International Data Corporation(IDC) recently reported HEI(President : Kim, YoungHwan) marked the second place in its share in the DRAM market in 1998, and even number one supplier in the world if the sales of LG Semiconductor added. IDC said the total DRAM market is as large as $14 billion, down by 29% from $19.8 billion in 1997, reporting HEI and Siemens were the only top ten suppliers to see their annual sales growth. The report shows HEI emerged as number two DRAM supplier, with its largest market share up to 12.4% from 8% in 1997 despite the overall downturn in the industry. Also, if the market share of HEI is added to that of LG (under the process of acquisition), it turns out to be 20.8%, higher than Samsung(20.1%) to become a strong candidate for the largest supplier from 1999 on. IDC data says the hot issue for DRAM supplier in the year of 1998 was consolidation between Micron and TI, and between HEI and LG, which will be a continuing trend in favor of top five. HEI, the fifth place in its market share marking the sales of $1.59 billion in 1997, moved up to the second rank with the sales of $1.74 billion, leaving Micron that annexed TI’s memory part one rank behind. IDC analyzed that [the top ten DRAM suppliers occupied 94% of total market, and most Japanese and Taiwanese suppliers lost their market share, but HEI, Micron, and Samsung are on the rise in 1998.] The analysis reveals that the market share of the Korean DRAM suppliers rose to 41% in 1998 from 34% in 1997 although the market share and ranking of most Japanese suppliers declined except Toshiba, Mitsubishi, and Fujitsu.
– IDC, a market research institution reported
