Data center ecosystem was roughly 40% of network-test a year ago; now management puts it around 45% and trending higher, I mean exit velocity inching to the high 40%s, possibly reaching half the segment, you know? Fiber instruments same shift — single digits to a third by late '25, 40-50% by early '26, trending toward 50%, right? AI data centers monitoring every wavelength, buying more fiber monitoring than service providers ever did, I mean that's the mechanism. All management's own numbers from calls, not in filings. Last but not the least, three quarters visibility, no more.
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We set a record of $71 million in high‑end IC mask revenue in Q1, up 19% YoY, then saw it dip to about $57 million in Q2 – down roughly 5% YoY and about 20% sequentially – on delayed design releases. The long‑term drivers remain, alongside temporary headwinds, as demand is inherently variable and our visibility stays limited with a typical backlog of one to three weeks. Because high‑end mask sets carry much higher prices, even a small number of orders can materially move revenue and earnings.
Our IC mask revenue fell about 5% even as leading-edge AI chip demand stayed strong — we follow design releases, not wafer starts. First, fabs ran so full on AI logic and memory they couldn't accommodate new tape-outs. Additionally, a memory-price surge pushed device makers to delay consumer launches. The final factor: geopolitical uncertainty, including the U.S.-Iran conflict, added caution. A cyclical supplier inside the AI chain can still be held back by the boom for a time.