Latest news with #GlobalFoundries
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Semiconductor CEO sends bold message on the industry
Did you know that hardware can be open-source? Crucial technology leading the hardware part of the open-source movement is the RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA). One of the companies working with the RISC-V ISA is MIPS. In addition to having the advantage of being open-source, RISC-V is a "reduced instruction set computer" architecture, which means CPUs based on it typically use less power than the complex instruction set computer architecture used in desktop and server computers. RISC-V chips are everywhere, and we don't notice them. They might be powering the fingerprint reader on your laptop or are a part of your car's electronics; they are even used in Nvidia GPUs. Related: Leaked data shows Nvidia taking page from Zuckerberg's playbook MIPS used to design CPUs based on its RISC architecture, but a few years ago, it switched to RISC-V. In March, the company announced a special portfolio of cores and subsystems called Atlas, focused on physical artificial intelligence. We live in a time when every company wants to launch something "smart," which is increasing the demand for artificial intelligence on the edge. This is where Atlas shines. GlobalFoundries (GFS) announced in June that it will acquire MIPS, affirming the importance of the RISC-V ISA. I spoke with MIPS CEO Sameer Wasson to learn more about how this acquisition will affect MIPS and what differentiates its products from the competition. Wasson is a semiconductor industry veteran who spent 18 years with Texas Instruments (TI), with his last position there being vice president, business unit manager, processors. He became MIPS CEO in 2023. Image source: Faisal Mushtaq - TechCon Global Wasson said that MIPS will accelerate its investments by joining a large public company. Rather than doing things serially, MIPS will start doing more things in parallel. The company should be able to release more products faster and scale its customer engagements. He noted that MIPS will continue to operate as a standalone business, and while its customers will be able to use GlobalFoundries' manufacturing processes, they will not be limited to them. MIPS' Atlas portfolio is backed by the Atlas Explorer, a software development and optimization platform, and the MIPS CEO shared why the Explorer is so important. Wasson said MIPS historically handled hardware and software design separately. This can produce less-than-optimal outcomes. Related: Nvidia move deals a major blow to AMD, Intel, and ARM "Either you have too much hardware, you don't have the right hardware, or you have a long lead time before software productizes on proprietary architectures." "Atlas Explorer is our attempt to go break all of those problems, and it is a tool which allows customers to do hardware-software code design together. I don't think there is a tool out there which does that today in the way we are offering our customers to be able to do it." "I think it will enable customers to move faster, and competition is not doing that. There are aspects of these tools available, but no one's looking at it end-to-end holistically as we are trying to get to," said Wasson. Regarding whether MIPS had plans to design architectures beyond RISK-V and make consumer-grade chips, Wasson said he doesn't expect MIPS' roadmap to change. "I think open architectures give customers the right balance of customization, ownership, preventing vendor lock in, all of the good things which we get. At the end of the day, it comes down to total cost of ownership. All of this requires a lot of software, and if we are all not doing proprietary stuff, that cost of ownership comes down. I don't see us moving away from RISC-V," said Wasson. MIPS' IP goes into many applications, including auto, industrial, aerospace, defense, consumer, data centers, and communications infrastructure. Wasson doesn't see the company going after smartphones and PCs. However, MIPS will be very active in day-to-day consumer stuff outside smartphones and PCs. "I think of dishwashers; they're going to get more intelligence, so you're going to need electronics in that. Think of house robots or consumer robotics. I think that's a huge area," said Wasson. Dishwashers already have sensors, but as the sensors get smarter, they will need more powerful CPU cores that support such smart sensors. Wasson shared his opinion and experience with proprietary architectures. "I grew up building proprietary architecture devices. My previous career at Texas Instruments was a combination of TI's own [digital signal processors], ARM-based devices, and a bunch of proprietary stuff around it. I think we developed some really good technology, and we developed some very successful businesses around it." "But what we didn't develop was a large community of developers around it. Which is why if you think about it, the initial results were always good, but the sustainability of that was very challenging," said Wasson. More Tech Stocks: Analyst reboots SoFi Technologies price target after capital raiseAmazon makes surprising decision to cut losses on recent dealApple makes $100 billion genius move to skirt huge problem Open-source projects invite contributions and increase trust in the product. Wasson added, "You have to get semiconductors out of this proprietary mindset. I think it's coming out already and putting it in the mainstream mindset so that people are not spending effort trying to create artificial moats around their technology. They're making it more accessible and available to the customer." AI bubble burst won't affect MIPS Wasson explained that the AI opportunity accelerates the adoption of the kind of devices MIPS is building. But MIPS isn't building the next bubble. "We are solving real problems which customers have today. This is not to wait for AI to get deployed and then we will sell. If you look at the Atlas Explorer reference design we've announced, it's something which is motor control. Motors are all over the place today," said Wasson. "We believe there is more to do as robotics comes in and motors become smarter, intelligent. AI plays a big role in that, but this is not about trying to say 'Let's go create a problem and then solve it,'" concluded Wasson. Related: Samsung makes massive Tesla deal, sorry Nvidia The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Cyient Semiconductors partners with GlobalFoundries to provide chipmaking services in India
NEW DELHI: Cyient Semiconductors on Thursday said it has signed a strategic channel partner agreement with US-based chipmaker GlobalFoundries for providing semiconductor manufacturing services . Hyderabad-based Cyient had launched its semiconductor unit in April this year to provide application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) turnkey solutions for companies. 'Under the agreement, Cyient Semiconductors becomes an authorised reseller of GF's semiconductor manufacturing services and technologies,' Cyient Semiconductors said in a media statement. The pact will allow Cyient Semiconductors to provide companies with access to GlobalFoundries' fabrication, technical consultation, design enablement, assembly, testing, and other value-added services to drive innovation and reduce time-to-market, according to the statement. GlobalFoundries counts iPhone-maker Apple, Intel, and Qualcomm, among others, as its customers. It has semiconductor fabrication units in the US, Europe and Asia, including China. 'It positions us to serve the fast-growing ecosystem of fabless companies with access to world-class foundry capabilities and advanced technologies from GlobalFoundries. By combining this with Cyient Semiconductors' turnkey ASIC capabilities, we are excited to play a catalyst role in accelerating semiconductor innovation across automotive, industrial, medical, and communication sectors,' Cyient Semiconductors CEO Suman Narayan said. GlobalFoundries does not have a manufacturing unit, or a fab, in India. However, it has an employee base of over 1,000 in the country, according to a recent post on LinkedIn. 'Cyient Semiconductors brings strong domain expertise, customer-centricity, and complementary design capabilities that align perfectly with GF's mission to expand our strategic alliances across the semiconductor industry,' GlobalFoundries Chief Customer Officer Samuel Vicari said.
Entrepreneur
4 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Cyient Semiconductors Signs Channel Partnership Agreement with GlobalFoundries
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Cyient Semiconductors has entered into a channel partner agreement with GlobalFoundries (GF), one of the world's largest pure-play semiconductor foundries. The partnership enables Cyient Semiconductors to act as an authorised reseller of GF's semiconductor manufacturing services and technologies. As part of the agreement, Cyient Semiconductors will facilitate access to GF's advanced manufacturing processes for clients, particularly fabless companies. The company will also offer services such as design enablement, technical consultation, assembly, and testing, with the aim of streamlining the production cycle and helping clients bring products to market faster. Cyient Semiconductors CEO Suman Narayan said the partnership aligns with the company's broader growth strategy, particularly in sectors such as automotive, industrial, medical, and communications. "This agreement allows us to extend world-class foundry capabilities to emerging semiconductor firms and contribute to accelerating innovation in key industries," he said. GlobalFoundries, which has been expanding its strategic alliances to serve a wider customer base, views this partnership as an opportunity to reach high-potential yet underserved market segments. "Cyient Semiconductors brings technical depth and customer focus that complement GF's mission," said Samuel Vicari, Chief Customer Officer at GlobalFoundries. A dedicated team will be set up under the partnership to support clients from early-stage design to production, focusing on ensuring seamless coordination and support throughout the chip development lifecycle. The collaboration also marks a strategic move for both companies to deepen their footprint across the global semiconductor value chain at a time when demand for customized, energy-efficient silicon solutions is growing.
The National
5 days ago
- Business
- The National
UAE-backed GlobalFoundries expands partnership with Apple
US-based semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries, owned by Abu Dhabi's sovereign fund Mubadala Investment Company, and Apple have deepened their partnership as part of the global tech giant's pledge to invest in US manufacturing. The announcement comes after Apple on Wednesday said it intends to invest an additional $100 billion in the US, bringing its total investment commitment to $600 billion in the next four years. In its pledge, Apple also announced the American Manufacturing Programme to boost its supply chain and help move advanced manufacturing to the US. GlobalFoundries is among the first partners in the programme that also include Texas Instruments, Samsung and Broadcom. 'This is part of our $600 billion commitment to the US over the next four years, and we couldn't be more excited about the future of American innovation,' Apple chief operating officer Sabih Khan said in a statement. Apple's investment announcement came after President Donald Trump had threatened to impose tariffs on the company for manufacturing its flagship iPhones outside the US. During a call with analysts after reporting earnings last week, Apple chief executive Tim Cook said a 'vast majority' of its iPhones are made in India. Mr Trump doubled India's tariff rate to 50 per cent earlier on Wednesday. GlobalFoundries investments GlobalFoundries said its partnership with Apple will allow it to speed up investment at its facility in Malta, New York state. 'This is a testament to GF's technology differentiation, coupled with our unique secure and onshore capabilities, and the trust Apple has placed in GF to deliver and build the advanced chips that power its next-generation smart mobile technologies,' GlobalFoundries chief executive Tim Breen said in a statement. The UAE-backed company in June also teamed up with Apple, SpaceX, AMD, Qualcomm, NXP and General Motors as part of its plans to invest $16 billion to expand its semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging in New York and Vermont. GlobalFoundries said that investment commitment, which came after the US President's visit to the UAE, was the result of collaboration with the Trump administration and support from leading technology companies. The company on Wednesday said its partnership with Apple, as well as its $16 billion planned investment, is supported by the Trump administration's efforts to prioritise US leadership in artificial intelligence, including manufacturing semiconductors domestically.
CNBC
5 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
Why chip stocks and Apple are jumping after Trump's tariffs on the sector
President Donald Trump's plans to slap a 100% tariff on semiconductor imports didn't wreak havoc on chip stocks. In fact, these shares are rising after the announcement, and here's why. Trump said Wednesday companies that are "building in the United States" will be exempt from the heavy levies. Still, specifics about the plan, such as how much U.S. manufacturing a company needs to do in order to qualify for the tariff exemption, were not immediately clear. While the exact details are still pending, Wall Street analysts believe the news marked an overhang removal for the sector. On top of that, a swath of tech companies have already committed significant dollars to build out manufacturing footprints at home, making them ineligible for the 100% tariff. Apple made the latest pledge to increase domestic production as it seeks to avoid punishing tariffs. The tech giant announced it will spend an additional $100 billion on U.S. companies and suppliers over the next four years. Several top chipmakers, including Taiwan Semiconductor , Nvidia and GlobalFoundries , also have already vowed to manufacture some of their products in the U.S. Here is what Wall Street analysts are saying about Trump's tariff threat. Bank of America "From a high level, the 100% headline number seems intimidating, but in practice we expect a much lower impact, as major foundries such as TSMC/Samsung/INTC, and major IDMs such as TXN/MU have all committed to building significant US manufacturing footprint. Many other analog vendors such as ADI, NXPI, MCHP also have hybrid structure where they can potentially allocate US factories to US demand. Overall, we note specific details of the Section 232 tariff structure are not yet announced, but they can remove the current overhang on the sector if companies are able to work through this headline impact." Raymond James "A top-line tariff of 100% for semiconductors is attention grabbing, but the carve-out for companies that are building/planning to build will likely result in a 0% tariff on a wide swath of products. This is important as products covered by a sectoral tariff are excluded from reciprocal tariffs. Overall, we view this as a positive development, but the lack of details raises significant questions about the final impact. Beneficiaries of this could include Apple (especially given that the announcement was made at a White House event with CEO Tim Cook), TSMC, Nvidia, Texas Instruments, Micron, and GlobalFoundries." Morgan Stanley "To some degree this outcome would be something of a relief. Yes, 100% tariffs are unpalatable but if companies are given time to restore them, the real tax is just the higher cost of building chips in the United States. It's also important to note that this will not happen in isolation - we would expect strong retaliatory tariffs everywhere. So where the immediate reaction is to buy companies with a large US manufacturing base, the real optimization is to be prepared for multipolarity - that is, to build in the regions where the product is consumed. To that end, we disagree with some of the consensus thinking on the device side. The reactionary beneficiaries are Intel, Texas Instruments, Global Foundries, and Amkor." Bernstein "At first glance the application of said tariffs, if applied to "raw" semiconductor imports, would be a bit painful but likely manageable as the US does not import a ton of raw chips (~$45B worth in 2024, with almost half coming from Taiwan and Malaysia). However, the actual implementation is apparently going to be considerably more complicated (with some potential material reprieves), as he indicated that companies building, or committing to build, in the US will in fact face no tariffs." Goldman Sachs "We believe it is likely that some semiconductor companies may choose to increase their investment footprints in the US in order to avoid potential tariff impacts. While we await more details to fully assess the impact across our coverage, we believe a sub-segment of our coverage may be at reduced risk of these sectoral tariffs by virtue of their explicit mention in the press conference or contemporaneous press releases. For reference, these companies include: Texas Instruments, Applied Materials, TSMC, Nvidia, Broadcom, Intel, GlobalFoundries, Micron, IBM, Samsung Electronics, Amkor, GlobalWafers, Corning, and Coherent. We believe that the short-term impact on some of these companies is that, all else equal, these named companies may be perceived as "tariff beneficiaries" in the near term, pending more details on implementation." JPMorgan "Apple and Tim Cook delivered a masterclass in managing uncertainty after months and months of overhang relative to the potential challenges the company could face from tariffs. For Apple, this marks a significant increase in investment in the component supply chain in the US, although stopping short of investments in relation to final assembly, but also largely comprising a re-routing of investments to the US rather than incremental investments from a global perspective. Additionally, the exemption from tariffs suggested for Apple on account of the higher investments flips the narrative on the overhang on the shares in relation to tariff uncertainty to now position the company to have the least tariff associated risk relative to Hardware peers, which have to navigate the suggested 100% tariff on semiconductors."
