The past few days have been all about the sales for MIPS Technologies-- the RISC pioneer sells off part of its 580-strong patent portfolio to Allied Security Trust (AST) before getting acquired by Imagination Technologies.
AST is a consortium made up of the likes of ARM, HP, Motorola, IBM, RIM, Oracle and Philips. ARM contributes $167.5 million of the $350m cash price for MIPS portfolio, one containing valuable patents covering microprocessors, system-on-chip and other related technologies.
The remaining 82 MIPS patents are "directly relevant and key to the MIPS architecture" and go directly to the new owner, UK-based Imagination Technologies, who buys MIPS for $60m in cash.
Apart from patents the purchase includes 160 engineers, remaining MIPS operating assets and a royalty-free perpetual license to all the other MIPS patents Allied Security Trust now owns.
The acquisition unites 2 of the top 5 semiconductor IP vendors in the world-- and strengthens the Imagination Technologies portfolio against, well, ARM. MIPS already has an ARM Cortex rival in the shape of Aptiv, a product range targeting market segments as diverse as mobile, home entertainment, networking and embedded systems.
The Google Android OS already supports MIPS architecture, which counts Sony, Toshiba, Cavium and Broadcom as licensees.
Go ARM Announces Participation in Consortium to Acquire Rights to MIPS Patents Portfolio