Founded in 1980, Integrated Device Technology (NASDAQ: IDTI), develops a broad range of low power, high-performance mixed-signal semiconductor solutions that optimize customers' applications in key markets. Headquartered in San Jose, CA, the firm has a market cap of $2.28 billion.

An analysis of the future-shaping trends in the industry puts the spotlight on several aspects which include Corporate Networks Security, Management of firewalls, and BYOD. These technologies are surfacing as the potential tools effective in maintaining the integrity of the networks. Amidst these, the move to wearable electronics, use of social media, big data, cloud-based services and IoT is also impacting the industry in parallel.

Major trends in distributed power units, architectures, domain voltage and frequency scaling are in waiting as efficiency becomes the most crucial aspect. The move to wireless environment is another significant addition considering the recent developments in the sector. Coming to adopting the wireless technologies surrounding the wireless environment, the applications are still in their infancy.

There is constant pressure on systems to rapidly transfer data, voice and video wirelessly through networks, which enhanced the need for increased storage and faster access. This scenario further leads to novel architectures and segmentation on the network side, as well as on the controllers, registers and data buffer side for memory peripherals on high-end computer servers. In order to carryout effective management of power in circuits and systems, there is a need to reconsider the 'one-type-fits-all' solutions regarding the power management ICs.

Seamless interoperability between enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and modules is still far from perfection. Though the ERP system vendors do not necessarily provide the best functional modules, if one picks a functional module which is optimized to your needs, integrating it with an existing ERP system can prove extremely challenging. In addition, network security management continues to be an area where one faces constant challenges with the BYOD trend in terms of interfacing with corporate networks as well as the ever-present threat of hackers.

Prioritizing Business Needs

Aligning the future-oriented needs of the business and balancing them against the realities of budgetary constraints has been a personal challenge in my role. Similar to many organizations, we are resource-constrained. Therefore, prioritizing the needs of the business in sync with the available resources has been an area of concern for us. While determining priorities, if one takes a more targeted view, the end-result could often be highly dissatisfying.

In areas where the payout is not near term but which make sense to be looking at strategically, we have formed innovative partnerships with other organizations and universities. The constant search for talent in organizations is a constant concern which we encounter. Hence, we use multiple programs to recruit talent, which range from working with universities in partnerships to meaningful internship programs. Some of the highlights of our talent search include translating the massive availability of data and information into an actionable plan for the teams through useful analytics and establishing a healthy relationship with all stakeholders.

Steps towards Innovation

At IDT, we understand the requirement for identifying the usability of a specific product before introducing it in the market. To put it in other way, the entrepreneurs should have a broader mind to analyze things from a user's perspective. This is where innovation becomes important, as the need to design and define new products arises. Recognizing the importance of innovation, any such initiatives are encouraged through reward systems.

This includes valuing your patent portfolio and recognizing the inventors who contribute great value to the company. In addition, collaborating with leading regional universities can lead to an environment of innovation.
Also, one of the initiatives we follow on a constant basis would be the technology symposiums on specific topics where folks with in-depth knowledge in their fields share the acquired knowledge with the rest of the organization.

Moreover, we have created databases where IP developed within the company is readily accessible and searchable. In addition, we have been attentive towards creating a culture that fosters innovation. While that is often easier said than done, tolerating measured risks and accepting failure as part of the innovation process is key to the entire organization. A risk-averse culture seldom leads to breakthrough products. (As told to Anitha TS)