IBM Unit, Motorola Awarded 2004 National Medal Of Technology

WASHINGTON — IBM Corp.'s Microelectronics Division and Motorola Inc. have been awarded the 2004 National Medal of Technology, the U.S. Commerce Department said Tuesday (Nov. 15).

According to IBM, the company's chip unit was recognized for more than four decades of innovation in semiconductor technology. The award recognizes IBM advances that have improved the performance and versatility of today's microprocessors, citing significant breakthroughs such as the development of multicore-processor integration, DRAM, the use of copper on-chip wiring, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology and high-speed silicon germanium chips, the company said.

The National Medal of Technology is awarded annually by the President to America's leading innovators. It recognizes companies and individuals who have made lasting contributions to America's competitiveness, standard of living and quality of life through technological innovation.

"We understand that the true value of innovation comes not from the invention but rather the application of new technology to benefit business and society," said Nick Donofrio, IBM executive vice president of innovation and technology, in a statement.

Other recipients include Industrial Light & Magic (San Francisco) and Motorola Inc. (Shaumburg, Ill.). Motorola was cited for "75 years of technological achievement and leadership in the development of innovative electronic solutions, which have enabled portable and mobile communications to become the standard across society," the Commerce Department said.

Individuals receiving the award are Roger Lee Easton for his work on development of the military's Navstar Global Positioning System and Ralph Baer for developing interactive video games.