Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday confirmed for the first time that it is actively designing several chips that will be made using 14nm FinFET process technology. The announcement from AMD indicates that the company will manufacture its new chips either at GlobalFoundries or Samsung Electronics, not at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing …
Read More »Lenovo sells 100 millionth ThinkPad, introduces third-gen X1 Carbon
Lenovo Group this week said that it had sold its 100 millionth ThinkPad notebook. To celebrate the milestone for the legendary brand, Lenovo introduced its third-generation ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop, the world’s lightest high-performance 14” laptop. “Since the original ThinkPad 700, ThinkPad engineers have continued to drive innovation by making …
Read More »GlobalFoundries denies problems with 14nm: everything is as planned
GlobalFoundries, the world’s second largest contract manufacturer of chips, late on Tuesday denied existence of problems with the ramp up of production using 14nm fabrication process. According to the foundry, it specifically stockpiles manufacturing equipment at a warehouse so that to install it once the fab 8 facility becomes compatible …
Read More »GlobalFoudries stops installations of 14nm tools, could delay production
Although GlobalFoundries has licensed 14nm FinFET manufacturing technology from Samsung Electronics back in May, 2014, it looks like the company may have to delay mass production using the fabrication process. According to a media report, the company has stopped installation of equipment required to make chips using 14nm FinFET technology. …
Read More »Nintendo contracts AMD to power next-generation game console
Back in May Nintendo already confirmed that it had started development of its next-generation home console. In October it also transpired that the company would design system-on-chip for its forthcoming system in the U.S. According to a new media report, Nintendo contracted AMD to provide graphics processing technologies for the …
Read More »Rackspace to lower reliance on Intel, set to use OpenPower servers
Rackspace, one of the world’s largest web hosting and cloud companies, this week officially became a member of the OpenPower foundation, the organization that develops “open-source” servers powered by next-generation IBM Power microprocessors as well as chips based on the Power architecture. The move means that the company will reduce …
Read More »GlobalFoundries: Customized and SOI process technologies gain importance
While non-standard fabrication processes are sometimes challenging and make it harder to re-use intellectual property across different product lineups, they are just what the doctor ordered when one needs to achieve certain goals. According to GlobalFoundries, the No. 2 contract maker of chips, many customized process technologies are gaining importance …
Read More »PMC-Sierra to bring SAS, NVMe storage solutions to OpenPower servers
PMC-Sierra has announced that it has joined the OpenPower foundation, which develops “open-source” servers based on next-generation IBM Power processors and Power architecture. PMC-Sierra will bring a host of innovative controllers for storage solutions with Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and NVM Express (NVMe) interfaces to the new platform. Participation in …
Read More »GlobalFoundries to produce 14nm chips in the first half of 2015
GlobalFoundries, the world’s second largest contract maker of semiconductors, plans to start volume production of chips using 14nm fabrication process in the first half of 2015, a little later than Samsung Electronics, but, possibly, earlier than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The company does not reveal who will be the first …
Read More »Apple and IBM deliver first MobileFirst for iOS applications
Apple and IBM have unveiled the first breed of MobileFirst made-for-business apps and supporting cloud services for iPhone and iPad. The new programs bring IBM’s big data and analytics capabilities to Apple users in the enterprise. The applications are designed for customers in banking, retail, insurance, financial services, telecommunications and …
Read More »Invecas to help GlobalFoundries’ clients to migrate to new technologies
GlobalFoundries, a contract maker of semiconductors, has signed a deal with Invecas, a newly formed design services provider. Under the terms of the agreement, Invecas will help customers of GlobalFoundries to design chips to be made using leading-edge semiconductor process technologies. It is not an easy task to design chips …
Read More »Nintendo to design key chips for next-gen consoles in the U.S.
Historically, Nintendo developed key technologies and processors for its video game consoles at its research and development facilities in Japan. However, it looks like for its next-generation game systems the development of key system-on-chips will be carried out at Nintendo Technology Development, a subsidiary of Nintendo based in the U.S. …
Read More »GlobalFoundries to acquire semiconductor business from IBM
IBM and GlobalFoundries on Monday said that they have reached a definitive agreement under which the latter will acquire semiconductor manufacturing business of the former. GlobalFoundries will get intellectual property, world-class technologists and technologies related to IBM Microelectronics. It will also become IBM's exclusive server processor maker for 22nm, 14nm …
Read More »GlobalFoundries could still get IBM’s semiconductor business
Even though earlier this year it was reported that the talks between GlobalFoundries and IBM over the latter’s semiconductor business collapsed, a new media report claims that the two companies have finally come to an agreement. The Big Blue reportedly agreed to pay the contract maker of semiconductors for taking …
Read More »Inspur to build servers featuring IBM’s Power processors, software
Inspur, a leading server maker from China, and IBM have agreed to jointly develop servers featuring IBM software and Power microprocessors. In particular, the two companies ported IBM DB2 and IBM WebSphere application server software to operate on Inspur TSK1 mission-critical servers. “Inspur looks forward to teaming with IBM to …
Read More »Corporate-oriented Apple iPad with 12.9” display now expected in 2015
Sales of Apple iPad media tablets have been on the decline for a couple of quarters now. While iPads continue to be popular, it looks like the company needs to address new markets with its slates to increase sales. Rumours about an iPad with a 12.9” display have been circulating …
Read More »U.S. authorities okay sale of IBM’s x86 server business unit
International Business Machines Corp. said that it had received notice from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) that the organization allows IBM to sell its x86 server business unit to Lenovo Group. The decision to sell-off x86 server business was criticized by multiple analysts, but it …
Read More »Intel acquires LSI’s Axxia networking processor unit from Avago
Avago Technologies continues to resell assets it got from LSI last year. On Thursday Avago and Intel said that the latter will acquire the Axxia networking business from the former. The acquisition of Axxia essentially makes Intel a supplier of network processors based on ARM Cortex and IBM Power processing …
Read More »IBM offered GlobalFoundries $1 billion to take its foundry business away
As reported, the deal between International Business Machines Corp. and GlobalFoundries over chip manufacturing assets of the former has failed to materialize because the latter did not want to pay enough to the former. However, according to a new report, it was IBM, who was offering money to GlobalFoundries to take …
Read More »IBM rejects GlobalFoundries’ proposal for semiconductor assets
International Business Machines Corp. and GlobalFoundries have ended negotiations regarding acquisition of IBM’s semiconductor manufacturing assets by the contract maker of chips. The two companies failed to agree on the price, according to a media report. Earlier this year it was reported that IBM wanted $2 billion for its money-losing …
Read More »First non-IBM Power8 servers set to emerge early in 2015
Last year IBM established the OpenPower consortium and opened up Power8 processor specifications and architecture to its partners. The goal of the organization is to create an eco-system of Power8-based servers designed for future data centers and cloud computing. The first fruits of the collaboration may become available already early …
Read More »Apple-IBM deal: good news for Apple and IBM, bad news for BlackBerry and Microsoft
The agreement between Apple and IBM will inevitably have a lot of effects on the industry of personal computers as well as mobile devices. For example, BlackBerry and Microsoft Corp. will clearly lose sales because of the new collaboration. Meanwhile, the partnership essentially brings IBM back to the personal computing …
Read More »Apple and IBM to sell business-optimized iPad and iPhone devices
Although Apple’s iPad media tablet and iPhone smartphone are rapidly gaining popularity among business users, these mobile gadgets are still not true business-optimized solutions. On Tuesday Apple and IBM announced that they will jointly develop IBM MobileFirst platform for iOS that will bring IBM’s apps, big data and analytics capabilities …
Read More »GlobalFoundries to upgrade one of its Singapore fabs to 300mm
GlobalFoundries, one of the world’s top contract makers of semiconductors, said this week it will upgrade one of its 200mm semiconductor production facilities in Singapore. The move will help the company to expand production capacities and increase output of chips made using advanced fabrication technologies. Although GlobalFoundries is one of …
Read More »IBM faces roadblocks with sale of server, semiconductor businesses
International Business Machines Corp. is expected to accomplish two important transactions this year: it is projected to complete sale of its x86 server division to Lenovo Group and it is rumoured that the company will also agree to sell its semiconductor manufacturing business to GlobalFoundries. However, the U.S. regulators may …
Read More »The market is moving to commodity processors – writer
The world of processing units is altering. With the ARM architecture entering the market of servers and the Power architecture available for licensing by third parties, a lot is going to change within the next five years. Thanks to the fact that similar processing technologies will be available from different …
Read More »GlobalFoundries is close to acquire IBM’s foundry business
International Business Machines Corp. and GlobalFoundries are finalizing details of a deal under which the latter will get semiconductor manufacturing business of the former. The transaction is expected to bring new customers to GlobalFoundries, whereas IBM will reduce its losses going forward. IBM has been considering to sell its chip-making …
Read More »The top 4 most valuable brands in the world are all tech companies
Out of the top ten most valuable brands in the world, the top four are all tech companies with Google leading the pack after overtaking Apple as the world's most valuable brand by $11 billion. Following on from Apple and Google in the two top spots, are IBM and Microsoft …
Read More »IBM planning big changes to combat stagnancy
IBM, once one of the most booming businesses in the world of tech, has fallen on tougher times in recent years. While still one of the world's biggest corporations, with over 400,000 employees and a net worth in excess of $120 billion, it's struggled to remain relevant as thee world …
Read More »GlobalFoundries and Samsung to jointly produce 14nm FinFET chips
GlobalFoundries and Samsung Semiconductor, two leading contract makers of chips, on Thursday signed a pact under which they will be able to jointly produce chips using 14nm FinFET fabrication process. The two foundries will “synchronise” not only their general jointly-developed process technologies, but peculiarities of their manufacturing processes that are …
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