Advantest, the global leader in semiconductor test equipment, was RANKED 1st by its customers’ ratings in VLSIresearch’s THE BEST 2012 Suppliers of Test Equipment. Advantest also achieved a top spot on the overall 10 BEST list for Large Suppliers of Chip Making Equipment. This was not a one-off win either. Advantest has consistently invested in having a solid customer satisfaction foundation for many years. It has been rated one of the world’s top semiconductor equipment suppliers in VLSIresearch’s survey for twenty-four consecutive years.

Making the 10 BEST list each year since its inception is an impressive distinction. Especially considering 2011 presented so many challenges; including catastrophic natural disasters in its home country and the acquisition of a major competitor. The answers to how they achieve such world-beating customer satisfaction levels lie in this year’s survey results.

First and foremost to achieving high customer satisfaction is that a company must always believe to its core that it is only as good as its next customer interface. No matter how many years a company has achieved high customer satisfaction; it will always be challenged in the next year. Customers always set the bar higher. Advantest always strives to do better, as shown with this year’s efforts: their overall THE BEST rating increased 14% from last year; allowing them to slide into first place with a rating of 8.37.

Another factor is doing it so well, so often, that customers truly trust you to deliver the next time. Advantest’s highest rating was attained in trust in supplier. They also scored high in would recommend supplier, which is sometimes called a ‘net promoter score.’ Professionals only recommend the companies they truly trust, because it puts their name on the line. High ratings

in these two categories drive market share growth, which Advantest has consistently done over many years.

A company must also deliver excellent products that deliver. Advantest’s high scores in technical leadership, product performance, quality of results, and uptime demonstrate they do this. Their success in these areas can also be seen with direct customer comments such as: ‘Advantest is our preferred tester supplier.’ ‘High efficiency, high-precision.’ ‘Reliable products, leading technology, with good service.’ ‘Have become the defacto standard in the industry.’ Importantly, the customers who rated Advantest so highly in 2012 represent more than 90% of the chip market.

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About Advantest Corporation

A world-class technology company, Advantest is the leading producer of automatic test equipment (ATE) for the semiconductor industry and a premier manufacturer of measuring instruments. Its leading-edge products are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor production lines in the world. The company also focuses on R&D for emerging markets that benefit from advancements in nanotech and terahertz technologies, and has recently introduced multi-vision metrology scanning electron microscopes essential to photomask manufacturing, and 3D imaging analysis tools to the pharmaceutical and transportation industries. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its first subsidiary in 1982, in the USA, and now has subsidiaries worldwide. More information is available at www.advantest.co.jp.

About the 2012 Customer Satisfaction Survey

VLSIresearch received feedback from more than 99% of the chip market for this year’s survey. The survey spans two and half months and covers five languages. Worldwide participants were asked to rate equipment suppliers among fifteen categories based on three key factors: supplier performance, customer service, and product performance. 2,102 surveys were returned, resulting in 49,480 total responses.

The VLSIresearch annual Customer Satisfaction Survey on Chip Making Equipment is the only publicly available opportunity for chip manufacturers to provide feedback on their suppliers since 1988. The 10 BEST, THE BEST, and RANKED 1st awards provide special recognition to the suppliers that are rated highest by their customers. For more details on the survey, click here.

About VLSIresearch

VLSIresearch is the leading provider of market research and economic analysis on the technical, business, and economic aspects within nanotechnology and related industries. The company is known for its unparalleled accuracy, innovation in market research, and its sharply focused insight into the rapidly changing landscape of the industries covered. Its databases on manufacturing are used throughout the industry, and by government. VLSIresearch’s primary databases and reports cover the semiconductor, flat panel display, PV cell and module manufacturing industries, and the market for critical subsystems and components within these and associated high technology industries. VLSIresearch was founded in 1976.

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