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Microsoft Signs License With ARM
G143 and several other readers let us know that Microsoft has signed a licensing deal with ARM. "Microsoft signed an agreement with the UK-based ARM, giving Microsoft access to some of the chip designer's intellectual property. The two companies have worked together since 1997, but Ian Drew, ARM's EVP of marketing, said this is the first time Microsoft has become a licensee of ARM's architecture, a move which will allow Microsoft to design their own microarchitecture. Other licensees include Qualcomm, Marvell, and Infineon. Neither company would reveal the cost of the license. Speculation about Microsoft's intentions includes wondering whether the company is taking aim at the iPad, or perhaps looking to produce a next-generation Xbox without the 360's heat problems."
Microsoft just wants a relation$hip with ARM so they can influence them before a huge wave of low cost, linux friendly PC's, netbooks, you name it hits the market.
I think it's interesting how the article speculates about innovation when to a large extent Microsoft M&A's are aimed at stifling competition. Seriously, when is the last time MS came up with a new idea?
there is some company selling Atom CPU based servers and a lot of customers like them. Atom is just a Xeon with almost everything disabled due to manufacturing issues. Apple did a nice job with the A4 in terms of battery life and power consumption. MS will probably port Windows Server and other products to the architecture to keep VmWare and Linux at bay.
and with tech demos of Apache running on the iPhone any idiot will say that ARM will end up in servers soon with the big plus being you can customize it to your needs. just like Apple and Qualcomm did. with Intel you get a Xeon at $1500 each on average or a Xeon reject at $150. ARM CPU's cost a fraction of that even after R&D. and when you calculate the electricity savings it gets even better.