Acer Complains of Labor Shortage in China
241907
Acer said it is keeping an eye on a labor shortage in China that could affect PC production.
761997
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan personal computer vendor Acer Inc. expects its computer shipments to increase 30-40 percent this year, a reduction from previous sales forecasts.
353188
The Chinese government is trying to address an electricity shortage that has led to rationing in more than a third of the countryâs provinces in recent weeks.
58554
The Story: Silicon Valley businesses have long argued that changes in the immigration laws are needed to ensure a continuing supply of highly skilled workers. The current limit of 65,000 under the standard H1-B visas is not enough, they say. (The quota was filled in less than a month in 2007.)[ Slideshow: 2007's top underreported tech stories ]                                                    But that number obscures an important fact: The real total of visas issued to highly skilled workers is closer to 400,000 annually, according to the federal Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) agency. And that, say some critics, may mean that the law is being abused.There are two reasons the number is so large.First, the H1-B visa cap has a built-in exemption that allows an additional 20,000 workers who have graduated from U.S. universities with an advanced degree (master?s or higher) to enter every year.Second ? and the biggest reason ? is the use of L-1 visas, which are granted to executives and workers with specialized skills employed by multinational companies. Because there is no cap on L-1 visas issued each year, the numbers have soared. In the last three years, an average of 315,000 L-1 visas have been issued each year.Unlike the H-1B visas, the L-1 visas are not intended to be a springboard to possible permanent residency and a coveted green card. In essence, the L-1s are intended to allow multinational companies to rotate staff across national borders, so they can transfer foreign managers and specialists within the company to U.S. offices for a limited period of time.But the vast number of workers admitted with L-1 visas has critics suspecting that companies ? Indian outsourcing firms in particular ?are using them as a back door to bring in lower-paid workers to do jobs that could be performed by Americans, rather than for the intended purposes of staff rotation."It's clear that foreign outsourcing firms are abusing the system, and we can't let that continue," Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) said earlier this year as Congress debated immigration reform. Here?s what upset him: According to immigration records, 14 of 20 companies whose employees were granted the most L-1 visas were offshore outsourcing firms, including Tata Consultancy, Satyam Computer Services, Wipro, and Infosys Technologies.Tata Consultancy obtained 4,887 L-1s in fiscal 2006 ? the most of any company ? and 3,601 in fiscal 2007, second only to Cognizant (4,869), a U.S.-based outsourcer with a major presence in India. "I find it hard to believe that any one company has that many individuals ? legitimately being transferred within a single year," Durbin said in Congress. (Tata declined to comment to InfoWorld, but a spokesman told BusinessWeek, "We're complying with the law and with the regulations. We want to work with Congress to address any issues they may have.")Infosys, Wipro, Satyam, Tata, and Cognizant also appear on the CIS?s top 10 list of companies obtaining H-1B visas for employees in fiscal 2007, along with Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, Motorola, and Intel. Those facts further raise critics? suspicions.Bob Meltzer, who heads the VisaNow firm that helps applicants obtain visas, says there?s a growing belief that the L-1s are being abused today, though he can?t tell if that belief is justified. He does note that the L-1s had been abused in the early 1990s in the manner that critics suspect is happening today.The Bottom Line: Immigration is a tough issue. And it?s even tougher when we don?t have all the facts, as is the case on employers? claims of labor shortages requiring more foreign hires and employees? claims of being replaced by foreign workers by companies looking to save a buck. When you?ve figured out the right balance, let the pols know what you think.Complete list of 2007's underreported stories: 1.? Java is becoming the new Cobol 2.? Sun Microsystems is back in the game 3.? Hackers take aim at Mac OS X 4.? There are some threats you can worry less about 5.? Companies may have found a way around H-1B visa limits 6.? Open source?s new commercial strategy 7.? End-to-end Ethernet finally arrives 8.? Blade servers arrive for the masses 9.? BI is dead; long live BI 10. Balance of power shifts to software buyers
162263
China says its eastern provinces and Shanghai face more power shortages this winter and spring.
133028
The move illustrates deep divisions within Europe over how to deal with the surge of Chinese exports and the job losses caused by the outsourcing of production to Asia.
224950
Moo moos investor concerns over Gateway Computer maker Acer is looking into the possibility of a Chinese acquisition following its decision to buy US-based Gateway.â¦
210230
(InfoWorld) - A China Telecommunications Group (China Telecom) subsidiary in Jiangsu province and Hewlett-Packard are offering customers a desktop computer with broadband Internet access for 198 renminbi, or $26, per month. The promotion offer underscores how competitive China's PC and Internet markets have become, and the extent to which the market has become saturated after years of breakneck growth. For a monthly payment of 198 renminbi and a 27-month contract, China Telecom customers in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, get an HP Compaq DX2308 desktop PC with a 3.2GHz Intel Celeron D processor, 512MB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and a 17-inch CRT monitor, according to an online advertisement (in Chinese). The bundle includes 150 hours of broadband Internet access per month, most likely a 512Kbps DSL (digital subscriber line) connection, the most common in China. For an additional 700 renminbi, customers can upgrade to a 17-inch LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor. A similar deal is available in other Jiangsu cities, including Nantong (in Chinese). This isn't the first time China Telecom and HP have offered a PC bundled with broadband for 198 renminbi. Similar deals were offered in Jiangsu province earlier this year. Bundles like this are not yet common in China, although several vendors have experimented with them and seen mixed results, said Bryan Ma, director of personal system research at IDC Asia-Pacific. Besides the low-cost desktop, China Telecom and HP are offering a couple of other options to Taizhou customers, including an HP Compaq NX6515 notebook with a dual-core 1.6GHz Turion 64 X2 processor, 512MB of RAM, an 80GB hard disk, and a 14-inch screen. The notebook deal involves a one-time payment of 6,998 renminbi, or $923, and includes 1,660 hours of broadband Internet access during school vacation periods. HP may be the world's biggest PC maker, but the company still lags behind Lenovo Group in China. During 2006, the company was the fourth-largest PC maker in China, with a market share of 8.2 percent. HP's market share increased to 12.5 percent during the first quarter of 2007, thanks to aggressive notebook sales, Ma said
763892
China does not have enough sperm donations to fulfil demand, according to state media reports.
246817
Acer Inc. executed a master stroke in the global war for PC market share withÂ its US$710 million purchase of Gateway Inc., but it may take a while for the market to see the light.
201162
TAIPEI/SHANGHAI  - Taiwan's Acer Inc will buy  Gateway Inc for $710 million to double its U.S. presence and  unseat China's Lenovo as the world's No. 3 PC maker, while  dealing a blow to its efforts to grow in Europe.
299676
Companies across 20 sectors are unable to find enough skilled workers, according to a new survey.
206470
Beijing, Feb. 7 (Jiji Press)--Toshiba Corp. , NEC Corp.  and Fujitsu Ltd.  have started offering free repairs of some notebook personal computer models in the Chinese coastal province of Zhejiang, sources said Wednesday.
649002
(InfoWorld) - Shares of Asian PC makers are finally shaking off their summer doldrums as back-to-school sales give them a boost and the upcoming launch of Microsoft's new Vista OS improves their longer term prospects. A buying binge on stock of Taiwanese PC maker Acer started early this week after it was upgraded by Merrill Lynch & Co.Â and a few other large investment banks. The firms noted that after sluggish sales in the first half of the year,Â demand for PCs is on the rise. TheÂ microprocessor price warÂ between Intel and Advanced Micro DevicesÂ (AMD) saw the price on some desktop chips halved, lifting PC demand, analysts say. Microsoft's new OS is expected to come out on time and give the PC market an additional long term boost. "The PC replacement cycle should take place gradually following Microsoftâs launch of its new operating system, Vista, in the first half of 2007," said Daniel Chang, computer industry analyst at Macquarie Research Equities, in a report on Thursday. Acer's shares were also boosted this week after it reported a better-than-expected 36 percent increase in second quarter net profit to NT$3.08 billion (US$93.59 million). It's shares ended up 25 percent for the week, at NT$53.5, on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Acer's main rival in Asia, Lenovo Group, also saw its stock rise. The company'sÂ U.S.-listed shares increasedÂ 11.2 percent to US$8.45 for this week, as of its close on Thursday. By comparison, Dell and Hewlett-Packard have been laggards. Dell shares are up 3.9 percent so far this week to end at US$22.60 on Thursday, while HP had gained 3.8 percent to US$36.56 over the same time. One reason for the difference in share performance is that Acer and Lenovo stock fell further this year than their U.S. rivals due to PC market concerns andÂ company-specific issues, analysts say, so it's no surprise the rebound has lifted them higher. Another reason Dell and HP have underperformed their Asian peers recently is because U.S. investors are concerned about the economy, including consumer demand and the likelihood of further interest rate increases. Although very little conclusive data is out for U.S. PC sales right now, analysts say demand in Asia is strong, and Europe is heating up. Henry King, executive director of technology research for Goldman Sachs (Asia), noted in a report on Wednesday that strong PC component demand in Europe over the past few weeks should help allay concerns over possible U.S. weakness. "Besides, we expect more Europeans to come back from summer vacations in the next few weeks, so sell thru data is likely to continue to trend up in September," King said. Another factor hurting shares of PC makers this year has been cutthroat price competition. But stronger market demand should ease price competition, analysts say, as should lower costs for microprocessors. In short, the seasonal demand from back-to-school and back-from-vacation sales going on now should extend for quite a while as users continue buying when Vista launches. The strong, steady demand should allow PC makers to charge reasonable prices, increasing their profit margins and making investors happy.
340372
Businesses in China are having a hard time finding able-bodied workers and are having to pay the workers they can find more money.
388284
Indian automakers are plagued by a shortage of skilled workers, inferior product quality and deficient highway infrastructure, among other challenges, according to a new study.
437278
Taiwan's Acer Inc. said Friday it has filed a counterclaim in a U.S. court against a patent infringement lawsuit by Hewlett-Packard Co.