March 16, 2005 – Fabless semiconductor manufacturer Xilinx Inc. has announced that its Singapore-based Asia-Pacific final-test chip facility (XAP) is fully operational. XAP hired 80 employees and built up its regional and internal operations at the headquarters in time to start shipping programmable chips throughout the A-P region on April 4.

Xilinx took 52% of the A-P market share for programmable logic devices in 2004, and the region accounts for almost 40% of the company’s global revenues, according to a company statement. XAP managing director Stacy Fender commented, “As the Asia-Pacific region continues to grow in importance to the worldwide semiconductor market, our Singapore-based headquarters will have opportunities to take on global charters and product development responsibilities.”