Datacon and Kulicke & Soffa (K&S) are in the process of reorientation in their long-standing partnership. Beginning middle of this year, K&S will directly market, sell and support its complete backend assembly and test interconnect product line in the German-speaking region of Europe. Beginning this fall, Datacon will also go directly with its die-bonder product line into the US and Asia. The collaborative partnership between the companies will continue independently of this in the form of a marketing alliance.
Helmut Rutterschmidt, Data-con’s managing director, explaining the development, „With our rapid growth in recent years, we have now reached a size which not only allows us to operate independently worldwide, but also makes autonomy a necessity if we are to utilize our dynamic strength and flexibility to the advantage of our customers. Short communication channels and better integration in development are among the benefits our customers will experience.“ Roland Heitmann, K&S‘ general manager Europe, underlines, „Due to the strategic role of Europe in the semiconductor industry, this initiative is a natural progression in strengthening our commitment to the region. We are also making a strong commitment to our customers by establishing direct sales, service and support for our complete line of assembly interconnect products.“
Both companies have strong positions in the fields of equipment for packaging and assembly. Over the next several months, the partners will be striving to ensure a smooth transition for their customers. Besides these measures, Datacon and K&S will continue to support their partner’s respective products as before and will work together to establish sales and support structures that guarantee long-term satisfaction of their worldwide customer bases. Austrian-headquartered Datacon was found ed in 1986, and later on apparently set a milestone with a modular machine platform concept that can be adjusted easily to the requirements of the users. The company currently has 380 employees, 80 of whom work in R&D. US-based Kulicke & Soffa sees itself as the world’s leading supplier of semiconductor interconnect e-quipment, materials and technology. Its test interconnect solutions include standard and vertical probe cards, ATE interface assemblies (also for wafer test), and sockets and contactors for all types of packages. (gbw)
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