ARM [(LSE:ARM); (Nasdaq:ARMHY)] and Intel Corporation today announced that the two companies have signed a new licensing agreement, extending Intel's existing license to include the next generation ARMv6 architecture as well as providing Intel with the ability to offer specific ARM core design implementations to its customers.As part of the agreement, Intel has licensed ARMv6, ARM's next-generation architecture for high-performance, low-power microprocessor cores. This provides Intel with the base technology from which it will expand on and advance its Intel(r) XScale(r) microarchitecture. Intel XScale microarchitecture is at the foundation of Intel's high-performance, low-power processors for the networking, automotive, wireless and handheld market segments.
In addition to the architectural agreement, Intel has also licensed ARM7TDMI(r) and ARM946E-S(r) microprocessor cores, expanding its ability to meet potential customer requests to build products based on these ARM cores. Intel has further expanded its product license to gain access to additional ARM(r) core implementations in the future, including other members of the ARM7(r) Thumb(r), ARM9(r) Thumb and ARM10(r) Thumb families of microprocessor cores.
"Intel is clearly experiencing success with solutions like Intel(r) StrongARM* in the rapidly growing personal digital assistant (PDA) market," said Robin Saxby, chairman and CEO, ARM. "Today's announcement underscores the value of ARM's architecture and core implementations, which offer key time-to-market benefits to meet end user requirements. ARM is committed to delivering industry-leading microprocessors for the next-generation of network and communications platforms."
Intel offers a wide variety of ARM core-based solutions, including the Intel StrongARM SA-1110 processor, which is a key element of the company's innovative Intel(r) Personal Internet Client Architecture (Intel PCA) for personal Internet devices. Intel PCA is an open architecture that allows rapid development of wireless Internet applications and products. The client architecture has received strong industry support and has been endorsed by industry leaders including IBM and British Telecommunications, plc.
"The wide adoption of the ARM architecture allows Intel to offer advanced processing capabilities to the networking and communications market segments," said Peter Green, general manager of Intel's Handheld Computing Group. "The new licensing agreement provides Intel with a strong foundation upon which we can continue to build innovative features for Intel XScale products."