NXP Semiconductors is a Dutch semiconductor manufacturer. It is one of the worldwide top 20 semiconductor sales leaders and was founded in 1953, when the Philips Board started a semiconductor operation with manufacturing and development in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Formerly known as Philips Semiconductors, the company was sold by Philips to a consortium of private equity investors in 2006. The new name, NXP, stood for the consumer's "next experience", according to then-CEO Frans van Houten. NXP Semiconductors provides mixed signal and standard product solutions based on its RF, analog, power management, interface, security and digital processing expertise. These semiconductors are used in a wide range of "smart" automotive, identification, wireless infrastructure, lighting, industrial, mobile, consumer and computing applications. Headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, the company has approximately 24,000 employees working in more than 25 countries—including 3,300 employees in Research & Development —and reported sales of $4.358 billion in 2012. NXP's shipment-based revenue in Greater China is twice as big compared to Europe, and 8,000 of the company's employees are based in China...