As a shareholder with dual allegiances ... I appreciate this order as much as anyone.
--Duker
Applied Materials Orders Five "Remote Assist" Customer Support Systems From Varian Semiconductor
GLOUCESTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 1999--Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. (Varian) (Nasdaq NM: VSEA - news) and Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq NM: AMAT - news) today announced that Applied Materials, Inc. has purchased five of Varian Semicondutor's Remote Assist(TM) tools to enhance Applied Materials' equipment service and support programs. Leveraging virtual reality technology, Varian's Remote Assist is the first system to bring the eyes and ears of semiconductor equipment experts into remote fabs worldwide--with technology rather than expensive, time-consuming travel.
Used to augment the expertise of service personnel who are on-site at customers' fabs, Remote Assist uses advanced video conferencing capabilities and a new video helmet to link equipment service personnel with engineers at the equipment supplier location. By sending real-time audio and video to the recipient, Remote Assist can speed system diagnostics and problem resolution, potentially increasing uptime and optimizing fab productivity.
Commenting on the order, Walt Sullivan, vice president of worldwide customer support for Varian, explained that Remote Assist immediately provides semiconductor equipment fabs with a virtual on-site diagnostics expert. ``Although originally perfected for Varian customers, we are now sharing this technology with other equipment suppliers to deliver this breakthrough support capability throughout the fab. Using our Remote Assist system, any supplier can access emergency or preventive maintenance support in real time.'
``The Remote Assist units are an additional way of providing our customers with more comprehensive support solutions that can potentially increase the efficiency of their Applied Materials systems,' said Sass Somekh, senior vice president of Applied Materials. ``These units supplement the considerable investment made by Applied Materials in assuring the highest performance of our tools in our customers' fabs. It is another example of Applied Materials' commitment to using innovative ideas and technologies to maximize the productivity, uptime and availability of our systems while reducing cost of ownership.'
Varian views this milestone order as a sharing of this customer support technology to elevate the level of service global chipmakers receive from their semiconductor equipment providers. Varian anticipates an increased demand for Remote Assist as more semiconductor equipment vendors leverage their customer service programs to deliver improved, cost-effective consultation and training.
``Remote Assist offers a completely new paradigm--an impressive way to get the experts to the problem,' said industry analyst and VLSI Research President G. Dan Hutcheson, who has seen the tool in operation. ``I fully expect Varian's Remote Assist to quickly sweep the industry and become an industry standard for service.'
About Varian: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq NM: VSEA - news), which spun out of Varian Associates, Inc. in early April, is headquartered in Gloucester, Mass. The company's product portfolio encompasses the complete range of ion implant tools, and Varian is the only supplier to have a common platform for single-wafer, high-tilt precision technology in medium-current, high-current and high energy systems. Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates also offers a world-class network of local and global support services, and is the first U.S. semiconductor equipment supplier to have both its customer support and manufacturing organizations certified to ISO 9000 standards. Information about Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates is available on the World Wide Web at www.vsea.com.
About Applied Materials: Applied Materials, Inc. is a Fortune 500 global growth company and the world's largest supplier of wafer fabrication systems and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials is traded on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol AMAT. Applied Materials' web site is located at www.appliedmaterials.com. |
