Q+A CENTER

In addition, there is a thriving value-added reseller layer in the display industry that can take the stock components and further modify them, such as adding ruggedization or a touch screen, to meet the needs of niche markets.

Ultimately, the specialty markets will always have requirements that go beyond the consumer level, and there will always be some premium charged for filling those lower-volume, specialty needs.

However, the consumer synergies are having an impact on pricing in the speciality markets, and while the decrease in cost is good for the customer it has caused some disruption among the traditional advanced imaging solution providers—from component supplier to integrator. There has been steady consolidation, particularly among camera providers. Some of this is due to an overcapacity of similar solutions, and some is due to changing market dynamics driven by dropping prices and margins. But, this is not entirely new.

"Unfortunately, there are not a lot of customers that come to us and say, we want this product and we don't care what you charge us for it," said DeLuca. "So we have some pretty tough negotiations with all of our customers regardless of the market. We're not the only sensor manufacturer in the world and so there are other people there likely talking to his well and so the impetus on us is to go out and are in that business by making sure we have the right product for them with the right features to meet the need that they have in the market."