Sequoia Communications - Press Release 3-3-2008

Sequoia Communications Named Winner in Employers Group 2007
“California’s Best Places to Work” Program

Personnel benefits and employee satisfaction surveys land San Diego RF semiconductor company among winners in “Growing-Size Companies” category

SAN DIEGO – March 3, 2008 – Sequoia Communications, the RF semiconductor company setting new benchmarks in multi-mode design and integration, today announced that the company has been named a winner in Employers Group “California’s Best Places to Work” Program, ranking second of five winners announced in the Growing-Size Companies category. The ranking was based on the blind scoring of more than 400 companies’ responses to a survey of employers and employees in nine categories, including: work-life balance, pay, benefits, training and advancement opportunities, diversity programs, turnover, perks, employee voice, workplace culture and community involvement. Five winners were selected from each of four company-size categories: growing (25 to 49 employees), small (50 to 99 employees), medium (100-499 employees) and large (500+ employees).

"Winning this award is very important to us since it is largely based on feedback from our employees,” said Dave Shepard, CEO of Sequoia Communications. “In our industry, quality professionals have many employment options and that’s why we’ve made it a priority to maintain a top-notch work environment that offers career advancement and a comfortable, friendly culture.”

Sequoia Communications underwent a two-part, five-month evaluation process of its human resources program. Part one consisted of a detailed survey with more than 400 questions designed to measure the company’s policies and practices in nine areas. Employer’s Group reported that Sequoia Communications scored above average, not just within its own category, but as compared to all applications with respect to employee voice and workplace culture, pay, turnover, benefits, perks and incentives, training and opportunities for advancement.

The second portion of the process required that the vast majority of Sequoia Communications’ workforce participate in an anonymous survey on the company. Employers Group found that a remarkable 100 percent of employee respondents are satisfied with their pay and 90 percent of Sequoia Communications employees:
  • Feel that Sequoia Communications is a good place to work
  • Would recommend the company to friends
  • Feel good about their benefits package
  • Trust management to do what’s best for the company
  • Feel that management considers employee interests when making decisions
  •  Know what is expected of them at work
  • Feel that the organization provides them with opportunities to develop their skills
  • Have what they need to do their job right

“Sequoia Communications has distinguished itself as a champion for leading-edge employee benefits and best HR practices, and in doing so, has raised the bar for employers everywhere,” said Mark Wilbur, President and CEO of Employers Group, the preeminent human resources expert and advocate serving California employers.

Sequoia Communications offers the industry’s first single-chip, polar transmit, seven-band, HEDGE (GSM/GPRS/EDGE/ WCDMA/HSPA and TD-SCDMA) RF transceiver, the SEQ7400, which is based on Sequoia Communications’ patented FullSpectra™ architecture. The SEQ7400 drives down the overall size and cost of multi-mode handsets. It has the industry’s highest level of integration and lowest calibration burden at the phone level. These innovations drive manufacturing costs down for multi-mode handsets, addressing the primary obstacle to mass adoption of multi-mode technologies by consumers.

To learn more about “California’s Best Places to Work” program and Employers Group, visit www.employersgroup.com/cabest. To learn more about Sequoia Communications’ HR practices and employment opportunities, please visit http://www.sequoiacommunications.com/careers.html or contact Anna Kochka, human resources director, by calling 1.858.946.7400.

About Employers Group Employers Group, the preeminent human resources expert and advocate serving California employers, delivers human resources solutions to its members throughout the state. Originally founded in 1896 as the Merchants & Manufacturer’s Association, the association continues to build on its renowned legacy, and its influence extends far beyond the boundaries of California. For more information, visit www.employersgroup.com.

About Sequoia Communications Privately-held Sequoia Communications is a fabless semiconductor company focusing on multimode RF solutions. The company uniquely integrates different modes using a common architecture on a single chip enabling effective communications across multiple wireless standards including GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, HSPA, TD-SCDMA and more. Single-chip RF transceivers developed using Sequoia Communications’ innovative approach and FullSpectra™ architecture will set new industry benchmarks in chip cost, component count, PCB size and power consumption. Sequoia Communications is headquartered in San Diego, Calif. For more information, visit: www.sequoiacommunications.com.
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Natasha Grach

Account Executive ngrach@jhg.com

JHG-Townsend on behalf of Sequoia Communications
6215 Ferris Square, Suite 210 San Diego, CA 92121
t 858 457 4888x109
www.jhg.com