BeanBag

Car Enthusiast / Gamer / Astrophotographer / Woodworker

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@mazemoore @SenWarren This is gold. Thanks for making my day.

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@Bubblebathgirl @grok is this true?

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@imnotthanos87 @AngryNFLInsider Giants interviewed Antonio Pierce on Friday

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@AKA_jobozo @BobbySkinner_ As season ticket holder I agree but the problem is there is no one to sell them to.

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@futureman1977 @Alex_Intel_ lol. Not even close

https://t.co/flfeLTuVid

[Jukan @ ICML @jukan05]

[Exclusive] Microsoft and Google stationed in Korea pleading for supply… Get fired if you fail to secure Samsung and SK volume

Earlier this month, purchasing executives from Microsoft (MS) who visited Korea held long-term agreement (LTA) and price negotiations with SK hynix. At this meeting, SK hynix expressed the position that “it is difficult to supply under the conditions MS wants.” An industry source explained, “Upon hearing this, an MS executive could not contain their anger and stormed out of the meeting.”

According to the industry on the 25th, as the global shortage of artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors intensifies, procurement executives from global big tech firms such as MS and Google are flocking to Korea to secure volume. An official in the semiconductor industry said, “To sign memory supply contracts with Samsung Electronics (005930) and SK hynix, procurement executives from the headquarters of major big tech companies including MS, Google, and Meta are practically stationed in Korea.” They are waging an all-out war to preempt memory semiconductors essential for AI chips and data center build-outs, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM), DRAM, and enterprise solid-state drives (eSSD).

The reason big-tech procurement executives are entreating SK hynix and Samsung Electronics is that without high-performance, low-power memory semiconductors they cannot secure a competitive edge in the AI industry. AI’s training and inference capabilities are determined by the performance of graphics processing units (GPUs), tensor processing units (TPUs), and data centers. GPUs and TPUs require HBM, and AI data centers need LPDDR in order to deliver high performance. There are only three companies in the world capable of producing high-performance HBM and LPDDR: SK hynix, Samsung Electronics, and Micron. In particular, it is known that the HBM and DRAM output of SK hynix and Samsung Electronics, which are vying for the industry lead, has already been fully contracted out through next year’s production. As memory semiconductors have effectively dried up in the market, big-tech procurement executives are staying in Korea, pleading for supply.

Google, which is pushing to sell its in-house AI accelerator TPU to external customers, is understood to have fired the executives in charge after running into a memory supply crunch. Currently, about 60% of the HBM mounted on TPUs is supplied to Google by Samsung Electronics. As recent TPU demand exceeded expectations, Google sounded out SK hynix and Micron on whether additional volume could be secured. The answer was “impossible.” Google’s management is said to have dismissed the procurement personnel responsible, holding them accountable for creating supply-chain risk by failing to sign LTAs in advance. It is a disciplinary personnel measure against the working-level staff who did not secure volume in time.

Big tech firms are even changing their hiring practices in order to put everything on the line in managing Asian supply chains, going beyond simply placing volume orders. Whereas in the past memory procurement managers worked at headquarters in Silicon Valley or Seattle, recently they are increasingly being hired to work in Asian regions such as Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. This is seen as an attempt to closely manage the supply chain on the ground in Asia, where key semiconductor manufacturers like Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and TSMC are located.

In fact, Google recently posted a job opening for a Global Memory Commodity Manager, seeking an expert to establish sourcing strategies for data-center memory such as DRAM and NAND flash. Meta is also recruiting talent under the title Memory Silicon Global Sourcing Manager, looking for someone capable of collaborating on technology roadmaps. The strategy is to place experts with engineering knowledge in the field to simultaneously conduct technical coordination and secure volume, going beyond simple purchasing. One industry insider said, “Big techs are currently placing open-ended orders with the three memory companies, effectively saying ‘Give us all the volume you can, regardless of price,’” adding, “Since both Samsung and SK’s advanced HBM and other cutting-edge process lines are already running at full capacity, it is physically difficult to meet all of these demands.”

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@UrinatingTree Because of the Giants non-call and backlash this was called a fumble - had that not happened it would have been whistled dead.

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@Lifeisadrip @BGatesIsaPyscho @grok @grok did we really land on the moon?

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@TradingThomas3 This didn’t age well Tommy.

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@WSJ I’m cancelling my subscription to this POS. I thought you guys were above the partisan crap - and I was willing to pay just ti get away from the bias. You proved me wrong. Goodbye - see you in the bottom of my birdcage.

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@bertomemet05 @grok what’s in the mixture to pout over the cardboard

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@mommavestor @TicTocTick Different income level consumer too.

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@LeonMil14332284 At the airport RN and all computers are down in the terminal. No traffic in or out.

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@ZLevyMD @UHC How much do you charge for:

-- a brain hemorrhage
-- in a coma
-- on a ventilator
-- in heart failure

Just curious.

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@charliekirk11 Lmao

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@brent_ericson @jbulltard1 Give it a month and it will be negative regardless.

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@Mr_Derivatives Listening to AMZN ER call and data center capex is increasing from 65b to 125b in ‘25. Long NVDA

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@EndWokeness … and the Yanks won game 1 too.

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@NickCowles11 You can’t take Lans meme! lol

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@NickCowles11 Let’s go Shammy!!!! No dump Monday morning Nick!!!

[BeanBag @James_Waltman]

@jbulltard1 @PurpleDrink_LLC Remember when we had to show our vaccination cards to get into concert venues? Weird.