With effect from 1st February 2008, Rutronik Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH and the German semiconductor manufacturer ZMD AG have signed a European-wide franchise contract for standard analogue products. Based on this contract, Rutronik will sell ZMD products as ZMD's exclusive distributor in Europe. In doing so, the cooperation definitely goes one step further than a traditional franchise partnership: Apart from a joint sales strategy, both partners will work in close cooperation when it comes to defining the products, which is unique in a distribution partnership. Thus, ZMD is in the position to offer products that are tailored especially to the requirements of distribution customers. The first analogue components that have been developed from this cooperation will be launched by ZMD simultaneously with the publication of the partnership. The products are available from Rutronik with immediate effect. They are ZMD's new ADC series called SARah. Additional products are already in the development stage and it is expected that they will be launched before the end of 2008. The intention of both ZMD and Rutronik is to distinguish themselves in the highly competitive market by close cooperation, solution and customer-orientated products, very high precision and reliability of the products, the label "Designed and made in Germany", comprehensive customer support and the modularisation of the SARah ADC series. For the close cooperation between manufacturer and distributor, which is unusual in the semiconductor industry, a joint team of experts was specifically put together. Apart from the automotive and medical segments, the partners will primarily address the European industrial market. Here, Rutronik has already a wide customer base and can offer optimum market access for the ZMD products. Additionally, through this partnership, Rutronik has enhanced its portfolio with the important ADC component.
ZMD's new SARah ADC series provides the developer with a high degree of flexibility as he can upgrade and downgrade easily between the derivatives without having to adjust the layout in case of changing customer requirements. This enables the customers to reduce the time to market and provides them with a wider variety of products for their end customers.
Both companies regard the speed and flexibility to react to customer requests and market requirements with very little delay as clear advantages of their partnership. "Lean management structures on both sides also mean initiative during the definition and implementation of new products for the European market and eventually a reduction in the time to market for the customer", says Thomas Rudel, the Sales and Marketing Manager at Rutronik.
SARah is a clearly structured family concept that initially ranges from 8 bit 2 channels to 12 bit 8 channels and includes 28 products for the launch. "The customer does not only expect an ADC but a product portfolio that covers all his requirements. This means various resolutions, precisions and different conversion rates, etc. With the first representatives of the SARah series, we are already showing the market which direction ZMD will go. To round it off, we offer a series that is compatible with the market-established 'quasi standard' of the market leaders," explains Bernhard Huber, Business Line Manager Standard Components at ZMD.
Thomas Rudel explains: "With the new ADC series, ZMD precisely fills the gap that has opened in our portfolio. Traditionally, we are firmly positioned in the area of high-performance analogue products. Thus, the new ZMD modules are the perfect supplement in the chain of analogue signal processing from the sensors, the Op Amps, the SAR analogue/digital converters right through to microcontrollers and digital interfaces. The European analogue market is a wide and promising market segment - in particular, the industrial measuring technology offering many interesting approaches that we want to expand and develop jointly with ZMD."
The high-resolution A/D converters continue to be key construction elements in the mixed signal design of each assembly. If we look at technologies and processes in more detail, there are only a few manufacturers left on the market who dominate analogue instrumentation. Due to many years of experience in customer-specific analogue design, ZMD can offer a wide-ranging wealth of experience. "Due to our ASIC background, mainly in the automotive and industrial market, as well as our many years of experience in signal processing and conditioning, one of our strengths is the precise understanding of the different customer requirements and our ability to implement these in market and solution-orientated chips", describes Bernhard Huber.
Within the framework of this partnership and in contrast to the big players on the analogue market, the standard analogue products will be developed at ZMD not only for major leading customers but also with distribution customers and for distribution customers specifically. Apart from optimised modules, this focus of both partners also offers the customer a considerably higher degree of exposure in his position as well as decisive design options and possibilities of taking influence.
About RUTRONIK (www.RUTRONIK.com)
RUTRONIK Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH is one of Europe's leading broadline distributors for semiconductors, passive and electromechanical components in addition to wireless products, displays as well as embedded boards. To round off the product portfolio RUTRONIK also offers storage technologies from its subsidiary company Discomp. The markets that the company primarily targets include the automotive, telecommunications, consumer goods and industrial electronics industries. Wide-ranging services, competent transfers of expertise in the areas of product development and design, as well as logistics and supply chain management solutions round off its customer and future-orientated range of goods and services. The company, established by Helmut Rudel in Ispringen/Germany in 1973, employs about 1,200 staff throughout Europe and achieved sales of EUR 565 million in fiscal year 2007.
ZMD's new SARah ADC series provides the developer with a high degree of flexibility as he can upgrade and downgrade easily between the derivatives without having to adjust the layout in case of changing customer requirements. This enables the customers to reduce the time to market and provides them with a wider variety of products for their end customers.
Both companies regard the speed and flexibility to react to customer requests and market requirements with very little delay as clear advantages of their partnership. "Lean management structures on both sides also mean initiative during the definition and implementation of new products for the European market and eventually a reduction in the time to market for the customer", says Thomas Rudel, the Sales and Marketing Manager at Rutronik.
SARah is a clearly structured family concept that initially ranges from 8 bit 2 channels to 12 bit 8 channels and includes 28 products for the launch. "The customer does not only expect an ADC but a product portfolio that covers all his requirements. This means various resolutions, precisions and different conversion rates, etc. With the first representatives of the SARah series, we are already showing the market which direction ZMD will go. To round it off, we offer a series that is compatible with the market-established 'quasi standard' of the market leaders," explains Bernhard Huber, Business Line Manager Standard Components at ZMD.
Thomas Rudel explains: "With the new ADC series, ZMD precisely fills the gap that has opened in our portfolio. Traditionally, we are firmly positioned in the area of high-performance analogue products. Thus, the new ZMD modules are the perfect supplement in the chain of analogue signal processing from the sensors, the Op Amps, the SAR analogue/digital converters right through to microcontrollers and digital interfaces. The European analogue market is a wide and promising market segment - in particular, the industrial measuring technology offering many interesting approaches that we want to expand and develop jointly with ZMD."
The high-resolution A/D converters continue to be key construction elements in the mixed signal design of each assembly. If we look at technologies and processes in more detail, there are only a few manufacturers left on the market who dominate analogue instrumentation. Due to many years of experience in customer-specific analogue design, ZMD can offer a wide-ranging wealth of experience. "Due to our ASIC background, mainly in the automotive and industrial market, as well as our many years of experience in signal processing and conditioning, one of our strengths is the precise understanding of the different customer requirements and our ability to implement these in market and solution-orientated chips", describes Bernhard Huber.
Within the framework of this partnership and in contrast to the big players on the analogue market, the standard analogue products will be developed at ZMD not only for major leading customers but also with distribution customers and for distribution customers specifically. Apart from optimised modules, this focus of both partners also offers the customer a considerably higher degree of exposure in his position as well as decisive design options and possibilities of taking influence.
About RUTRONIK (www.RUTRONIK.com)
RUTRONIK Elektronische Bauelemente GmbH is one of Europe's leading broadline distributors for semiconductors, passive and electromechanical components in addition to wireless products, displays as well as embedded boards. To round off the product portfolio RUTRONIK also offers storage technologies from its subsidiary company Discomp. The markets that the company primarily targets include the automotive, telecommunications, consumer goods and industrial electronics industries. Wide-ranging services, competent transfers of expertise in the areas of product development and design, as well as logistics and supply chain management solutions round off its customer and future-orientated range of goods and services. The company, established by Helmut Rudel in Ispringen/Germany in 1973, employs about 1,200 staff throughout Europe and achieved sales of EUR 565 million in fiscal year 2007.
