Global Semiconductor Alliance announces award winners

(December 13, 2010) — The Global Semiconductor Alliance presented awards to top private and public companies at its annual ceremony as well as honoring Dr. John Hennessy, president of Stanford Univeristy, with the Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award. GSA recognizes semiconductor companies that have demonstrated excellence through their success, vision, strategy and future opportunities in the industry.

GSA is pleased to announce Dr. John Hennessy, president of Stanford University, as the 2010 Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award recipient. Dr. Hennessy is one of the leading pioneers and innovators in computer architecture during the last 25 years. In the early 1980s, Dr. Hennessy led research teams focused on RISC-based computing. RISC-based CPU cores have also been instrumental in enabling fabless semiconductor companies to provide feature-rich products using single and multiple embedded CPU cores in ever increasingly complex System-on-Chips (SOCs).

John L. Hennessy joined Stanford’s faculty in 1977 as an assistant professor of electrical engineering. He rose through the academic ranks to full professorship in 1986 and was the inaugural Willard R. and Inez Kerr Bell Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from 1987 to 2004. From 1983 to 1993, Dr. Hennessy was director of the Computer Systems Laboratory, a research and teaching center operated by the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science that fosters research in computer systems design. He served as chair of computer science from 1994 to 1996 and, in 1996, was named dean of the School of Engineering. As dean, he launched a five-year plan that laid the groundwork for new activities in bioengineering and biomedical engineering. In 1999, he was named provost, the university’s chief academic and financial officer. As provost, he continued his efforts to foster interdisciplinary activities in the biosciences and bioengineering and oversaw improvements in faculty and staff compensation. In October 2000, he was inaugurated as Stanford University’s 10th president. In 2005, he became the inaugural holder of the Bing Presidential Professorship.

A pioneer in computer architecture, in 1981 Dr. Hennessy drew together researchers to focus on a computer architecture known as RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer), a technology that has revolutionized the computer industry by increasing performance while reducing costs. In addition to his role in the basic research, Dr. Hennessy helped transfer this technology to industry. In 1984, he cofounded MIPS Computer Systems, now MIPS Technologies, which designs microprocessors. In recent years, his research has focused on the architecture of high-performance computers.

Dr. Hennessy is a recipient of the 2000 IEEE John von Neumann Medal, the 2000 ASEE Benjamin Garver Lamme Award, the 2001 ACM Eckert-Mauchly Award, the 2001 Seymour Cray Computer Engineering Award, a 2004 NEC C&C Prize for lifetime achievement in computer science and engineering and a 2005 Founders Award from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences, and he is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

He has lectured and published widely and is the co-author of two internationally used undergraduate and graduate textbooks on computer architecture design. Dr. Hennessy earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University and his master’s and doctoral degrees in computer science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Private Company Awards

Outstanding Revenue Growth by Private Semiconductor Company Award
The top five private semiconductor companies (in terms of growth percentage) that doubled revenue over eight consecutive quarters, may be eligible to receive an award for their outstanding financial performance. Due to confidentiality, private companies submitted their ballots directly to a designated consulting firm to determine which companies doubled revenue. GSA does not receive a copy of financial data within submissions. Up to five companies are eligible to receive this award.

Criteria:
Company must be a semiconductor company* (Fabless or IDM).
Company must be private held.
Company must be generating $2 million revenue in quarter ending Sept. 2008.

The two recipients are Apexone Microelectronics and Fulcrum Microsystems, Inc. 

Start-Up to Watch Award
The GSA Start-Up to Watch Awards Committee, which is comprised of members of the Emerging CEO Council, venture capitalists and select serial entrepreneurs in the industry, selects the winner of the Start-Up To Watch award by identifying the semiconductor company that demonstrates the potential to positively change its market or the semiconductor industry in general through the innovative use of semiconductor technology or a new application for semiconductor technology.

This prestigious honor was given to SandForce, Inc.

Criteria:
Company must be a semiconductor company (Fabless or IDM).
Company must have introduced its first product within the last 3.5 years (between January 1, 2007 and June 30, 2010).
Company must have demonstrated initial market success by achieving a minimum of $5 million of cumulative product revenue (i.e., cumulative product revenue since market introduction).

Most Respected Private Semiconductor Company Award: 
This award went to Ambarella. The industry’s Most Respected Private Semiconductor Company award is designed to identify the private company garnering the most respect of the industry in terms of its products, vision and future opportunity. GSA’s Awards Committee reviews all private semiconductor companies, and the selected nominees and winner are based on the committee’s analysis of each company’s performance and likelihood of long-term success.

Criteria:
Company must be a semiconductor company (Fabless or IDM).
Company must be privately held.
Company must be shipping product and generating revenue greater than $20 million.

Public Company Awards

Best Financially Managed Semiconductor Company Award
Altera Corporation was awarded the "Best Financially Managed Company Award" which was presented to them for their demonstration of the best overall financial performance based on a number of key financial metrics.

The Best Financially Managed Semiconductor Company Award is designed to evaluate the financial health of the public fabless semiconductor companies based on a number of financial metrics, such as return on investment, return on equity, inventory turns, revenue, net income, days sales outstanding, cash per share, cash burn, gross profit margin, operating margin and current ratio. GSA and financial analysts evaluate each company against their peers, and the one with the best overall performance is determined the winner.

Most Respected Public Semiconductor Company Awards
These awards are designed to identify the public companies garnering the most respect of the industry in terms of their products, vision and future opportunities. GSA’s Awards Committee reviews the companies meeting the criteria below for each award, and the selected companies are based on the Committee’s analysis of each company’s performance and likelihood of success. On-line voting takes place to allow members of the semiconductor industry, including semiconductor companies and partners to cast a ballot for the public semiconductor companies they most respect.

Criteria:
Fabless or Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM)
Public
Minimum of $100 Million for 2009 sales
Minimum of $250 Million Market Capitalization on 6/30/2010
Cumulative Net Income over 4 Quarters (Q3’09,Q4’09,Q1’10,Q2’10) is Positive
Stock price must not drop below $1 for 6 consecutive months on a U.S. exchange 

Most Respected Public Semiconductor Company Award ($10 Billion+): Intel Corporation

Most Respected Public Semiconductor Company Award ($500 Million to $10 Billion): Broadcom Corporation

Most Respected Emerging Public Semiconductor Company Award (up to $500 Million): NetLogic Microsystems, Inc.

Analyst Favorite Semiconductor Company Award
Semiconductor financial analysts from top-tier firms select their favorite semiconductor company for this award. The analysts base their decision on historical, as well as projected data, such as stock price, earnings per share, revenue forecasts and product performance.

Barclays Capital Favorite Pick: QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies

Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. Favorite Pick: SanDisk Corporation

Needham & Co. Favorite Pick: Atheros Communications Inc.

Regional Awards

As a global alliance, GSA introduced an award specifically for the Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions. The awards will recognize a semiconductor company headquartered in each respective region that clearly demonstrates the most strength when measuring products, vision, leadership and success in the marketplace. GSA’s APAC and EMEA Leadership Councils will determine both the nominees and the winner.

Outstanding APAC Semiconductor Company Award
The recipient of the "Outstanding APAC Semiconductor Company Award" is Spreadtrum Communications, Inc.
 
Outstanding EMEA Semiconductor Company Award 
"Outstanding EMEA Semiconductor Company Award" was given to Dialog Semiconductor.

Learn more at http://www.gsaglobal.org/awardsdinner/2010/overview.aspx

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