Cavium is latest company to launch an ARM-based server chip for the data center, but the networking chip specialist is doing so with an entire family of ARM-based chips for compute, storage and networking.
We spill a lot of digital ink talking about the chips that will displace Intel’s in the data center, but the chip giant isn’t ceding that ground without a fight.
Nine months after IBM opened up its Power architecture, it is launching a new line of servers based on the technology and showing off a server built by Tyan that uses the processor too.
Intel has purchased the wireless assets of Mindspeed Technologies in an effort to get the radio technology it needs to serve the telecommunications market.
First it was rumors of Google building ARM-based servers, and now a post on the blog dedicated to Facebook’s HipHop Virtual Machine for PHP
code notes how its translation engine plays a “crucial in our efforts to get hhvm running on ARM processors.” Indeed if Facebook wants to implement ARM-based cores it will have to ensure its hhvm code runs on top of them. Facebook(s fb) has floated the idea of other architectures for years, testing Tilera chips and also deploying a board design that makes it easy to swap out processors. It’s really only a matter of time before we see a lot of ARM in places only x86 used to be.
A report says Google is building its own ARM-based custom server chips. This rumor has surfaced a few times in the last few years, but now the economics and technology are right for it to happen.
For the last few years Intel has had a small line of business manufacturing other companies’ chips — mostly expensive custom chips for companies like Altera and Tabula. This foundry business is getting a publicity boost today as Altera said Intel will let it embed ARM-based cores in chips made on Intel’s hallowed x86 production lines. This is a big deal, not because ARM is Kryptonite to Intel, but because it could signal that Intel under its new CEO is ready to open its fab operations and make that a bigger part of its business. That’s the huge shift for Intel, not that it might make a few ARM-based chips.
Intel just announced a new system on a chip for the internet of things. This is a big moment for the chip giant, signaling a change in its business model and a new architecture.
Unisys, an IT vendor that makes mainframes, (s uis) said Thursday it will work with Intel (s intc) to release a Xeon-based “platform” enabling companies to quickly move from RISC architecture to x86 and run Linux, Windows and migrated Unix applications while maintaining security. The x86 architecture keeps gaining ground, and Unisys wants to capitalize on it.
Will web giants soon follow in Apple’s footsteps with the iPhone, and design specialty silicon for the servers running their operations? An AMD executive thinks that day is around the corner.
