Solving the Innovator’s Dilemma: Teradyne’s Aurora Project Acknowledgments

Solving the Innovator’s Dilemma: Teradyne’s Aurora Project

1 Introduction 4

1.1 Teradyne 4

1.2 Motivation 4

1.3 Analyzing Aurora 5

2 Research Conducted 5

3 Innovator’s Dilemma 6

3.1 Who Does the Innovator’s Dilemma Apply To? 6

3.2 Why Do These Firms Fail? 6

3.3 How Can Firms Succeed? 8

4 Teradyne 10

4.1 Teradyne Organization 10

4.2 Alex d’Arbeloff 11

4.3 Teradyne Culture 12

4.4 Fitting the Innovator’s Dilemma Framework 13

5 Semiconductor Testing Technology 14

5.1 ATE Hardware: CMOS vs. Bipolar 14

5.2 ATE Software: Windows NT vs. UNIX 16

5.3 CMOS and Windows NT as Disruptive Technologies 17

6 Aurora Project 18

6.1 Motivations 18

6.2 Overview and goals 19

6.3 Implementation 20

6.3.1 Challenges facing d’Arbeloff 20

6.3.2 Solutions 20

6.4 The INTEGRA J750: The Success Story 23

6.4.1 A Technical Success 23

6.4.2 A Financial Success 24

6.5 Solving the Innovator’s Dilemma 25

7 Internal Resistance 26

7.1 Emigration of Talent 26

7.2 The Customer is Always Right 28

7.3 Technical Considerations 30

7.4 Past Failings 31

8 Extensibility of Aurora Project 32

8.1 Kinetrix 33

8.1.1 Market Opportunity 33

8.2 J401 Tester 34

8.3 The Alex d’Arbeloff Factor 36

8.4 Aurora’s Extensibility: Conclusion 36

9 Conclusion 37

10 Bibliography 39

10.1 Documents 39

10.2 Interviews 39

11 Figure Credits 40