With $3.1 billion spending ceiling, new 10-year contract provides U.S. Dept. of Defense an assured supply of securely manufactured semiconductors for use in the nation’s most sensitive applications.

Cisco is acquiring cybersecurity software company Splunk for $157 per share in a cash deal worth about $28 billion, the company said Thursday, in its largest acquisition ever.

Splunk shares ended Thursday up 21%, while Cisco shares closed down 4%.

TOKYO, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Chipmaking equipment maker Kokusai Electric said on Thursday it plans to list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Oct. 25, setting the stage for what could be Japan's largest initial public offering (IPO) in five years.

Today, the European Chips Act enters into force. It puts in place a comprehensive set of measures to ensure the EU's security of supply, resilience and technological leadership in semiconductor technologies and applications.

Digital communications giant Cisco is planning to cut 350 employees in California, the Silicon Valley company announced this week, ahead of its $28 billion acquisition of AI cybersecurity firm Splunk, as employers continue to restructure staffing levels amid lingering recession fears (see Forbes’ layoff tracker from the first quarter here).

Global shipments for wearable devices returned to growth in the second quarter of 2023 (2Q23) reversing two quarters of decline, according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker. The market grew 8.5% year over year with shipments totaling 116.3 million devices. This growth came at the expense of overall market value as average selling prices (ASPs) fell due to increased competition and discounting by retailers seeking to reduce excess inventory.

AI TREND: TSMC has been rapidly expanding capacity to meet a spike in demand for advanced packaging services, but still expects supplies to be tight for 18 months.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday signed an agreement with Germany’s Saxony state government and Dresden University of Technology to jointly launch a semiconductor talent incubation program, with an aim to address a shortage of talent.

Apple is facing a number of issues in China, with geopolitical risks mounting and the economy still not firing as many would have hoped. But the biggest challenge of all, according to analysts, could be a resurgent Huawei after a purported major semiconductor breakthrough that flew in the face of U.S. sanctions.

Semiconductor manufacturers worldwide are projected to increase 200mm fab capacity by 14% from 2023 through 2026, adding 12 new 200mm volume fabs (excluding EPI) as the industry reaches a record high of more than 7.7 million wafers per month (wpm), SEMI announced today in its 200mm Fab Outlook to 2026 report.