The Chip Shortage is Getting Worse (Gartner Report)

The global shortage of semiconductors that is impacting nearly every electronic item is expected to last until the second quarter of 2022, according to research firm Gartner’s new report.

Caused by a quicker-than-expected economic recovery last year, combined with a huge influx in demand for automobiles and consumer electronics – a direct impact of the pandemic – the AV experts at Ultimate Technologies Group are beginning to see the impact of the shortage.

In a recent article, we discussed this shortage and the fact that industry analysts predicted a rebound later this year. But the Gartner report illustrates something different.

“The semiconductor shortage will severely disrupt the supply chain and will constrain the production of many electronic equipment types in 2021. Foundries are increasing wafer prices, and in turn, chip companies are increasing device prices,” said Kanishka Chauhan, principal research analyst at Gartner.

It’s not just Gartner saying the chip shortage will get worse before it gets better. A recent Bloomberg article cited research by Susquehanna Financial Group that says chip lead times increased to 17 weeks in April, the longest wait time since the firm began tracking that data in 2017.

In addition to impacting the availability of semiconductors used in all kinds of technology, the pandemic has changed the structure of the workforce.

A year ago, every employee in the corporate world was sent home to work. Between then and now, some have returned to the office, some have stayed at home, and others have a hybrid schedule where they split time between the office and home.

Because of this, many companies have been forced to step back and look at their audio visual technology and how it supports the necessary collaboration with remote workers.

If you’re reading this, perhaps you are one of those companies.

Right now, most technology to create or upgrade your AV is available. But as availability is predicted to get worse before it gets better, waiting to address your AV needs may end up putting you on a long waitlist.

If you’re considering upgrading your conference rooms, work-from-home technology, meeting rooms, training rooms or any other aspect of your audio visual, you may consider bumping this task to the top of your priority list.

Give us a call or send us an email and one of our AV experts will be happy to share more specifics.