2008 was a big game of "chicken" in the DRAM sector, as firms floored their investment and output pedals in 2008 hoping competitors would give up first. But all they did was make the bad times last longer, according to a summary from iSuppli. Global revenue fell by nearly 20% in 2008 to $25.2B, following a 7% slide in 2007-and the market lost a third of its value over two years. But the steep dropoff "won't mark an end to the memory sinkhole," notes analyst Nam Hyung Kim, who projects a 4% decline in 2009 as well, citing "global economic uncertainty." The top eight DRAM suppliers have lost nearly $8B over the past two years, and will tally $11B in operating losses by the end of 2009.
展开▼
