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Angela Rossoni is a freelance journalist covering semiconductor technology and ICT. Her articles regularly appear on leading professional publications such as the Italian electronic magazines Elettronica Oggi and EONews from the media giant VNU Group (http://www.vnu.it/En/), which deliver in-depth analysis, updates and trend analyses on the hottest topics in the electronic industry.
She received a master degree in Electronic Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy, and had an experience as a CMOS analog design engineer at STMicroelectronics.
Globalpress (GP): What areas of
technology are you most interested in right now?
Angela Rossoni (AR) : I am following the semiconductor industry mainly from the technology point of view. The topics I am most interested in include deep-submicron technologies, memories, ASICs/FPGA, SoC/SiP, wireless communications, home automation, automotive electronics and biometrics. I like also considering the “social” aspects of electronics such as globalization, outsourcing, technology transfer, environmental aspects. In the past editions of the Globalpress Summit and Europress events I have found a good balance of all the topics I am interested in, and I got precious information on technology and market trends.
GP: What trends or innovations do you see as the most important or intriguing?
AR: Oh – I see several innovations.
One of the hottest topics at present is the emergence of platform-based design, investing almost all the building blocks of the semiconductor industry: ASICs, FPGAs, Structured ASICs, processors, DSPs, RF blocks, IP, etc. This requires having a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach towards various hardware, software, packaging and testing aspects.
Nanotechnology will really represent a new paradigm for the electronics industry, impacting almost every discipline and application. According to definitions nanotechnology involves creating devices, systems and structures in length of scale below 100 nm: therefore the ramp-up of the 90 nm CMOS node has brought us officially into the nanotechnology era. It is the so-called man-made or top-down nanotechnology. An alternative approach is emerging, from an idea conceived in the late 1959 by visionary Nobel-prize Richard Feynman: bottom-up nanotechnology, relying on techniques such as self-assembly. This will enable a host of new applications we can only hardly imagine, with electronics and life sciences blending into each other. There will be also a convergence and cross-pollination between man-made and bottom-up nanotechnology. Some examples are already there: leading semiconductor companies have developed in their labs working carbon nanotube transistors, combining CMOS and self-assembly expertise. Nanotechnology is also considered a key enabler of the long-awaited “universal memory”: a number of emerging solutions try to topple traditional memory technologies, which have dominated the industry for at least two decades.
Another big trend is the so-called ambient intelligence, or pervasive computing, or ubiquitous computing. Computers will “disappear”, being embedded almost in every object. Processing power will become a commodity, and it will available in the same way as electric power, by means of huge grid-computing systems. A number of wireless standards will provide us seamless and ubiquitous connectivity.
Also green technologies now seem to attract the attention of the semiconductor world. Several US, Asian and European semiconductor companies are investing in fuel cell and solar energy technologies.
For all emerging technologies, fostering deployment is crucial, and this involves really all the players of the industrial food chain, together with governments: we have learned from past experiences how infrastructures, marketing strategies, regulations, etc. can influence the deployment of a new standard or technology. In this food chain also PR agencies and editors find a place. Every new technology needs a certain dose of hype to displace well-established mature solutions. However, if it is exaggerated, it can arise unmotivated and irrational skepticism. Keeping a right balance between enthusiasm and cautiousness is key.
Apart from this, what I consider really intriguing is that today, more than ever, companies have to invest into new technologies, even (and especially) during downturn: editors must always keep their eyes open.
GP: What’s your biggest challenge in covering U.S.-based companies?
AR: Big companies usually have local offices and have long-established relations with editors and local publications. But it is not easy to get in contact with the right person, who has authority to speak to the press. Often this authority is in the US and it takes several days to get an answer.
Discovering small startups is of course very difficult. During Globalpress events I even learned about European startups that I had never heard before!
GP: How do you feel about meeting U.S. company representatives at European trade shows?
AR: In trade shows I have limited time slots. Therefore, I run the risk of being overwhelmed by information, not having the opportunity to go in-depth about single topics.
GP: What advice would you give to U.S. companies and PR people about setting up, handling, and following up after trade shows?
AR: First: providing up-to-date information; having interesting stories to tell, especially about emerging technologies and hot trends. Understanding the focus of the editors and of the publications. A magazine focused on technology will not likely publish detailed information about financial data, and a publication targeted on venture capitalists or business executives will not likely go in-depth about technology.
After trade shows, it is good for journalists to have complete press kits. They should contain the slides of the presentations in electronics formats (it should be clear whether the journalist are allowed or not to use graphs from the slides), press release(s) about the announcement (it is not necessary to provide past press releases), images (the European press usually needs color high resolution product and/or speakers’ photos), and eventually white papers or backgrounders (they are always welcomed). The material can be provided also by email instead that in a bulky paper-format.
GP: Do you prefer to work with U.S.-based PR people, or those based in Europe? Why?
AR: It does not make any difference. Usually PR people are very open and communicative: enabling contacts between journalists and key technology people is their job!
GP: Without naming names, what is the most creative or helpful thing that a U.S. company or its PR representatives has done recently to make your job easier?
AR: Providing good in-depth overviews of emerging technologies and explaining clearly how a new solution meets the requirements of the target applications.
GP: Without naming names, what is the most UNhelpful thing that a U.S. company or its PR representatives has done recently to make you job more hellish?
AR:
- Holding an interview about a certain topic when it is not possible to disclose any technical detail about it for the moment. I prefer to wait to get complete information
- Not being clear with embargoes on selected news
- Making a catalogue-like presentation of products. It is better to focus on one hot product or technology to get a better coverage
- Presenting marketing hype for 2 hours
GP: What are some specific tactics that U.S. companies might consider to get your attention?
AR: Again, providing up-to date information and good in-depths of new technologies and hot trends.
GP: What is the one thing that you wish U.S. technology companies would do that they aren’t doing now?
AR: They should have a better understanding of the specific interests of the editors and the target readership.
GP: Thank you for your time!
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