Varian Semiconductor Launches 'vSHOP' Online Shopping Web Site
VSEA Electronic Commerce (vCommerce) site offers customers personalized and easy-to-use online shopping, order placement and tracking
GLOUCESTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2000-- Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSEA - news) a leading supplier of ion implantation systems, today announced the addition of ``vShop'' online shopping to its FabCare Plus portfolio of customer care programs.
Designed to offer customers an easier and faster way to obtain the spare parts necessary for chip manufacturing, vShop decreases customer order processing times and reduces transaction costs, resulting in lower cost of ownership for Varian Semiconductor customers. In addition to providing a visual parts catalog with images that drill-down to their piece parts, this personalized Web site boasts multiple search engines and filters enabling customers to find the specific parts they need quickly.
Richard A. Aurelio, president and chief executive officer, noted that the newest vShop innovation successfully enhances the company's already undisputed reputation as the industry's customer satisfaction leader. ``vShop offers our customers a full range of prompt services: personalized and easy-to-use online shopping, order placement and order tracking. These are critical tools for their needs, as well as a service enhancement to us,'' Aurelio said. ``With our business growing at unprecedented rates, Varian Semiconductor is committed to delivering superior customer service and support in the most cost- and time-efficient modes possible.''
Customer Part Number Enabled
The personalized site recognizes both Varian and customer part numbers based on User ID and password. After an initial upload of their part numbers into the e-commerce database, customers will enjoy the convenience of using their own part numbers for all future ordering. ``We have already registered twenty-three of our accounts for our personalized part number offering,'' remarked Pam Dickenson, VSEA e-business manager. ``Customers immediately recognize the benefits of this free service and are eager to sign up.''
Personalization That Adds Value
Other vShop time- and cost-saving features include a persistent shopping cart where customers can ``park'' their requests before returning later to complete orders. This shopping cart can also be transferred between users; for example, between an engineer who has completed parts shopping and a buyer for final order placement. vShop also includes a personalized shopping list history that remains on the system for rapid repeat order placement. For real-time order tracking, vShop will include an ``Order Status'' page that, based on user identification, will include all shipping information including links to carrier sites.
Linked to vCare For Added Support
In addition to offering online parts procurement, vShop is integrated with Varian Semiconductor's new electronic service support system, ``vCare.'' Designed to decrease unplanned downtime and increase yield, vCare provides customers a total service solution including: vDiagnostics for predictive remote problem diagnosis; vBay Monitor for centralized tool monitoring, locally or remotely; vCommerce for on-line parts ordering, scheduling and tracking; Remote Assist to virtually transport experts to the fab; Remote Service Management for on-line service ordering, scheduling and tracking; and vKnowledge to provide electronic access to schematics, diagrams and documentation on VSEA tools.
``With the introduction of vShop, we're continuing Varian Semiconductor's tradition of bringing leading edge technologies to our customers,'' stated Walter Sullivan, Varian Semiconductor's vice president, customer operations and chief information officer. ``vShop offers innovations that enable our customers to improve daily performance and productivity by reaping the benefits of electronic parts ordering, inventory management, tracking and scheduling.''
About Varian Semiconductor:
Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc. is an industry leader in designing, manufacturing, marketing and servicing ion implantation systems, semiconductor processing equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. Through the process and productivity advantages of single wafer technology, VSEA is providing chipmakers with high throughput, low cost and maximum yields. The company is based in Gloucester, Massachusetts and maintains offices around the world. Its stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol ``VSEA.'' Additional information and background is available on VSEA's website www.vsea.com.
Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For this purpose, the statements concerning the industry outlook, the company's sales growth, market share, capacity utilization and technological improvements and benefits, and any statements using the terms ``believes,'' ``anticipates,'' ``expects,'' ``plans'' or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are: the possibility that vShop will not operate as anticipated or that customers will not realize the anticipated benefits; the short operating history for the company as a separate entity; volatility in the semiconductor equipment industry; significant fluctuations in the company's quarterly operating results; risks associated with the company's transition to a new information technology infrastructure; the impact of rapid technological change and the company's dependence on the development and introduction of new products; the company's concentration on ion implantation systems and related products; concentration in the company's customer base and lengthy sales cycles; the highly competitive market in which the company competes; risks of international sales; foreign currency risks; uncertain protection of patent and other proprietary rights; potential environmental liabilities; the company's reliance on a limited group of suppliers; the ability of the company's suppliers to respond to increased demand for parts; the company's dependence on certain key personnel; as well as other risk factors described from time to time in the company's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company cannot guarantee any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievement. The company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release. |
