11.   Analysts have said Nokia is benefiting from relatively stable phone prices and its ability, given its market dominance, to demand lower component costs from its suppliers.

12.   Dell also said its profit margins remain firm, partly because of lower-than-expected component costs, which have helped reduce prices on many products.

13.   Dell said the company also benefitted from a sharp drop in component costs.

14.   IBM, a one-time PC pioneer, is the latest technology company to be squeezed by price wars and a surge in component costs.

15.   The computer manufacturer, based in Houston, Texas, also dropped prices on computers using the Pentium microchip by seven percent in line with reduced component costs.