National Semiconductor Corporation capped off its most successful fiscal year in history today by equipping every one of its 8,500 employees with a 30-gigabyte video iPod. While designed for personal entertainment, the popular Apple MP3 player will be used as a new training and communications tool at National, providing a convenient real-time method for employees to download National podcasts and other employee communications.
“We’re looking for new and more effective ways to communicate with our employees — and the iPods will help us do both,” said Brian L. Halla, National’s chairman and CEO, in the press release.
National announced record operating profits and gross margin Thursday when it announced its Q4 and fiscal year 2006 financial results. The Company’s 1,600 Santa Clara employees celebrated the milestones at National’s annual employee picnic Friday afternoon. Halla announced the Company’s iPod communications program at the picnic.
The analog integrated circuits that National designs, manufactures, markets and sells provide portable devices (such as the iPod) with longer battery life, sharp images and crystal clear sound.
“Our employees were vital contributors to our most successful year in National’s 47-year history, and we wanted to equip them with the tools to help us create more value for our customers,” said Halla. “The Apple iPod exemplifies the next stage of the consumer electronics revolution as content such as downloadable music, movies and digital photos –as well as a compelling user experience– takes center stage. And, it’s analog that makes the difference. This is where National, and our employees, deliver value to our customers.”
Additional company and product information is available at ]http://www.national.com]
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I wish I worked in the semiconductor industry.
National Semiconductor rules. I’m going to be buying all my semiconductors from them.
Must be great to work for National right now. That is a generous gift.
Great! I wonder how long it will be before the employees start putting porn on them?
That ought to push Apple’s iPod sales way beyone analyst expectations. Not to mention the cash.
$2,541,500.00
Here’s an interesting article about how Apple has its iPods made:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=14915
It’s a massive plant in China that houses 200,000 workers. They work 15 hour days and are not allowed visitors. Isn’t outsourcing wonderful? Let’s hear it for the bottom line!
Gives.. Equips.. I think those are the operative words. Sounds like doublespeak and the IPods are still the property of NS. Especially as they are talking about company applications for the devices….
Just a thought….
nick, thx for the link. some scary shit. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come as a big surprise. We live in some truly fuckdup times.
Nick – Interesting article.
Seems like China needs to sort out its employment laws amongst other things.
Low salaries are not necessarily bad if the cost of living is comparable. However 15 h work days is a bit much. I haven’t done that since grad school.
I wonder if Apple will get labeled like Gap and Nike did with protesters outside the stores? Steve won’t like that – it will ruin the asthetics.
@Nick:
The reason they are made in China is because companies in the U.S. can’t compete with the low wages, shabby conditions and crappy job incentives (or non-incentives) of China. This is not Apple’s problem. Many companies and many industries do the same thing, and it is a reflection on China not the U.S. This is why people are after China for its lack of human rights, and businesses cry foul for unfair competition.
Hard to believe you just are hearing about this.
A security guard told the Mail reporters that the iPod shuffle production lines are staffed by women workers because “they are more honest than male workers”.
Ain’t that the truth.
Nick,
By our standards, those conditions are bad, by Chinese standards, they are very lucky people and have great jobs. The 15 hr work day stuff is generally BS, BTW.
“Hard to believe you just are hearing about this.”
cute remark, but…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
The really distressing thing about that story (to me) is that Apple owns the MP3 player market. There is no need to stoop to this level to stay competitve and viable.
I’m all for making profit, but at what cost? Which is better: supporting the USA economy and making 25% profit margins or supporting the Chinese economy and making 100% profit margins?
Nick’s arguments are better than yours.
period.
When you have a population of over a billion, of course wages and conditions are going to be low. Most of these people would be thankful they have a job (and it sounds like the proportion of their wage needed for living expenses ain’t that different to ours). Comparing the Chinese labor market to those of the West is, well, apples and oranges.
people like you. Good intentions are no excuse for stupidity. Admit it, this is just about you showing off on this thread how “good” and “just” you are–yech! Your philosophy would result in Apple going bankrupt, Chinese workers losing all they had built over the last 20 years, and prices in the US going higher for lower income workers. Of course, you know all that, and really don’t give a cr*p as long as you get to pose as a well-meaning citizen of the world.
Maria
here’s another more recent link:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060612-7039.html
How much more would a “made in the USA” iPod have to cost for Apple to make a reasonable profit?
As troubling as the worker conditions are for manufacturing jobs in China, I’m far more worried about the lack of manufacturing jobs in the USA.
“Admit it, this is just about you showing off on this thread how “good” and “just” you are–yech!”
Wow, so you’re grossed out that I am worried about the outsourcing of American jobs? If you’re a citizen of the USA, maybe you take your anti-American ideas and get the hell out.
“Your philosophy would result in Apple going bankrupt, Chinese workers losing all they had built over the last 20 years, and prices in the US going higher for lower income workers.”
…so you are saying that if we outsource as many American jobs that we can, it will keep prices down for low income American workers. Brilliant.
Wow, we’ve gotten off topic here.
@Nick:
The loss of manufacturing jobs is a REALLY big problem.
BUt this has been happening since the late 1980’s.
Let’s just say Apple pulls out of China for manufacturing. They can’t come back to the US. There aren’t any real factories left.
What ever is still here has ancient equipment.
So they have to go to another country and those countries have lower salary scales than the US and Europe.
You can’t have ONE company change the world, it’s a great idea but it doesn’t work.
The salary Apple pays is low by US/Western standards but relative to the foreign marketplace it’s high, really.
The only way for this to change is two possiblities:
1) ALL companies start paying higher – not going to happen since that’s one of the advantages
2) The Foreign country starts to develop a middle class that seeks/demands more and the standards grow from within. This is really how it happens, it’s nice to think you force one company to pay so much more that it’s obscene by the local standards but that doesn’t change an entire country.
Now, lets get back to the original thread – about National Semiconductor
Lets get this straight right now!!
I’m not “Nick”.
But it’s nice to see a fellow troll regardless.
Stir up hell NICK!!!
nickie dickie, hehehehe old habits die hard.
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It’s a massive plant in China that houses 200,000 workers. They work 15 hour days and are not allowed visitors. Isn’t outsourcing wonderful? Let’s hear it for the bottom line!
—–
Um, ever heard of the SLAVE TRADE? America’s built on the backs of underpaid, low skill workers. What’s your point?
@Nick
– Actually your statement:
“so you are saying that if we outsource as many American jobs that we can, it will keep prices down for low income American workers. Brilliant.”
Is correct.
The prices at Walmart would be two to three times higher if they didn’t FORCE price down by using off shore manufacturing.
So for the basics that are found at Walmart- it is saving money for low income workers who would have paid much, much more for the same items if not for foreign manufacturing.
The problem is long-term – where are the jobs going to come from if not for manufacturing?
@Nick
– Are you the same posted on the “Norway Gives Apple Until June 21 to Change iTunes Store Terms”?
If you are – you just advocated Apple should reduce it’s prices for iPods/ Computer Hardware.
Guess what – where do you think those reductions are going to come from? It’s coming from Labor.
If @Nick isn’t the same poster I appologize.
And if you’re not – here’s an example of why Companies are using foreign/off-shore factories.
Nick — Stop living like a horse with blinders on. Try and, you know, see the whole picture!
Maria is right — you’re only trying to feel like a “hero”, but most of us on this board already know what you’re pointing out. And Matrix3 is correct — those wages and standards are actually bery good: FOR CHINA!!!!!!
So, Apple’s basically still playing the good citizen, at least as much as it can whilst staying competitive.
Here’s your word for the day: Context.
Look it up.