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And as we learned from experts of the CEA, if you can dominate a screen size, you have the
potential to sell tens of millions of units per year (as Apple’s iPad has already shown). In fact,
tablet sales are already expected to double in 2011, based on conservative projections. And by
2014, tablets are expected to account for 32% of all computer shipments. It appears to be a
consensus expectation that tablet devices are here to stay, unlike many other devices
introduced at CES in past years (i.e. DigiScents’ iSmell). However, we must point out that CEA
chief economist Shawn DuBravac predicted that growth estimates for tablets in the coming year
or two are overstated and show little regard for supply chain dynamics. He believes that tablet
sales will follow more of an S-shaped adoption curve, like all consumer electronic products have
done in the past (current market projections dictate more of a linear production curve for
tablets). But while this may make for some rocky movements in tablet sales predictions, the
long-term projections are intact, and it would be silly to not try to gain exposure to this market at
such an early point in the game. We will talk further about potential investment ideas towards
the end of the report.
All of these connected devices will require faster, stronger, and larger networks, much more software innovation, and a
way to integrate them on a platform that allows for easy communication with the cloud. And the exciting thing is, the more
we use these connected devices, the more in tune they will become with our lifestyles, and will therefore be able to make
recommendations to make our lives easier and our experiences more enjoyable.
Semiconductor Companies
MRVL MARVELL TECHNOLOGY GROUP LTD. $ 13,810 29.4 -4.8 5.9 12.7 1 Strong Buy
BRCM BROADCOM CORPORATION $ 23,763 11.3 -3.6 6.8 4.5 1 Buy
TXN TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED $ 40,109 -2.9 -16.6 21.5 21.1 1 Strong Buy
STM STMICROELECTRONICS NV $ 10,429 1.4 -13.5 3.7 -12.2 0.5 Strong Buy
SNDK SANDISK CORPORATION $ 12,077 19.6 6.4 12.9 12.9 1 Buy
CY CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORA $ 3,391 -6.5 -12.8 -6.0 -20.1 0 Neutral
QCOM QUALCOMM INCORPORATED $ 84,050 17.9 5.5 32.0 29.9 1 Sell
ATML ATMEL CORPORATION $ 6,382 -1.9 -22.3 2.1 -1.8 0 Neutral
Networking Companies
ALU ALCATEL-LUCENT SA $ 7,300 1.7 -15.3 -0.3 -2.1 0.5 Strong Buy
CSCO CISCO SYSTEMS INCORPORATED $ 116,113 13.2 10.9 23.9 22.9 1 Neutral
Processor Companies
NVDA NVIDIA CORPORATION $ 13,020 18.2 -2.9 14.9 -3.0 1 Neutral
ARMH ARM HOLDINGS PLC $ 11,335 6.4 -13.0 15.4 15.4 1 Neutral
OS Companies
GOOG GOOGLE INC. $ 201,676 56.5 7.0 33.9 34.2 1 Neutral
MSFT MICROSOFT CORPORATION $ 243,760 11.3 6.1 39.0 39.0 1 Neutral
Hardware Companies
MMI MOTOROLA MOBILITY HOLDINGS INC $ 10,673 -35.4 -35.4 -9.6 -8.6 0.5 Neutral
GLW CORNING INC $ 30,650 13.0 -9.3 17.4 11.8 1 Strong Buy
The trends discussed in this report are fast developing, and companies mentioned could see their competitive positioning
change quickly. We are avid observers of the “connected-ness” and hope you embrace the new technologies and the
great potential they bring like we do. We hope you keep a close eye on the stocks listed, looking for the best fit for your
portfolio.
Semiconductor Companies
MRVL – Although Marvell is not among the most chased companies at CES, we believe there is
something to be said about the “unsexy” components made by Marvell which allow these ramping
devices to run smoothly. What we like most about Marvell is that its chips allow for connectivity of
devices and communication between devices – a trend that should begin to catch storm as more
applications are developed.
BRCM – Broadcom received a lot of attention at CES, as its chips can be found in various
smartphones, tablets, and other “connected” devices. Broadcom’s products continue to do especially
well in the Bluetooth and WiFi product arenas. Connectivity is the biggest trend in consumer
electronics devices, and will benefit companies like Broadcom for years to come.
TXN - Microsoft stated it has been working with TXN on an ARM-based processor (OMAP) for its
next generation operating system (along with NVDA and QCOM). With TXN providing
semiconductors for smartphones and tablets, basestations for wireless networks, as well as several
other “connected” electronics devices (including automotives), the company is well positioned to
capitalize on the developing trends.
STM – STM produces semiconductors for several products and applications including 3DTV,
“Connected” TV, and home connectivity. With areas of focus like these, the company has exposure
to several key areas that we saw growing in popularity at CES.
SNDK – Sandisk is an obvious beneficiary of the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets, as
its flash-based storage products are in major demand. As consumers look for more convenient ways
to take their digital lives with them, flash storage will become more and more necessary to support
light-weight devices capable of storing a fair amount of data.
CY – Cypress makes touch controllers that go inside of mobile devices, primarily smartphones.
Cypress has a lot of opportunity for growth, and should benefit as Motorola Mobility begins
diversifying its touch controller suppliers. As the market for touch screen devices expands, Cypress
should be able to benefit.
QCOM –The Company showcased several new tablets and smartphones powered by its
Snapdragon family of processors. The expanding Snapdragon portfolio includes dual-CPU chips
with high-performance processing and full HD graphic capabilities for the next generation of tablets
and devices, as well as the only LTE and HSPA+ multi-mode chipsets.
ATML – Atmel is the dominate leader in terms of touch controllers within tablets, and can be found in
Motorola Mobility’s yet to be released Xoom. It was also mentioned that Atmel could be found in just
about every tablet running Nvidia’s Tegra processor, another great sign.
Networking Companies
ALU - As the only infrastructure provider to be providing all three elements of Verizon Wireless' 4G
LTE Mobile Broadband network – LTE Radio Access Network (RAN)/Enhanced Packet Core (EPC)/IP
Multi-Media Subsystem (IMS), plus the mobile backhaul solution – ALU appears committed to laying
the groundwork to provide the “connected” customer experience. ALU, like Cisco, will benefit from the
huge demand for networking due to the mass amounts of “connected” devices and their high quality of
content.
CSCO - At CES, Cisco unveiled its solution for service providers, which seamlessly pulls together free
and paid programming, video on demand, and videoconferencing, all in a single unit, which plugs right
into your set-top box. However, this is a product that we believe still needs some fine-tuning, though it
could still end up having a very significant market presence. The more important idea to note is that
Cisco is still the dominant vendor in 6 of the 16 main networking technologies. And if one thing is for
sure, with all of these “connected” devices being introduced and becoming mainstream, an incredibly
powerful network is needed to support it all. Cisco, in its leadership position, is capable of providing
the powerful network and poised to benefit.
ARMH - Microsoft announcement that it would develop Windows Operating Systems compatible with
chips designed by ARM was obviously bigger for ARM than it was for Microsoft, attesting to the
success the company has achieved in the smartphone and tablet space. Chips designed by ARM are
likely to continue to transform the market in the years to come.
MSFT – Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer made a big splash at his keynote, showing how the new motion-
sensing Kinect device, which attaches to the Xbox 360, is a lot of fun. The Kinect has racked up $1
billion in sales in just two months (8 million units vs. the company predicted 5 million units). Also,
Balmer interacted with one of the newer Windows smartphones and touted the rapid adoption of
Windows 7 on PCs. He also announced that Microsoft plans to design a Windows operating system
compatible with chips designed by ARM – the dominant producer of chips for smartphones and tablets.
All were great announcements/displays for the company, but the elephant in the room was Microsoft’s
unnoticeable presence in the ever-popular tablet devices. Google’s Android stole the show, and with
Apple’s iPad already leading by a large distance in the space, Microsoft’s lacking presence might be an
ominous sign for the company’s PC business.
Hardware Companies
MMI – Motorola Mobility made the biggest splash of the hardware manufacturers, introducing 2
sleek and powerful new smartphones (Atrix and the Droid Bionic) and an iPad-rivaling tablet
(Xoom). The Xoom won CNET’s best in show and is based on Android’s tablet-focused
Honeycomb OS. The Atrix smartphone is equipped with a dual-core processor, touted as “the
world’s most powerful smartphone.” Motorola has developed a close relationship with Android,
and has witnessed a resurgence within its mobile business because of it. We continue to expect
Motorola Mobility to remain at the forefront on the mobile device world, backed by its rejuvenated
innovation and marketing.
GLW – Corning’s Gorilla Glass is being found in all types of new devices, primarily smartphones
and tablets, but also Microsoft’s new “Surface” table. The glass is thin and durable, exactly the
prescription needed for these oft-used but extremely mobile devices. Gorilla Glass is already
used in 20% of the phone market and is used for both the iPhone and iPad. Because of its
impressive uses so far, Gorilla Glass or variations of it will likely be found in all sorts of devices in
the years ahead, which bodes well for the company’s growth prospects.
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