人类已无法阻止苹果主宰电子供应链了

据市场调研公司IHS iSuppli，预计苹果2012年将购买将近280亿美元的半导体，比2011年的240亿美元增加15%。 据IHS公司，苹果的半导体支出增长速度将快于其它主要芯片买家，从而增强其市场主导地位。预计苹果将扩大领先于第二大芯片买家三星电子的优势。据IHS公司，三星今年购买芯片的支出金额预计为149亿美元左右，高于去年的148亿美元。 IHS公司表示，由于市场对苹果产品的需求持续坚挺，加之与150多家供应商保持有利的关系，所以苹果的半导体购买额保持领先。这些供应商提供元件，或者提供制造与组装服务。 IHS公司表示，苹果的增长速度也快于其它OEM厂商，并在全球各个地区都实现增长，使得苹果在生产电子产品方面具有竞争优势。 “苹果已经占领了智能手机与平板电脑领域，这点众所周知。但在这些现象的背后，苹果正在获得另一种主导地位：主宰电子供应链，”IHS公司的半导体支出与设计活动资深分析师Myson Robles-Bruce表示。 Robles-Bruce表示，这种主导地位增强了苹果主导半导体价格、控制产品路线图和保证可靠的供应与交货的能力。“对于苹果来说，这些有利因素可以转变成竞争优势，使其与竞争对手相比，能够以更低价格、更快速度和更加可靠地提供更加先进的产品，” Robles-Bruce表示。 IHS公司的排名榜显示，苹果自2010年以来一直是头号芯片买家。 本文下一页：购买额增长速度秒杀对手

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• 苹果供应链管理——简约而不简单
• 苹果公司，供应链管理“第一名”？X8kesmc

{pagination} IHS公司表示，苹果的购买活动显示，苹果在几乎所有地区的增长速度都快于竞争对手。IHS公司表示，在全球10大芯片OEM买家中，苹果的芯片支出速度预计最快。IHS预计，苹果的芯片购买额增长速度几乎是增长第二快的佳能的三倍。预计今年佳能的芯片购买额增长4.6%。 从地区角度来看，在美洲与中东/非洲地区，苹果的增长速度预计快于其它任何主要芯片买家。IHS公司表示，苹果是亚太地区最大的芯片买家，是美洲第二大买家，在中东/非洲是第六大买家。IHS公司指出，只有在日本，苹果不属于增长最快的芯片买家。亚太地区现在是全球主要电子产品生产基地。 IHS公司预测，思科2012年仍将是美洲地区最大的芯片买家，尽管购买额预计减少5%。据IHS公司，思科在美国芯片购买额方面，领先苹果10亿美元以上。 据IHS公司，思科在美国市场领先于苹果，是因为它在美国的设计中心数量较多。IHS表示，思科在用于机顶盒的消费电子相关芯片方面的支出也较高，而且思科大量购买半导体用于支持其在美国的有线通讯设备业务。 IHS公司预计，苹果2013年将进一步增加购买芯片，预计增长12%左右，仍将是10大OEM芯片买家中的最快增长速度。 “由于对未来有清晰的打算，苹果的芯片购买额增长速度将继续快于其它主要OEM厂商，而且这种趋势将保持数年，” Robles-Bruce表示，“这种打算不仅包括更新当前畅销的产品，而且包括在电视等其它感兴趣的领域取得成功。” 参考英文原文：Apple coming to dominate electronics supply chain，by Dylan McGrath

相关阅读：
• 电子供应链管理成为国际分销商在中国的战略投资重点
• 苹果供应链管理——简约而不简单
• 苹果公司，供应链管理“第一名”？X8kesmc

{pagination} Apple coming to dominate electronics supply chain Dylan McGrath Apple Inc. is expected to buy nearly $28 billion worth of semiconductors in 2012, up 15 percent from the $24 billion it spent on chips in 2011, according to market research firm IHS iSuppli. According to IHS, Apple is increasing semiconductor spending at a faster rate than other top chip buyers, increasing its dominance over the market, according to IHS. Apple is expected to lengthen its lead in chip spending over No. 2 chip buy Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., which is expected to spend about $14.9 billion on chips this year, up from $14.8 billion last year, according to IHS. Apple is maintaining its lead in semiconductor purchasing because of continuing strong demand for its products, combined with the company’s capability to maintain beneficial relationships with more than 150 suppliers that provide components or offer manufacturing and assembly services, IHS said. Apple is also outgrowing the other OEMs and making gains in the various regions of the world, giving Apple competitive advantages when it comes to manufacturing electronic products, IHS said. "It’s well known that Apple has already conquered the smartphone and tablet segments—but behind the scenes the company is engaging in another kind of conquest: the dominance of the electronics supply chain," said Myson Robles-Bruce, senior analyst for semiconductor spending and design activity at IHS, in a statement. Robles-Bruce said such a dominant position gives Apple increased ability to dictate semiconductor pricing, control product roadmaps and obtain guaranteed supply and delivery. "For Apple, these benefits translate into competitive advantages, letting it offer more advanced products at lower prices, faster and more reliably than the competition," Robles-Bruce said. IHS has ranked Apple as the top chip buyer worldwide since 2010. A detailed look at Apple's purchasing activities shows it is making gains against nearly all of its competitors and in almost all regions, IHS said. The company is expected to achieve the strongest growth in chip spending among the world's top 10 OEM chip buyers, IHS said. Apple is set to increase its chip buying nearly three times faster than the next-fastest growing buyer, Canon, which is expected to increase chip buying by 4.6 percent this year, IHS said. Regionally, Apple is expected to grow faster than any other top chip buyer in the Americas and the Middle East/Africa, IHS said. The company is the top chip buyer in the Asia-Pacific region, now is the world’s dominant electronics producer, the second-largest buyer in the Americas and No. 6 in the Middle East/Africa, IHS said. Only in Japan is Apple not among the fastest-growing chip purchasers, IHS said. Cisco Systems Inc. is expected to remain the top chip buyer in the Americas region in 2012, despite being expected to decrease chip buying by 5 percent in 2012, IHS said. Still, Cisco holds a more than $1 billion lead over Apple is U.S. chip purchasing, according to IHS. Cisco leads Apple in the U.S. because it maintains a larger number of design centers there, according to IHS. The company also has higher spending on consumer electronics-related chips for set-top boxes, and it makes large semiconductor purchases in support of its business in wired communications equipment in the region, IHS said. IHS expects Apple to further increase chip buying in 2013, with growth forecast of about 12 percent, again the highest rate of growth expected among top 10 OEM chip buyers, according to IHS. "Apple will continue to outgrow the other major OEMs in chip purchasing because of its clear vision of the future, which extends a few years out," Robles-Bruce said. "This vision includes a strategy to not only update currently popular products but also achieve success in other areas of interest like the television segment.