Rochester Electronics Transforms Semiconductor End-of-Life Into Extension-of-Life™

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

Rochester Electronics, the world's most comprehensive and authorized source for discontinued semiconductors, provides continuing manufacturing and customer support for semiconductor products that are being discontinued by the original manufacturer. As part of the Extension-of-Life™ process, Rochester Electronics acquires the original manufacturer's remaining inventory, including packaged devices, finished devices, die, intellectual property, tooling, test programs and test equipment, to provide continuous supply and extend the life of many semiconductor series.

Typically, when an original semiconductor manufacturer discontinues a device, it is difficult for customers to accurately forecast last-time buy requirements, absorb the additional inventory and storage costs associated with last-time buys, or find an available drop-in replacement. A discontinued semiconductor announcement creates a costly inconvenience of reallocating engineering resources, and results in time-consuming re-design, retest and re-qualification, particularly when the part is used in government, mil/aero, medical, high-reliability or long-life applications.

Every product and technology has a life cycle, but the end-of-life schedule for the semiconductor manufacturer usually does not support the needs of all customers. With our new Extension-of-Life process, end-of-life does not have to mean start-of-panic. More than 50 semiconductor manufacturers worldwide have authorized us to manufacture and supply many of the products they have discontinued. Partnering with Rochester further up the product life cycle curve means the semiconductor product never truly reaches end-of-life and can ease a customer's end-of-life planning. Along with a strategic last time buy from the original manufacturer, plans can be made to have Rochester be the continuing source for their critical devices.

For the semiconductor buyer and system designer, Rochester's Extension-of-Life process assures a legitimate and stable continuous supply of authorized and certified devices for the duration of their systems' life cycles. For the original semiconductor manufacturer, the timely technology transfer to Rochester Electronics enables optimal production schedules for its next-generation devices, while preserving relationships with OEM customers and their participation in future designs.

Planning ahead for semiconductor extension-of-life can protect the semiconductor manufacturer's reputation and the customer's product reliability, while making semiconductor part obsolescence obsolete.

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