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Making small gadgets smarter Atmel was founded in 1984 as Advanced Technology for Memory and Logic by current CEO George Perlegos, a former design engineer for Intel. Atmel manufactures logic chips, which process information, and nonvolatile memory chips, which retain memory when a device is turned off. These products are used in portable electronic devices such as pagers, telephones, computers and smart cards. Branching out Atmel went public in 1991, and has grown into the world's largest manufacturer of Parallel and Serial EPROMs (erasable programmable read-only memory chips) and EEPROMs (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory chips). Its other products include Microcontrollers, flash-memories, and application-specific devices, including Smart Card ICs. In 1993, Atmel purchased Concurrent Logic, which makes user-programmable chips. The company opened its Colorado Springs manufacturing facility in 1994 and began building a manufacturing plant near its San Jose headquarters one year later. That year, it forged an agreement with Paradigm Technology to license its SRAM (static random-access memory) technology used in multimedia chips. Riding out the volatile nonvolatile market By 1996, nonvolatile memory was in high demand, so profits at Atmel were soaring. The company was one of the major suppliers of flash chips, EPROM and EEPROM. But in 1997, the Asian financial crisis, compounded by falling prices for its core technologies led to serious losses -- earnings plummeted 99 percent per share, and revenues fell $112 million from the previous year. The company was forced to implement a restructuring program, including a 10 percent workforce reduction, decreased production, and a shift in focus to system-level integration products and more advanced technologies. Despite the cutbacks in personnel, the numbers look prosperous for the future, with the company planning to build a factory in Scotland. Atmel hopes to hire as many as 200 new employees for this Lanarkshire plant by 2002. The Temic solution To bring itself back to profitability, the company purchased Temic Semiconductor, in March 1998, a European chipmaker previously owned by Daimler Benz. Operating as an independent entity, the acquisition has been a source of increased revenues since. In April 1999, Atmel purchased Motorola's Smart Information Transfer semiconductor business to strengthen its phone data storage position, and didn't stop there. Atmel purchased an unoccupied Hitachi plant in Irving, Texas in November 1999, creating several hundred new jobs while avoiding the costs of building from scratch. Eight months later, the company acquired Thomson-CSF Semiconducteurs Specifique, gaining access to image sensor and security technologies, vital to wireless products and digital cameras. A new royal family The company brought forth an impressive family of programmable system-level chips in October 1999, the world's first. These smart devices enable programmers to attain optimized designs at a faster rate while reducing power consumption. Atmel received the 1999 Product of the Year Award by Electronic Products magazine for this breakthrough.
Atmel actively recruits on college campuses and accepts resumes and cover letters at its HR departments in each outpost. Look for job listings on the company's career page, located on the Atmel web site. In general, interviews are "relaxed and informal," and consist of one-on-one interviews 30 minutes to one hour in length. If you are applying for a technical position, "you are sure to encounter a set of technical questions," which will vary according to the level of the job. "Expect to meet with the hiring manager, three or four engineers, and an HR representative." Insiders advise aspirants to come in with "a basic understanding of what the company does." In addition, "our major concern when interviewing people is how well we think they will fit in to the group."
That fuzzy, small-company feel Despite the fact that it's a billion-dollar company with more than 5,000 employees, sources say working at Atmel "feels like working in a small company." Insiders love working in this "very informal atmosphere" where "there is opportunity for advancement," and where the "high quality" employees are "relaxed and encouraging." As one San Jose engineer put it, "we work hard, have fun and make money." "I have had numerous other opportunities around the country," notes one employee, "but I'm still here after four years, and I have no intention of leaving. I wouldn't be here if the experience was not enjoyable." This sentiment seems to be widespread: one source said that the average member of his team has been with the company for more than eight years. This makes for "a very close team," he added. Dress code: casual, animal or formal "The dress code is generally casual," said one insider, "depending on the amount of outside contact you have." "The culture places more emphasis on performance than appearance," explains one source. People in the "fab," or manufacturing plants, however have to wear all-encompassing, sterile, static-free "bunny suits" every day, and "must adhere to strict work and break times." Those in management and marketing wear business attire when they travel or have meetings. Standard comp, no frills Pay is "not as high as in some other companies," laments one source, but the work is "challenging and rewarding," and "the hours are flexible." The official workday is 8 to 5, "but if you are an exempt employee, there is no fixed time to come and go," one source reveals, "as long as you are reasonable and get your boss's approval, you can set your own hours." Other than the "reasonably standard" benefits, employees say "there are very few 'special perks' at Atmel." "I've been to companies in the Valley that go overboard to accommodate their employees with fancy cafeterias and frequent parties, but we don't do that here." Sources note that this style is typical of the company's "straightforward" founder, George Perlegos. "The only difference between his cubicle and mine is size," one employee says. "He doesn't care to see anybody trying to get too fancy, especially at his company's expense." The company's "basic" benefits include 401(k), medical benefits and corporate stock purchase plan. The managers are nigh Another insider says "the management organization is relatively flat, which tends to reduce political game playing." So no need to worry about co-workers "jockeying for positions up the corporate ladder." The company as a whole "is fairly average in the way it treats its employees overall," says one source, who adds that "there can be vast differences within the company" as you go from one department to another. Diversity One employee describes the company as "a stew of many nationalities." An insider from the Colorado Springs office agreed, "A good portion of our technical staff are women and of various ethnic origins."
Human Resources 2325 Orchard Parkway1 San Jose 95131 (408) 451-4828
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