of RDA Microelectronics. SHANGHAI, China – Multinational semiconductor companies are no longer able to compete with China’s fabless chips vendors in the consumer electronics IC business, according to Vincent Tai, CEO of RDA Microelectronics Inc. “It’s game over” for them, Tai asserted in a recent interview with EE Times here. RDA Microelectronics, founded here in 2004 and listed on the Nasdaq exchange since November 2010, is a leading Chinese fabless IC vendor supplying RF and mixed-signal chips for cellular and broadcast communications used by China handset manufacturers. RDA is a major supplier to the Chinese mobile handset market. Tai, quoting IHS iSuppli estimates, claimed RDA already has the leading market share in power amplifiers, Bluetooth, FM tuners and DVB-S tuners for the domestic white label market. Still, RDA has a long way to go to compete with the likes of Broadcom in the global semiconductor market. Still, according to Tai, being a leader in the Chinese market is a good place to be. RDA’s enviable position foreshadows a growing trend here for companies like RDA to dominate global electronics markets, Tai noted. As evidence, he cited the fact that multinationals such as Analog Devices and Texas Instruments backed out of China’s baseband chip business. While technically not Chinese companies, MediaTek and MStar, two Taiwanese giants, grabbed that market by leveraging their Chinese ties. Indeed, Tai boldly predicts that the days for multinational chip companies are numbered, especially in the Chinese mobile handset and set-top box markets. “It’s because the supply chain in China can’t allow you to have a 50 percent gross margin,” he explained. When the entire ecosystem of foundries, design houses along with packaging and system OEMs resides here, “You need to be a local to play the game,” said Tai. The RDA chief described four rules for surviving in the Chinese market: Rule #1: The “cycle time” for Chinese handset manufacturers is extremely short. While it takes six months (or a year in the case of Nokia) to design a new mobile handset outside China, Chinese cellphone makers are spinning out new models every three months. Rule #2: Chinese handset vendors provide chip suppliers will little information about market demand. Therefore, chip suppliers need to be “in touch with the market,” said Tai, so they can be ready when market demand spikes. Speed is the key. “You need to be able to live with the ups and downs on the China market,” he said. Ground truth Rule #3: Chip makers must survive on lower gross margins. Many local chip companies can live with a 35 percent gross margin in order to achieve a 20 percent operating margin, said Tai. But for most multinational chip companies to achieve the same 20 percent operating margin, they need a 50 to 55 percent gross margin. “That’s no match with the locals.” Rule #4: System vendors in China are less technical. Hence, they require more hand-holding. The success of Taiwan’s MediaTek here can be attributed to the turnkey solutions it offers Chinese system companies. Tai said multinational companies retain a model that requires100 engineers to develop a new system every six months. “We are seeing Chinese system guys pump out a new product every three months with just five to 10 people.” Tai said, “That’s very disruptive.” Foreign companies are not only slow to upgrade their products but also are slow to respond to customer complaints. “I can send someone to my customer’s site right away and do quick diagnostics,” he said. “A multinational’s core R&D team is still in the United States, and it takes more than a few e-mails back and forth to solve problems.” Many in the West focus on the cost advantages of Chinese companies. Instead, they should be focusing on the agility of Chinese chip vendors and system companies in their domestic market. As Tai noted, “I am local. I have a core R&D team here, and I have field application engineers here. I have a huge advantage” over multinationals. RDA increased its annual revenue in 2011 by 51.1 percent to a record $288.9 million, compared to $191.2 million in the previous year. The company’s gross margin was 34.5 percent compared to 29.8 percent in 2010. In the first quarter in 2012, RDA’s revenues totaled $72 million, with a gross margin of at 35.9 percent and a 20 percent operating margin. The company has $143 million in cash and no debt. It currently employs 320 workers.