The first step of the selection process was the evaluation of all of NECEL's suppliers and partners, including equipment manufacturers, materials suppliers, design outsourcing suppliers and manufacturing outsourcing vendors. From these 1,500 suppliers, NECEL defined 42 different supplier categories and then selected 150 top partners to further evaluate. Scoring factors for the "finalists" included pricing, quality level, delivery performance, engineering expertise, continuous improvement activities and proactive technical or manufacturing proposals. After this final evaluation, NECEL awarded thirteen "Best Partner" awards.
GEM Services was the only recipient in the manufacturing outsourced services category, and also the only non-Japanese supplier to receive an award.

NECEL's CEO Mr. Tosaka presented the award to GEM's CEO, Mr. Kulle, at a ceremony in Tokyo on June 16, 2005. This award, from one of the largest and most respected semiconductor manufacturers in the world, is further evidence that GEM's proactive approach to quality, collaboration, and customer satisfaction sets it apart from all other companies in the outsourcing and assembly and test market.

GEM Services, commenced supplying discrete device assembly and test services to NECEL in August 2002, through its strategic partner in Japan, All Nippon Airways Trading Co., Ltd. This three-way relationship has steadily increased to cover several new packages, co-development of new packaging techniques, data collaboration, and other services such as wafer probe and reliability testing.