Misleading Survey Results
SURVEYS SOMETIMES CREATE false impressions, and this was the case with an online survey recently conducted on the Microwaves & RF website and reported in this column in the December 2007 issue. The Quick Poll, which concluded last Nov. 28, asked the question, "Is the acquisition of American Technical Ceramics by AVX a good thing?" concerning the merging to two key RF/microwave-industry component suppliers.
The two companies came together last year, providing American Technical Ceramics (www.atceramics.com), a long-time supplier of multilayer ceramic capacitors and high-quality thin-film circuits, with the backing of impressive technical and financial resources brought to the merger by AVX (www.avx.com). In fact, American Technical Ceramics became a wholly-owned subsidiary of AVX as a result of the merger agreement, conducting business and operations as in the past, but now as a part of AVX.
Only seven people responded to the "Quick Poll" question, with two voting in favor of the acquisition (29%) and five registering "no" to the acquisition (71%). Statistically, such a small number has no validity and can only be interpreted as an inaccurate and misleading indication of the industry's thoughts on the merger of the companies. An apology is owed to the folks at both companies for this negative portrayal of the merger on the Microwaves & RF website and previously in this column.
Given the technology contributions that both companies have made to this industry, there is little reason to think that this merger, which blends their technical, marketing, and financial resources, won't result in a combined whole that is stronger and better than the sum of the parts.
Jack Browne
Technical Director