Qualcomm takes RISC on Arm alternative with Ventana acquisition - theregister.com

Abstract

Qualcomm has acquired Ventana Micro Systems, marking a significant strategic investment aimed at developing alternatives to the prevalent Arm architecture. This major acquisition leverages Ventana’s specialized expertise in designing high-performance RISC-V CPU cores. The move underscores Qualcomm's commitment to the open-standard RISC-V ISA, positioning the company to aggressively diversify its core technology roadmap.

Report

Key Highlights

• Acquisition Confirmation: Qualcomm officially acquired Ventana Micro Systems.
• Strategic Goal: The acquisition is intended to provide Qualcomm with the necessary internal expertise to develop a robust alternative to the Arm architecture.
• Technology Focus: The alternative architecture chosen is RISC-V, indicating a major commitment by Qualcomm to this open standard.
• Ventana's Expertise: Ventana specialized in designing high-performance, scalable RISC-V cores, often targeting data center and cloud infrastructure applications.

Technical Details

• Architecture: The core technology involved is the RISC-V Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), an open standard that allows for highly customized CPU designs.
• Performance Segment: Ventana's focus was on creating multi-core chiplets suitable for demanding workloads, implying designs tailored for high performance per watt, aiming at enterprise and server markets.
• Integration: Qualcomm intends to integrate Ventana's team and IP to create customized, high-end RISC-V solutions for integration into its future chipsets, potentially spanning mobile, automotive, and data center products.

Implications

• Validation of RISC-V: Qualcomm's investment provides massive validation for the RISC-V ecosystem, proving that the architecture is mature and capable of supporting complex, high-performance commercial solutions.
• Increased Competition for Arm: This action directly challenges Arm's dominance, especially in areas where Qualcomm historically relied on Arm licenses. It allows Qualcomm to reduce licensing costs and gain greater control over its foundational IP.
• Ecosystem Acceleration: A major player like Qualcomm investing heavily in RISC-V will attract more developers, tool vendors, and software companies to the ecosystem, rapidly accelerating its maturity and deployment across various markets.
• Diversification Strategy: The acquisition serves as a critical step in Qualcomm's diversification strategy, lessening its dependence on proprietary IP and positioning it favorably against competitors who may be strictly bound to Arm architecture agreements.