Graphics processor unit designer Nvidia is acquiring CPU maker Arm to boost profile in mobile computing
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Nvidia in Santa Clara, Calif., the renowned designer of general-purpose graphics processing units (GPGUs), is acquiring chipmaker Arm from SoftBank for $40 billion. The Verge reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
15 Sept. 2020 -- Arm will operate as a division of Nvidia and will remain headquartered in the United Kingdom, and, will continue to operate its open-licensing model, while maintaining its global customer neutrality, company officials say. The deal is likely to face intense regulatory scrutiny.
Arm's intellectual property helps power mobile device processors for companies including Apple, Samsung, and Qualcomm. Arm likely has only increased in value since the SoftBank acquisition, with Microsoft making an Arm-based Surface and a version of Windows for Arm, and Apple planning to switch future Macs to Arm-based chips. SoftBank bought Arm in 2016 for $31 billion.
Nvidia is the leading maker of GPGUs, which Arm also designs, but other than its Tegra line of mobile chipsets used in devices like the Nintendo Switch, Nvidia doesn’t do much in the way of CPU design or mobile hardware.
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John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
