National Semi has record year, pulls iPod PR stunt

You may (or may not) know National Semiconductor, but they're an enormous industry player and chip-maker in the Valley, and apparently they just had their best ever year of business in their 47-year history. So good, in fact, they apparently bought each of their 8,500 employees an iPod to say thanks. (For those not counting, that's over 2.2m in iPods.) Now maybe we're a little jaded about the fact that that they issued a press release to let people know just how "grateful" they really were for 2005's successes -- or maybe we're just a little bitter our bosses didn't get us portable audio players last holiday season. But we know one thing for sure, and that's that tingle of vexation that Gil Amelio must be feeling right now -- he having once led both Apple and National back in the day -- with both companies more over-the-top successful than ever. before.

[James @ Jun 13th 2006 3:00AM]

unbelievable

[yozhno @ Jun 13th 2006 3:45AM]

Yeah so??? My company bought us iPod Minis when they came out. although not for 8'500 people.

[Prem @ Jun 13th 2006 3:56AM]

Well my employer, Cognizant Technology Solutions, gifted more than 10K 5th gen black custom etched 30GB iPods this Feb. to its employees on achieving $1B annualised revenue run-rate.

Check out http://www.google.com/search?q=cognizant+ipod

[Merkur @ Jun 13th 2006 4:21AM]

My previous company bought a basket of fruit for 150 people! No a basket of fruit each, one unique basket for 150 people, meaning taking the piss at us!

Well done to National Semi for their record and rewarding their employees, finally a company which knows how to say thank you to its staff!!!

[Kelvinyam @ Jun 13th 2006 4:31AM]

A basket of fruit for 150 people? LOL

[Oddmanout @ Jun 13th 2006 5:17AM]

I don't see how this is such a great thing. When we had our six month partnering session with our client (at that time we were on a NASA contract) if we got over a 90% approval rate the company got a bonus, which was passed on to us employees. It was usually in the $200 - $300 range...and we got to spend it on whatever we wanted to.

Of course, anyone who recieves an iPod can almost certainly sell it on eBay with little trouble, but still...

At that, I'd have to ask, are there National Semiconductor made parts in the iPod ? If so, this is just a sly way for the company to recycle some of it's bonus pay back into itself.

Now THAT'S innovation!

[heh @ Jun 13th 2006 6:51AM]

I would prefer cash.

[Ian Jardine @ Jun 13th 2006 9:00AM]

NSM doesn't even make the chipset for the iPod....... AT least they should give away a product sing their own chipsets.

[stev @ Jun 13th 2006 9:10AM]

ya like heh said
i would want cash
because the ipod isnt my **favorite** device in the world...

[Rick @ Jun 13th 2006 10:31AM]

TI should take a lesson from this.... next time we have a good year maybe they should buy us all DLPs...

[tiuk @ Jun 13th 2006 10:41AM]

At first I thought "wow, that's incredible". Then I remembered the company I work for (probably about 150 employees or so) gives out Christmas bonuses that are at least several hundred dollars, even to low level employees who haven't been with the company for long. It's still nice to hear that a major corporation still thinks of its employees, but it isn't as incredible as I first thought.

[xing @ Jun 13th 2006 10:51AM]

http://www.macnn.com/articles/05/10/20/5g.ipod.teardown/


NS did make chip for Ipod 30GB. It is a 0.75 dollar regulator

[David @ Jun 13th 2006 11:52AM]

That form of public self-congratulation is common here in H'wood. Still, it's cool that all their employees got iPods.

[Brodie @ Jun 13th 2006 11:55AM]

Dudes,

A. Cash is ok, but especially after taxes usually ends up a barely noticeable number on your paycheck remittance advice

B. National does have chips in iPods.

[NeverEnoughCash @ Jun 13th 2006 8:46PM]

$5 Theme park tickets from my company ~~~

[Cary @ Jun 13th 2006 9:41PM]

A couple of years ago the investment bank I worked for gave portable CD players to everyone in IT. They were worth maybe $25, and they even included an AC adaptor. Of course the genuises in HR made sure the team in London was not left out... they got CD players with American AC adaptors too!

[viper5dn @ Oct 25th 2006 9:56PM]

Genentech gave out an iPod nano on the day they were announced to all regular employees, thats roughly 9500 iPods.