Another week and more bad news. Most of the world’s technology relies on several key chip manufacturers that are located in Asia, and in case you hadn’t heard, they were rocked by the Pandemic fairly early on in 2020. This has created a massive shortfall in semiconductor production which, when coupled with the spike in demand for technology to move a large chunk of the world’s workforce and students home, has manifested as a serious supply-chain choke-point that is resulting in empty shelves and shipping delays for just about anything with a computer chip in it.
What this means for you
Depending on what you are shopping for, you might be thinking, “What shortage? I can walk into my neighborhood big box and buy a computer right now!” Absolutely this is true, but even those supplies are dwindling. For anyone looking purchase what we call “business-class” or “enterprise-grade” equipment, we are seeing backorders between three to four weeks and certain models are out of stock through the end of the year as wholesalers and manufactures sell out of their standing, domestic stock. Computers aren’t the only thing impacted: this shortage is affecting everything from videogame consoles to new cars to medical equipment to smart phones
Industry analysts are predicting this supply-chain shortage will last well into 2022, and it will likely make the upcoming holidays a little challenging if you were planning to make up for last year’s sober shortages in the usually red-hot electronics and videogame markets. Scalpers are still showing no mercy, and the chip shortages won’t be helping us battle their profiteering. Long story short – make sure to include a multi-week delay in shipping if need new technology. Take good care of your existing equipment as it may hard to replace or repair for the next 6-8 months, minimum.
Image by Dan Williams from Pixabay
