AI is appearing everywhere, but at heart it is just a highly efficient solution to a specific set of computer science problems – this is sparking a new class of opportunity for chip companies and IP providers to tap into the opportunity.
The semis cycle is peaking. Unlike past downturns, it looks like the foundries and the semicap companies may be able to weather the downturn fairly well, but that means the fabless companies are likely to bear the brunt.
Private networks remain a hot topic, probably beyond their real world utility. That being said, for enterprises who need them, like oil and gas companies, they can be a powerful option.
MobiledgeX has reportedly been acquired by Google for a modest price. This demonstrates the challenges that small, innovative companies are starting to face when going up against the Giants.
TSMC has world leading semi manufacturing skills, but Morris Chang’s claim of “50% cost advantage” has more to do with currency than hazy notions about the US workforce’s capabilities. Nonetheless, bringing fabs back to the US will be challenging.
There is a real chance that AWS’s purchase of semis may decline year-on-year in the second half as they, like everyone else, moderates pandemic spending. Not a cause for panic, but worth remembering that we tend to take data center growth for granted.
Google’s new Aquila protocol is interesting because it begs the question what do they need it for? But it also harkens back to the days of packet switched networks, in an ironic sort of way.
Google has a new chip – the TiN – for networking. An interesting chip in its own right but we also see it as a sign that Google is creating tools that let any software coder design a chip. And if Google can do it, maybe everyone else will too. Someday.
Software company Red Panda did an in-depth analysis of Graviton’s Arm-based server CPU, and demonstrates that Arm is starting to look very strong in the data center.
The cloud service providers – AWS, GCP and Azure – have to support the software of all their customers, this complicates the case for them building their own chips.
Digits to Dollars 