|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advantest President Declares Corporate Goals for 2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOKYO, Japan, January 4th, 2006 -- In his New Year's address to company employees, Toshio Maruyama -- president and CEO of Advantest Corporation (TSE: 6857, NYSE: ATE) -- outlined the company's goals for 2006.
"The Japanese economy has finally broken out of its post-bubble stagnation, and while the business climate remains sluggish, the country is moving in a positive direction. The global semiconductor industry also grew in 2005, fuelled by strongly expanding markets for computers, cellular phones, and flat-panel TVs, while expectations surround new markets such as portable music players and automobile electronics," Mr. Maruyama pointed out. He went on to remark that demand is also expected to grow in emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China, the so-called BRICs economies, before sounding a note of caution: "Yet this market expansion on diverse fronts has accelerated the fall of end-product prices, exerting pressure on semiconductor manufacturers and companies in related industries, including our own ATE industry, to renew their focus on structural reinforcement and cost-effectiveness."
With this background, the CEO announced Advantest's three main corporate goals for 2006.
|
| 1. |
Sustained Pursuit of Market Share |
| Despite the buoyant economic climate predicted for the new year, Advantest continues its hungry pursuit of new markets and sales strategies. The company will not slacken its focus on development and timely delivery of new products that match customer needs, solidifying its market position with superior value-added products and services. |
|
| 2. |
Sustained Cost Cutting Measures |
| In its R&D activities, in procurement and manufacturing, Advantest ranks cost-effectiveness with functionality and performance. With the company set to complete its introduction of the just-in-time production system this year, it will now turn its attention to integrating its manufacturing reforms fully with its richly innovative corporate culture. Advantest will also seek to maximize the benefits accruing from ABCM (Activity Based Cost Management), the cost management system which the company has adopted for proven results in productivity. |
|
| 3. |
Sustained Improvement in Product Quality |
| Advantest is keenly aware that competitive pricing and services are not enough. The company's reputation for unparalleled product quality is widely seen as the key to its dominant global brand and impressive customer satisfaction marks. Yet ceaseless innovation is another hallmark of the company's heritage: at Advantest, good enough is never good enough. Mr. Maruyama vowed to boost product quality even further in 2006, adding that information sharing and cooperation would be essential to the company's profile as a socially responsible corporation. |
|
| "The world expects great things of us. As our business continues to develop globally, we must fit our CSR contributions into the growing framework of global standards," the CEO emphasized. "Via our new corporate initiative, Activate21, which we launched last year, we will sustain innovation to accelerate success and complete our transformation into a truly global company." |
|
|
|
|
Advantest Corporation is the world’s leading automatic test equipment supplier to the semiconductor industry, and also produces electronic and optoelectronic instruments and systems. A global company, Advantest has long offered total ATE solutions, and serves the industry in every component of semiconductor test: tester, handler, mechanical and electrical interfaces, and software. Its logic, memory, mixed-signal and RF testers and device handlers are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor production lines in the world. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its first subsidiary in 1982, in the USA, and now has 40 subsidiaries worldwide. Among them, Advantest America, Inc. is based in Santa Clara, CA., and Advantest (Europe) GmBH is based in Munich, Germany. More information is available at www.advantest.co.jp. |
|
|
