The technology giant has seemed more interested in software and services lately, but still manufactures servers and the microprocessor chips that power many of them. That strategy requires billions of dollars to operate semiconductor factories and develop chip production processes. IBM helps defray those costs by operating a foundry service that makes chips for other companies.

IBM this week is announcing the latest production recipe it will offer foundry customers, promising big benefits for companies designing chips for devices such as routers and switches used in high-speed communication networks. The new offering comes with blocks of pre-designed circuitry-–including microprocessor technology from ARM Holdings, the favorite in cellphones–so that customers can mix and match features to handle particular communications or computing chores.

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“As semiconductor sales are increasingly driven by the performance of the overall global economy, our sales are reflecting the improved economic conditions in our world markets,” said SIA President George Scalise. “Sales increased sequentially in all geographic regions.”

Chip makers have kept inventories lean, and the holiday ramp-up in production could be extended by a few weeks, Scalise added.

Great news, coming as it does after the chip industry’s seemingly endless procession of bad. The semiconductor sector is typically among the first industries to recover ahead of a broader market turnaround. This latest report suggests we may be at the beginning of just that or at least at an inflection point where the uncertainty in consumer and enterprise technology markets that’s been such a drag on the industry begins to abate.