Contact Information: Company Contact: Candace Doyle The Linley Group 408.370.7631 candaced@linleygroup.com Web site: www.linleygroup.com Public Relations Contact: Erika Powelson Orr & Company 831.424.1811 erika@orr-co.com
The Linley Group Reports Processor IP Shipments to Double By 2012
CPU IP Shipments Surpass 5 Billion as Handsets Drive Rapid Growth
| Source: The Linley Group
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire - February 26, 2009) - Highlighting the processor intellectual
property (IP) market as a growth opportunity for the semiconductor
industry, The Linley Group today noted that chip designers will continue to
reduce cost and time-to-market by purchasing third-party IP instead of
developing the technology in-house and forecasts the market will more than
double by 2012. An in-depth analysis of the IP processor market, trends,
and key players can be found in the firm's latest report, "A Guide to CPU
Cores and Processor IP." The report provides both a quantitative and
qualitative study of CPU, DSP, and graphics (GPU) IP.
"Next-generation handsets and other digital systems are using multiple
processors per device, driving market growth," said Joseph Byrne, senior
analyst at The Linley Group and coauthor of the report. "Still, IP
companies will be under pressure to sign new licenses and generate royalty
income in order to sustain their costly design teams. Our report analyzes
current market conditions and product offerings, describing the strengths
and weaknesses of numerous companies and providing our opinions on which
companies are in the best position to capitalize on anticipated market
growth."
According to the report, handsets remain the largest target application for
IP processor cores, as increases in functionality drive demand for multiple
processors per device. For example, the Apple iPhone and other smartphones
require multiple CPUs, DSPs, and a GPU to implement the complex
capabilities of the device. Advanced handsets typically implement one CPU
for the user interface and applications, and another for communications.
Similarly, separate DSPs may perform audio multimedia processing and
communications. Finally, a GPU is essential for processing 3D and
vector-graphics images, providing slick user interfaces, gaming capability,
and the high-resolution displays needed for GPS navigation and
full-featured web browsing.
Another high-growth segment is home-electronics applications, including
Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and digital picture frames, which will
create demand for processor IP to support high-definition audio and
multimedia, advanced user interfaces, and Internet connectivity. Other
markets spurring processor-IP shipments include Flash storage, hard drives,
media players, smart cards, and microcontrollers.
Comprising the vast majority of the market, CPU core shipments reached 5.3
billion in 2008 and are expected to double by 2012. DSP and GPU IP ship in
much smaller volumes, but shipments are growing quickly. DSP shipments will
grow at a compound annual rate of 20 percent through 2013, and GPU
shipments in that timeframe will grow at a staggering 60 percent per year.
As the leading supplier of CPU IP, ARM dominates the market and is expected
to increase its position. Smaller players ARC and Tensilica offer
customized solutions that should enable them to carve out niches. MIPS is
well established and reaps among the highest royalties per core in the
industry. The company uniquely offers a multithreaded CPU core and a CPU
rated in excess of 1GHz. Ceva, the leading supplier of DSP IP, has secured
many high-profile design wins, and this success should continue into a new
generation of products as OEMs strive to maintain backward compatibility
between 2G, 3G, and 4G designs. Pursuing audio and wireless-baseband
designs, Ceva faces VeriSilicon, whose ZSP DSP has also gained wins in
these areas. Early to market, Imagination Technologies is by far the
leading supplier of GPU IP but now confronts CPU-leader ARM and upstart
Vivante.
Availability
"A Guide to CPU Cores and Processor IP: Focusing on CPU, DSP, and GPU IP,
First Edition" is currently available directly from The Linley Group and is
priced at $2,995 for a single-user license. For further details, visit the
web site at http://www.linleygroup.com/Reports/cpu_cores_ip_guide.html.
About The Linley Group
The Linley Group, the leading provider of independent technology analysis
on semiconductors for networking, mobile applications, and wireless
communications, provides in-depth technology reports, strategic consulting,
and interactive seminars. Watch for details of the Linley Tech Processor
Conference to be held September 16 - 17 in San Jose. To stay informed
about upcoming events and get analysis of recent industry news, subscribe
to "Linley Wire" and "Linley on Mobile," the company's free newsletters.
More information about The Linley Group is available at
http://www.linleygroup.com.
Note to editors: To speak to an analyst from The Linley Group about this
report, please contact: Erika Powelson, Orr & Company, 831.424.1811 or
email erika@orr-co.com.