Opto Insider

Tom Hauskin
Opto Insider

Opto Insider is the more-or-less weekly blog of market analyst Tom Hausken ofStrategies Unlmited.  In the blog, he provides comments on trends in laser and photonics markets and the context in which they operate.  The blog ranges from exerpts of findings from recent market reports to thoughts on market segments not currently covered in a report.  One week he may report on how the customers in a sector are faring financially, and the next he may compare the optoelectronics market to the wine industry.  Strategies Unlimited has the advantage of having covered photonics for over 20 years, and it has records of the market dating back over 40 years.

Dr. Hausken has over 25 years in the semiconductor and optoelectronics industries, spanning device and materials research, product development, laboratory management, and technology and market analysis. Joining the Strategies Unlimited staff in 1999, he specializes in studies in optical and electronic components, including active and passive components for optical networks, and image sensors.

2011 is a record year for laser sales

01/20/2012
Here's some good news as we weather the winter storms: 2011 was a record year for the laser industry, finishing over $7 billion for the first time ever. That's coming off the deep recession in 2009 and a remarkable recovery in 2010. The previous record was in 2007, just before the recession. This is just out in our new market report on the worldwide laser... Read More

Is the U.S. wired Internet infrastructure weak? Revisited.

12/15/2011
It’s time to weigh in on a pet peeve of mine. The topic is the state of high-speed Internet in the U.S., in a December 4 essay in the New York Times. My peeve is that once again the U.S. wireline infrastructure is portrayed as somehow way behind, whereas a reasonable analysis presents a very different picture. For a large country, the U.S. actually has ... Read More

The Top 10 laser suppliers: some tight races but a good year for all

11/29/2011
Now that 2011 is coming to a close we can estimate who are the leading laser suppliers for the year. Once again it looks like Trumpf and Coherent are neck and neck for Number 1, with over $800 million each. Rofin and Cymer are in a close race for 3rd and 4th places, with nearly $600 million each.  IPG will roll in 5th, but this year with over $450 mi... Read More

Is U.S. manufacturing growing or shrinking?

11/18/2011
Here’s a little known fact: U.S. manufacturing has actually been growing as an economic output in the U.S. for at least 60 years. Here’s another: China is now the largest manufacturing nation. So there you are: U.S. manufacturing has been growing, but China is now #1. If you don’t believe me, here are two charts, published in the New York Times (Sep... Read More

Kodak exits opto and ends an era

11/11/2011
It seems like the end of an era: Kodak is selling its CCD operations and its image sensor patents. It had been making CCDs since 1975, one of the early companies to make them, but waited until 1989 to sell them externally. Kodak had a number of firsts, including the first megapixel sensor, in 1986. Then CMOS image sensors took off.CMOS sensors were conce... Read More

Those lousy laser company margins

10/17/2011
Ever really looked at the margins earned by laser companies? And then looked at margins for companies like Cisco or Google? It's enough to make you weep. Industrial laser company margins are modest but steady. The net profit margins for the industrial laser companies aren't too bad. Since 2006, gross margins on annual sales for Coherent, IPG Photonics, Ne... Read More

View All Blogs

About Strategies Unlimited

Strategies Unlimited is the world leader in market research in photonic devices and beyond.  We produce highly detailed market reports, custom studies and provide consulting services.

Learn more about Strategies Unlimited by clicking on the links below.

 

Our Expertise

Providing market research reports, analysis, and custom studies to world leaders in:

 

Recent Reports & Press Releases

The Worldwide Market for Lasers: Market Review and Forecast 2012

01/18/2012 Analyzes each application and provide forecasts for units, ASP, and revenues by type of laser through the forecast period.

LASER REVENUES ON TRACK TO EXCEED $9 BILLION BY 2015, SAYS STRATEGIES UNLIMITED

01/18/2012 January 19, 2012—Mountain View, CA.  Sales of lasers recovered better than expected in 2010 and 2011, growing 52% since the recent low in 2009 and setti...

The Market for High-Brightness LEDs in Lighting Applications: Market Review and Forecast 2012

12/13/2011 HB-LEDs saw a precipitous fall in prices in 2011 which helped reduce the price LED lamps and luminaires. The growth in lighting applications could not compen...