AMI Semiconductor Connects With Verizon Business

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - AMI Semiconductor, a leader in the design and manufacture of silicon solutions for the automotive, medical and industrial markets, earlier this year selected Verizon Business to design, deploy and manage the  company's consolidated global wide area network (WAN) infrastructure.  The fully managed MPLS-based Private IP network delivers the reliability and availability AMI Semiconductor requires to support its worldwide operations.

Under terms of the four-year, multi-million-dollar contract, Verizon Business is serving as the communications services provider for AMI Semiconductor.  The new network connects 35 sites and 2,800 employees around the world, including the company's headquarters in Idaho, major employment centers in Belgium and the Philippines, and a host of smaller facilities.

"The product of several mergers and acquisitions, AMI Semiconductor had multiple network providers, creating a management burden on our relatively small staff," said Filip Coppens, director of information technology - EMEA geography, AMI Semiconductor.  "Verizon Business effectively bridged the incongruities of a widely dispersed workforce and the centralized nature of our highly automated business processes, enabling access to critical applications supporting manufacturing, distribution, product development, sales and finance."

The AMI Semiconductor network - based on Verizon Business Private IP, one of the company's fastest-growing services - provides a unified global network architecture.  Verizon Business is responsible for managing the network and local and secondary service providers, enabling the AMI Semiconductor IT staff to focus on supporting business-critical applications. 

"All businesses with an international presence, from large multinational conglomerates to small firms operating in niche markets, rely on a global infrastructure with scope, scale and strength," said Steve Young, senior vice president - corporate and government sales, Verizon Business.  "The network deployed for AMI Semiconductor provides a reliable foundation to support cross-country collaboration and enhance employee productivity."

The global network also enhances AMI Semiconductor's business continuity profile with the addition of diverse physical entry points for major facilities and is backed by Verizon Business' stringent service level agreements.  The network and AMI Semiconductor's continuity plans successfully weathered a real-world test during a recent typhoon in the Philippines, which impacted service from the local communications company for seven days.  The Verizon Business network was unaffected, helping AMI Semiconductor to maintain operations at its critical manufacturing facility and meet the requirements of its worldwide customer base.

Verizon Business manages more than 3,500 customer networks in 142 countries, overseeing more than 25,000 non-Verizon connections from more than 60 network providers around the world.  Verizon Business' industry-leading service-level commitments and award-winning IMPACT management platform underscore a legacy of service and innovation.  The company is the recipient of the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Customer Service Leadership Award for Managed Services and has also been listed by Gartner Inc. in the leaders quadrant of a report titled "Magic Quadrant for U.S. Managed and Professional Network Service Providers, 1H06."¹*

About AMI Semiconductor
AMI Semiconductor (AMIS) is a leader in the design and manufacture of silicon solutions for the real world.  As a widely recognized innovator in state-of-the-art integrated mixed-signal and structured digital products, AMIS is committed to providing customers with the optimal value, quickest time-to-market semiconductor solutions.  Offering unparalleled manufacturing flexibility and dedication to customer service, AMI Semiconductor operates globally with headquarters in Pocatello, Idaho, European corporate offices in Oudenaarde, Belgium, and a network of sales and design centers located in the key markets of the North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region.

About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is a leading provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) solutions to large business and government customers worldwide.  Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced technology and professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.

* The Magic Quadrant is copyrighted July 11, 2006 by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

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 ¹ Gartner Research "Magic Quadrant for U.S. Managed and Professional Network Service Providers, 1H06" by E. Goodness, D. Neil and D. Willis. July 11, 2006