siliconindia | |March 201593 standards groups providing protocols for wirelessly charging connected devices. While such standards for communications between devices in certain areas are well defined, they are still evolving when it comes to the connected home. The need to eventually adopt standardized communication protocols is imperative for users, as well as for component makers,in this fast-changing landscape. One of the other challenges ahead of us is the flexibility and scalability of networks. As the volume of data and video processed on networks increases, scalability and flexibility take center stage. The amount of information processed through networks is increasing as are the patterns of traffic being handled by them, and increasingly the demand on the networks is to adapt to the pattern of traffic flowing through them and be both software configurable as well as scalable.VC FundingThe semiconductor industry had its fair share of venture funding in the early stages of its history. Much of the origins of the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley can be traced back to VC roots. To-day, however, the situation is very different, and the tech industry poses a costly challenge in terms of capital and investment. For example, a largely digital chip at the 28nm process tech-nology node can easily cost $60-100 million,taking into account all the de-sign and software development costs. This has been a sig-nificant barrier to entry for fund-ing from venture capitalists. Also, in digital technology development, the cost of software in-tegration, which necessarily has to complement the chip design, is very high, making it difficult to secure large funds. However, there is still some venture capital mon-ey entering the RF and the mixed-signal space, but the home-run opportunities aren't that great because of the consolidating customer base. In the power management space, device-level innovations continue, and we also see a fair amount of differentiation in the RF space. These two areas have been the sweet spot for investors in the semiconductor industry.Follow the People Within YouMaintaining and nurturing the innovation pipeline of the organization is essential. At the end of the day, it is the people within your organization that create the value. Whether it is a startup or a mid-sized or a large company, ultimately it is the innovative ability of the people to come out with new products that interest the customer. At IDT, innovation is a continuous process. Patent recognition is one of the ways we honor our innovators. We encourage our people through peer-to-peer as well as manager-to-peer recognition, and reward them for their positive engagement within the company and for their vision. We recognize those who cultivate and nurture knowledge and information sharing. And we encourage our people to present at symposiums and publish articles in technical journals; this also helps build a more innovative culture within.Maintaining and nurturing the innovation pipeline of the organization is essential. At the end of the day, it is the people within your organization that create the value"
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