NVIDIA to Acquire Baseband and RF Technology Leader Icera

btarunr · May 9, 2011, 03:42 PM

NVIDIA announced today that it has agreed to acquire Icera, a leading innovator of top-performing baseband processors for 3G and 4G cellular phones and tablets. Icera has more than 550 patents granted or pending worldwide, and its high speed wireless-modem products have been approved by more than 50 carriers across the globe. By combining the companies' products and technologies, including NVIDIA's Tegra processor, NVIDIA will enhance its position as a leading player in the growing mobile market.

The acquisition, for $367 million in cash, has been approved by both companies' boards of directors and is expected to be completed, subject to customary closing conditions, in approximately 30 days. The transaction is expected to be slightly dilutive on an operating basis through the first half of calendar 2012, and accretive on an operating basis in the second half of calendar 2012. This expectation does not take into account significant revenue synergies that the companies anticipate.

By offering the two main processors used in smartphones (the application processor and baseband processor), the combined company will help OEM customers both improve their time to market and deliver the requirements of next-generation mobile computing. NVIDIA will also have approximately doubled its revenue opportunity within each device.

The market for baseband processors is one of the fastest growing segments of the technology industry, worth an estimated $15 billion a year. Icera will be able to leverage NVIDIA's momentum in the smartphone and tablet markets to capitalize on this growth.

CEO Quotes
"This is a key step in NVIDIA's plans to be a major player in the mobile computing revolution," said Jen-Hsun Huang, President and CEO of NVIDIA. "Adding Icera's technology to Tegra gives us an outstanding platform to support the industry's best phones and tablets.

"Icera is a perfect fit for NVIDIA. Our businesses are complementary. Icera has the right team, with a strong, proven track record. And their nimble, entrepreneurial, engineering-focused culture mirrors our own," he continued.

Huang added that NVIDIA intends to continue to collaborate with its existing baseband partners and respect its customers' preferences in combining application and baseband processors.

Stan Boland, President and CEO of Icera, said, "NVIDIA's Tegra processor has the most impressive roadmap in the industry, and it is an ideal match for Icera. As part of NVIDIA, we will be able to reach a broader market. Our team has collaborated closely with NVIDIA for several years on a range of projects, and we're delighted to be joining forces."

Background on Icera
Icera is a pioneer in next-generation, multi-protocol wireless baseband processors with RF components. Its technology scales from 2G to 4G networks, using a custom-built, ultra-low-power processor. Because the baseband is software-based, manufacturers can develop multiple products from a common platform, reduce development costs, accelerate time to market and secure a route to support future baseband standards.

Icera's third-generation Livanto line of chipsets delivers the industry's fastest data rates, cuts user wait times, reduces battery drain and supports multiple standards on the same hardware. And its forthcoming Espresso®450 and Espresso®500 line of platforms provides industry-leading performance for 2G, 3G and 4G networks, low-power optimization for voice and high-speed data, and the industry's smallest form factor. Its portfolio of products will expand significantly in the near future.

Founded in 2002 and based in Bristol, England, the company has approximately 300 employees in seven countries in Europe and Asia, as well as the U.S. It was established by a group of senior executives with strong, shared backgrounds in microprocessor design and cellular communications.

Thursday Conference Call
More details will be provided during NVIDIA's quarterly conference call to be held on Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. PT. To listen to the conference call, please dial 706-679-2572; no password is required. The conference call will also be webcast live (in listen-only mode) at the following websites: www.nvidia.com and www.streetevents.com.

cheesy999 · May 9, 2011, 03:51 PM

they now have procesors and wireless

anyone thinking NVIDIA phone?

wolf · May 9, 2011, 04:14 PM

Interesting partnership, I sincerely hope tegra becomes as good as they predict... would be awesome to have an nvidia powered phone in the future IMO, get some great mobile games cranking.

cheesy999 · May 9, 2011, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf

Interesting partnership, I sincerely hope tegra becomes as good as they predict... would be awesome to have an nvidia powered phone in the future IMO, get some great mobile games cranking.

if we get enough power in the mobile segment it could even help the laptops move of those intel ones that struggle to do minesweeper

think of it- smartphones already have as much power as netbooks

wolf · May 9, 2011, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesy999

if we get enough power in the mobile segment it could even help the laptops move of those intel ones that struggle to do minesweeper

think of it- smartphones already have as much power as netbooks

I cant wait for the future to happen already

theJesus · May 9, 2011, 04:48 PM

"$367 million in cash"

That makes me think of a bunch of mafia guys and a brief-case full of money.

W1zzard · May 9, 2011, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesy999

anyone thinking NVIDIA phone?

that was my first thought too

Quote:

Originally Posted by theJesus

"$367 million in cash"

That makes me think of a bunch of mafia guys and a brief-case full of money.

a million dollars weighs about 10 kilos in 100's .. so 3.67 tons of cash .. gives a new meaning to ton of money
1-2 million $ fit in a briefcase

cheesy999 · May 9, 2011, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by W1zzard

that was my first thought too

great minds think alike (although in this sentence i might be the fool who seldom differs)

Quote:

Originally Posted by W1zzard

a million dollars weighs about 10 kilos in 100's .. so 3.67 tons of cash .. gives a new meaning to ton of money
1-2 million $ fit in a briefcase

prepaid credit cards?

Frick · May 9, 2011, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesy999

if we get enough power in the mobile segment it could even help the laptops move of those intel ones that struggle to do minesweeper

think of it- smartphones already have as much power as netbooks

What netbooks are you using?

cheesy999 · May 9, 2011, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frick

What netbooks are you using?

try comparing something like the xperia play to a atom

OneCool · May 9, 2011, 05:36 PM

Thats alot of cash

wolf · May 9, 2011, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by W1zzard

a million dollars weighs about 10 kilos in 100's .. so 3.67 tons of cash .. gives a new meaning to ton of money
1-2 million $ fit in a briefcase

hahaha nice, quite literally tons if they paid in cash. well in 100's anyway, what do the current USD notes go up to? 1000.... 10,000?

fitting 10-20 mil in a briefcase would make for one hell of a cool deal going down.

TheLaughingMan · May 9, 2011, 05:57 PM

Ok, now AMD should really buy ARM. Seriously, the 400 million they recorded as profit this year should just be used to buy ARM.

cheesy999 · May 9, 2011, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLaughingMan

Ok, now AMD should really buy ARM. Seriously, the 400 million they recorded as profit this year should just be used to buy ARM.

You do know ARM earned 406 million last year?

Frick · May 9, 2011, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesy999

try comparing something like the xperia play to a atom

Standard CPU. I seriously doubt it's more powerful than a Pine Trail Atom, even a single core one. Unless you have some evidence of the opposite ofcourse.

Is the Snapdragon more suitable in smartphones? Hells to the yes, but in netbooks? No.

theJesus · May 9, 2011, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by W1zzard

a million dollars weighs about 10 kilos in 100's .. so 3.67 tons of cash .. gives a new meaning to ton of money
1-2 million $ fit in a briefcase

Just out of curiosity, where did you learn how much money fits in a briefcase? You must be in the mafia

simlariver · May 9, 2011, 07:31 PM

This is great news for the tegra platform

investors agree with me, the shares are going up

suraswami · May 9, 2011, 07:39 PM

Now that is smart move.

cheesy999 · May 9, 2011, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frick

Standard CPU. I seriously doubt it's more powerful than a Pine Trail Atom, even a single core one. Unless you have some evidence of the opposite ofcourse.

Is the Snapdragon more suitable in smartphones? Hells to the yes, but in netbooks? No.

i was comparing graphics cards

DaedalusHelios · May 9, 2011, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesy999

they now have procesors and wireless

anyone thinking NVIDIA phone?

The dual tegra based phone Optimus X2 in the South Korean market is already capable of dual display up to 1080p as far as I remember. Maybe they already have Optimus X3?

More data from CES 2011 you might have already seen in person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WtdLBdsxpo

OneCool · May 9, 2011, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theJesus

Just out of curiosity, where did you learn how much money fits in a briefcase? You must be in the mafia

I was wondering the same thing!

Steevo · May 9, 2011, 09:16 PM

A phone too hot to handle?

ak ak ak.

ATI did bad years ago letting go of their integrated mobile company.

TheLaughingMan · May 10, 2011, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheesy999

You do know ARM earned 406 million last year?

Yeah, but theire current value is only around 150 million or something like that. I it is possible for AMD to purchase them.

May 9, 2011, 03:42 PM	#1
btarunr Editor & Senior Moderator Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 14,981 (7.31/day) Thanks: 788 Thanked 12,895 Times in 5,647 Posts System Specs	NVIDIA to Acquire Baseband and RF Technology Leader Icera NVIDIA announced today that it has agreed to acquire Icera, a leading innovator of top-performing baseband processors for 3G and 4G cellular phones and tablets. Icera has more than 550 patents granted or pending worldwide, and its high speed wireless-modem products have been approved by more than 50 carriers across the globe. By combining the companies' products and technologies, including NVIDIA's Tegra processor, NVIDIA will enhance its position as a leading player in the growing mobile market. The acquisition, for $367 million in cash, has been approved by both companies' boards of directors and is expected to be completed, subject to customary closing conditions, in approximately 30 days. The transaction is expected to be slightly dilutive on an operating basis through the first half of calendar 2012, and accretive on an operating basis in the second half of calendar 2012. This expectation does not take into account significant revenue synergies that the companies anticipate. By offering the two main processors used in smartphones (the application processor and baseband processor), the combined company will help OEM customers both improve their time to market and deliver the requirements of next-generation mobile computing. NVIDIA will also have approximately doubled its revenue opportunity within each device. The market for baseband processors is one of the fastest growing segments of the technology industry, worth an estimated $15 billion a year. Icera will be able to leverage NVIDIA's momentum in the smartphone and tablet markets to capitalize on this growth. CEO Quotes "This is a key step in NVIDIA's plans to be a major player in the mobile computing revolution," said Jen-Hsun Huang, President and CEO of NVIDIA. "Adding Icera's technology to Tegra gives us an outstanding platform to support the industry's best phones and tablets. "Icera is a perfect fit for NVIDIA. Our businesses are complementary. Icera has the right team, with a strong, proven track record. And their nimble, entrepreneurial, engineering-focused culture mirrors our own," he continued. Huang added that NVIDIA intends to continue to collaborate with its existing baseband partners and respect its customers' preferences in combining application and baseband processors. Stan Boland, President and CEO of Icera, said, "NVIDIA's Tegra processor has the most impressive roadmap in the industry, and it is an ideal match for Icera. As part of NVIDIA, we will be able to reach a broader market. Our team has collaborated closely with NVIDIA for several years on a range of projects, and we're delighted to be joining forces." Background on Icera Icera is a pioneer in next-generation, multi-protocol wireless baseband processors with RF components. Its technology scales from 2G to 4G networks, using a custom-built, ultra-low-power processor. Because the baseband is software-based, manufacturers can develop multiple products from a common platform, reduce development costs, accelerate time to market and secure a route to support future baseband standards. Icera's third-generation Livanto line of chipsets delivers the industry's fastest data rates, cuts user wait times, reduces battery drain and supports multiple standards on the same hardware. And its forthcoming Espresso®450 and Espresso®500 line of platforms provides industry-leading performance for 2G, 3G and 4G networks, low-power optimization for voice and high-speed data, and the industry's smallest form factor. Its portfolio of products will expand significantly in the near future. Founded in 2002 and based in Bristol, England, the company has approximately 300 employees in seven countries in Europe and Asia, as well as the U.S. It was established by a group of senior executives with strong, shared backgrounds in microprocessor design and cellular communications. Thursday Conference Call More details will be provided during NVIDIA's quarterly conference call to be held on Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. PT. To listen to the conference call, please dial 706-679-2572; no password is required. The conference call will also be webcast live (in listen-only mode) at the following websites: www.nvidia.com and www.streetevents.com.

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May 9, 2011, 03:51 PM	#2
cheesy999 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Near Canterbury, uk Posts: 1,884 (1.79/day) Thanks: 634 Thanked 561 Times in 452 Posts System Specs	they now have procesors and wireless anyone thinking NVIDIA phone? __________________ “if you run short on cash, theres always that option. dont forget to use vasaline” -Freedomeclipse “Before you complain about lag, think about Jesus. He lagged three days before respawning.” -repman244

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May 9, 2011, 05:36 PM	#11
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