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While the rest of the industry was moving towards layoffs and
shaking-off excessive inventory, Xilinx was busy innovating,
collaborating, and introducing new products to market. Unlike many
of our counterparts, Xilinx viewed the downturn as an opportunity
to focus on research and development, streamline operations, and
deliver new products that would change the FPGA landscape.
This last year, Xilinx decisively separated itself from our
competition. For the first time in our history, we secured over 50%
of the PLD market share and are bigger than all other public PLD
companies combined. We avoided layoffs and were ranked by Fortune
magazine as the sixth best company to work for.
Through the power of innovation and partnerships, Xilinx also
took the FPGA-based value chain to a new level. By teaming with
technology leaders in silicon fabrication, design automation,
system level tools, IP, and design services, we delivered a
complete value chain and strengthened our position as a strategic
partner for our customers. Delivering this complete value chain
enables the fastest innovation while reducing total development and
system costs for our customers. It also reduces time to market and
increases time in market for our customer's products.
In March 2002, through partnering with industry leaders IBM,
WindRiver Systems, and Conexant, Xilinx delivered the Virtex-II
Proâ„¢ programmable system solution. The solution
is the first of its kind and is the most flexible tool ever
invented for a designer. The Virtex-II Pro FPGA includes
programmable logic fabric with high-speed embedded PowerPC
processors and integrated 3.125 gigabit RocketIOâ„¢
serial transceivers supported by leading design tools. Recent
additions to the family and lower price points have now made the
Virtex-II Pro solution the de-facto standard for all programmable
logic users.
The Virtex-II Pro solution responds to the issues facing design
teams and their corporations. By delivering both high-performance
processing and high bandwidth connectivity on a single device, many
design challenges associated with integration, high-speed
interfacing, high performance processing, and new design
methodologies are effectively solved. The rapid rate of change in
technology and standards demands a solution that is completely
flexible and reduces inventory risks and NRE costs - the Virtex-II
Pro solution delivers.
Xilinx is a company built on delivering maximum customer value
and ongoing innovation throughout all of our product lines. In this
last year alone, Xilinx revamped all of its products from the new
Spartan®-IIE cost-optimized FPGA solution to the
CoolRunner®-II RealDigital CPLD solution, the Virtex-II
Pro platform for programmable systems, and the
Virtex®-II EasyPath solution for cost management. We
also introduced the world's fastest and most productive software
tool suite with our ISE 4.2i software release, numerous
intellectual property cores, and the technical training necessary
to decrease time-to-knowledge for the rapid assimilation of this
new technology. We continue to focus on raising the bar by adding
more value in every category of the value chain.
Through the years, Xilinx has evolved into a solutions company
rather than remaining just a chip company. We can only be better
tomorrow than we are today by working closely with our customers
and anticipating their needs. Xilinx's job is to continue to expand
our capabilities and our partnerships, so we can continue to be a
strategic partner for our client companies.
Xilinx is an innovation engine and our employees are the keys to
our innovation. Such innovation requires personnel policies that
allow employees to make their own decisions and take risks. Our
company values and corporate culture promote teamwork and very open
communication. We know that keeping employees satisfied leads
directly to innovation, customer satisfaction, and ultimately,
increased profits. Our employees are inspired and know they make a
real difference.
This unique work environment has resulted in breakthrough
technology, marketing and community achievements. For example,
Xilinx continues to support local schools through our Stock for
Students program and made a $1 million donation to the American Red
Cross. Also, Xilinx was the first semiconductor company to
simulcast training in North America and Europe through industry
events like Programmable World 2002.
With a combination of innovative products, world-class partners,
inspired employees and the recognition of the balance between
business and community, our clients have taken Xilinx solutions,
management, and employees to heart. This is a reminder that good
people ultimately do come in first when they are inspired and
empowered to be leaders.
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