Premium of up to 43%! Why SOFTBANK to buy ARM? -Softbank, ARM-IT information
The little height less than 1.6-meter of the East, this might make a big deal.
According to several foreign media reports, Japan SOFTBANK has agreed to ￡ 23.4 billion acquisition of chip maker ARM. SOFTBANK will ARM stock cash pay ￡ 17 per share, representing an ARM last week closing premium 43%. The official has not been publicly identified.
Until then, SOFTBANK has been selling a stake of cash already for the acquisition is foreshadowing. As to why the acquisition ARM, they will have to start from SOFTBANK Chief Executive Masayoshi Son, the dream of artificial intelligence.
In recent years, SOFTBANK has been actively promoting the development of robotics, they offered Pepper humanoid robot, and will continue to enhance the company's artificial intelligence industry competitiveness.
Earlier this year, when it comes to future development of SOFTBANK, Masayoshi Son, said, "I want to build a company that can continue to grow for at least 300 years, in order to achieve sustainable growth, we need to find all the potential obstacles and find ways to solve it. Among them, the AI is Masayoshi Son, has high hopes.
Artificial intelligence, Masayoshi Son, describes: "technological singularity is already starting, starting artificial intelligence than humans. Even if artificial intelligence than humans, we should not see it as a threat. In contrast, who can gain the maximum benefit from the artificial intelligence, who will have the opportunity to become the heroes of a new age. ”
Artificial intelligence will advance a new computing revolution, while the core chip is strategic high ground in the age of artificial intelligence. In the PC era and move respectively in the ARM chip dominance in the Internet era is the best choice.
As we all know, ARM architecture has been applied to the 85% of intelligent mobile devices around the world, including more than 95% smart phones based on ARM designs. Now, the ARM is becoming standard for intelligent hardware and networking equipment.
In February this year, ARM has released a new processor architecture, mainly for the large container storage SoC 5G modem and embedded devices, will in turn form the basis of future artificial intelligence AI universal, can significantly reduce power consumption and cost. ARM CEO Simon Segars said, only when AI's cost and price when it comes to ordinary people can afford and really achieve the desired goals.
According to the ARM's earnings, in 2015 the fourth quarter, ARM authorized a total of 51 chip licenses, main applications: mobile computing, smart cars, safety systems and the Internet of things. Among them, worthy of mention is the smart car direction, including NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Japan Renesas electronics (RENSAS) are based on ARM designs developed supercomputer for driver assistance systems.
"I have two investment criteria: a powerful technology, and second, has the potential to be market leaders. Enterprises have a strong technical, will be in a strong position in global competition. "It is clear that future layout of the smart car, hard and soft areas such as networking and artificial intelligence, a monopoly of the ARM is the best choice.
For the ARM, as early as 2011, when experts from NVIDIA, believes that rise in embedded ARM architecture (SoC), at very low power consumption constraints to achieve the function of the chip, which forced chip designer ARM walking different roads. Which is needed for future supercomputers chip architectures: low power consumption, high performance, and optimize costs.
SOFTBANK has a wide range of business, in addition to investment, involving technical support on the basis of artificial intelligence, SOFTBANK in wireless, broadband, Internet, IC design, computer hardware and software business has some Foundation. Especially at the 5G based on the layout of the network, which ARM to build the future intelligent ecological boon.
Of course, the ARM is not without its development, technology licensing, this road is not a long-term solution, create intelligent eco also needs to stand on the shoulders of giants.
溢价高达43%！软银为何想要收购ARM？ - 软银,ARM - IT资讯
那个身高不足一米六零的东方小个子，这次很有可能又搞了一笔大买卖。
据多家外媒报道，日本软银已同意以234亿英镑收购芯片巨头ARM。软银将为每股ARM股票现金支付17英镑，较ARM上周收盘价溢价43%。目前官方还未公开确认。
在此之前，软银已持续抛售阿里巴巴股份套现，已经为本次收购埋下伏笔。至于为何要收购ARM，便要从软银掌门人孙正义那个人工智能梦想开始。
最近几年，软银一直在积极推进在机器人领域的发展，他们推出了Pepper人形机器人，并且还会不断提升公司的人工智能行业竞争力。
今年年初，谈及软银未来的发展时，孙正义表示，“我想建立一家可以持续增长至少300年的公司，为了实现持续的增长，我们需要找到所有的潜在障碍并找到解决的办法。其中，人工智能被孙正义寄予厚望。
对于人工智能，孙正义这样描述：“技术奇点已经开始出现，人工智能开始超过人类。即使人工智能超过人类，我们也不应该将它视为威胁。相反，谁如果可以从人工智能中获得最大好处，谁就有机会成为新时代的英雄。”
人工智能将推动新一轮计算革命，而核心芯片是人工智能时代的战略制高点。在PC时代和移动互联网时代分别处于芯片霸主地位ARM则是最好的选择。
众所周知，ARM架构已经应用到全球85%的智能移动设备中，其中有超过95%的智能手机都基于ARM的设计。现在，ARM正在成为智能硬件和物联网设备的标配。
今年2月，ARM发布了新处理器架构设计，主要针对5G调制解调器以及大容器存储SoC嵌入式设备，进而将成为未来人工智能AI普及的基础，可大幅降低功耗和成本。ARM公司CEO Simon Segars表示，只有当AI的成本和价格到了普通人能够承担的时候，才真正达到了人们期望的目标。
根据ARM公司的财报，在2015年第四季度，ARM共授权了51个芯片许可，主要应用方向为：移动计算、智能汽车、安全系统和物联网。其中，值得一提的是智能汽车方向，包括NVIDIA、高通和日本瑞萨电子（RENSAS）都基于ARM设计开发了面向驾驶辅助系统的超级计算机。
“我有两个投资标准：一是技术强大，二是有潜力成为地区市场领导者。企业如果拥有强大的技术，在全球竞争时就会处在有利位置。”显然，软硬未来布局的智能汽车、物联网以及人工智能等领域，拥有垄断地位的ARM是最好的选择。
对于ARM，早在2011年的时候，来自NVIDIA的专家就认为，ARM架构兴起于嵌入式（SoC）领域，在功耗很低的限制下要实现芯片的功能，这迫使ARM的芯片设计师走不一样的道路。而这正是未来超级计算机所需要的芯片架构：低功耗、高性能、优化成本。
软银的业务范围很广，除了投资外，在人工智能领域涉及的基础技术支撑上，软银在无线、宽带、互联网、IC设计、计算机硬软件等业务上都有一定基础。尤其是在5G等基础网络的布局上，这对于ARM构建未来智能生态帮助极大。
当然，ARM自己发展也并非不可以，只是技术授权这条路始终不是长远之计，营造智能生态还需要站在巨人肩膀上。