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Panel 5410: Consumer Electronics: Triple to Quad Play – How Real is it?
Moderator: Gerry Kaufhold, Principal Analyst, Converging Markets and Technologies, In-Stat

Today’s digital network operators are racing to finish out their Triple Play service offerings, and getting ready for the next big push to expand services to mobile devices.  The emergence of Quad Play technologies creates new opportunities for every participant in the digital network food chain; from semiconductor manufacturers to handset and set top box companies as well as Cable and Telco service providers. Consumers, especially the under 30 crowd, are no longer satisfied with getting great “content” at home, now they want it delivered anytime, anywhere, to any mobile device.The emergence of Quad Play creates important opportunities for developers of programmable devices used in video encoders and network multiplexing equipment; stand-alone ASICs for handsets; off-the-shelf products to set top boxes, TV sets and PCs; and system-level equipment from large networking companies.  Panelists will represent the Quad Play market space from end to end. Along with the opportunities, they will identify technology challenges to the successful delivery of Quad Play, and when we can expect voice, video, data and mobility to become a reality.

Panel 5420: Wireless Communications: 4G Networks… Will data, video, and voice diverge?
Moderator: Maury Wright, Chief Editor, EDN Worldwide

True 3G technologies found in today’s wireless networks are data-centric, enabling everything from broadband data connections to streaming media. Even so, the industry is pushing the WirelessMAN performance envelope once again. The technology behind the mobile IEEE 802.16-2005 (formerly known as IEEE 802.16e) flavor of WiMax promises true broadband data rates to PCs and other client devices, regardless of whether the fixed flavor of WiMax succeeds. Mobile WiMax product rollouts are planned both in Korea and North America, while heavyweight Qualcomm is championing a different and competing technology. Adding further complexity to the market, industry players from chipset and handset vendors to carriers also expect broad deployment of video overlay networks. Will multiple networks specializing in point services have the staying power to survive? Or will the fastest of the bunch ultimately dominate with voice and multimedia passed over IP?

Panel 5430: MEMS Technology: Current State and Future Opportunities
Moderator: Jim Walker, Featured VP Research, Gartner

The first years of the 21st century have seen the Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) market finally begin to fulfill its early promise. Most editors have associated MEMS with applications in  automotive safety/airbags.  However - increasing sales volume in areas such as MEDICAL (diagnostic and treatment), HOMELAND SECURITY (advanced sensors), COMMUNICATIONS (RF) and PORTABLE DEVICES (microphones in handsets etc)) brings this technology to a new level.
This panel will discuss the current state and future opportunities of MEMS.
Why you want to be a speaker on this panel:
There is a distinct gap between how MEMS are used and what is reported in the media. Our research has consistently shown that editors in all geographic markets are keen to know more about what is happening at the cutting edge in MEMS today, not to mention what potential the technology has to expand in its existing markets and tap into new ones.
In  this panel you can  provide the media with a broad-based view of this burgeoning activity, stretching from design tools for MEMS devices through manufacturing and to applications that will define the sector’s long-term future.

Panel 5440: Automotive: The Intelligent Vehicle – How much is too much?
Moderator: Richard Robinson, Principle Analyst, iSuppli

Automotive is already one of the most important markets for semiconductors manufacturers with many major and niche players battling for ground. Market forecasters, such as iSuppli, Gartner and Reed Electronics Group are in agreement that non-entertainment automotive electronics, telematics, environmental and safety solutions as well as in-car entertainment have huge growth opportunity over the next 5 years.
Vehicles by the year 2010 are expected to have data connectivity while moving; drivers want interaction with information such as infotainment, navigation, traffic monitoring as well as assistance in complex or dangerous traffic situation such as with an automated emergency break system.
To have a new line of intelligent automobiles by 2010 the auto industry faces the challenge to provide an ever increased set of functionalities, while reducing overall costs and handling the complexity of in-car electronic systems. Dr. Arne Stoschek, Head of Displays, Sensors and Materials at the Electronics Research Laboratory of Audi/Volkswagen will contribute to the discussion on what auto manufacturers expect from the electronics industry.
Executives from electronics manufactures will discuss new components, software and systems level products and what they will do to face this cost pressure and complexity. Can smarter design or better manufacturing processes bring us closer to our next generation dream car?  How much electronics components can a car handle?  What do we really need to be entertained and safe?

Panel 5450: IC Design: Can Anything Save the ASIC?

Moderator: Ron Wilson, Executive  Editor, EDN Worldwide

According to market research from Gartner, worldwide ASIC design starts have plummeted from 10,000 to 4,000. Many ASIC design companies cite design cost—and associated risks—as the leading factors in this decline. In a global industry where anything can be outsourced, mature technologies run in fully depreciated fabs and even tool licenses are highly negotiable, how can cost be an obstacle? Our panel will bring together experts from the ASIC vendor, EDA tool and design communities to expose the real cost issues in ASIC design and discuss how these costs can be controlled.

Panel 5460 : How will Designers Leverage Embedded Software as a Key Differentiator in  SoC Devices?
Moderator: John Barber, Featured Research Director, Gartner

Multi-core System-on-Chip (SoC) designs require a tremendous amount of embedded software support.  More than ever, software is directly impacting time to market, time to revenue, and the quality of the end-user experience.  Oftentimes the lack of properly developed embedded software results in customer dissatisfaction, high return rates, and unrealized revenue.  Leaders and new players in this industry will discuss the importance of embedded software development in SoC design, major cost issues around SoC development, and how designers are grappling with this growing challenge.