USA: iSuppli Corp.'s preliminary 2007 global semiconductor market-share estimate reveals performances by individual companies in specific market segments are varying widely, indicating that amid slowing growth for semiconductor sales, companies that have superior execution or that have been better able to capitalize on industry trends or events outperformed the market—and the competition.

Intel upside
Case in point is the world's largest semiconductor supplier, Intel Corp. of the United States, whose chip revenue is likely to rise 7.7 percent in 2007 to reach $33.97 billion in 2007, up from $31.5 billion in 2006, according to iSuppli's preliminary ranking.

Intel exceeded the overall semiconductor industry growth rate of 4.1 percent in 2007 and massively outperformed its PC microprocessor rival, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) of the United States, whose sales are likely to decline by 22.7 percent for the year.

"Throughout most of the year, Intel successfully defended much of the market share that it won from AMD in the first quarter in the PC microprocessor segment due to the success of its lines of dual- and quad-core chips," said Dale Ford, vice president, market intelligence, for iSuppli. "This represents a major reversal of fortune compared to 2006, when AMD had the advantage with its popular dual-core microprocessors, allowing it to gain share from Intel."

Intel's market-share rose to 12.5 percent in 2007, up from 12.1 percent in 2006. After rising into the Top-10 rankings for the first time ever last year, AMD's revenue decline is expected to cause it to drop back to 11th place in 2007, down from eighth place in 2006. AMD's semiconductor revenue in CY 2007 is set to fall to $5.8 billion, down from $7.5 billion in 2006.