Q&A: How ARM stays six years ahead of the game

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 30 Jul 2010 at 11:21

Q. Can you tell us more about your new licensing deal with Microsoft and what you expect the outcome of that partnership to be?

A. Sadly, no I can’t give you any more detail. Microsoft has bought an architecture licence, an architecture licence enables people to build their own totally compatible microprocessors. Some people choose to do that – the most well-known example is Qualcomm with its Snapdragon processor. As for why Microsoft has done this, that’s a matter for Microsoft. We’re not able to say anything about it.

Q. Has Microsoft told you what it plans to do with the architecture?

A. To an extent. Microsoft’s had a technical relationship with us for the last 12 to 13 years. It’s implemented plenty of its software products on ARM architecture over the years: Windows Mobile, Windows Embedded, Windows Phone. This is just a deepening of the relationship. Since it’s the biggest, or second biggest technology company on the planet, then we’re very pleased to see it working more closely with ARM.

Q. Is it true that the people who’ve previously bought licences to the full ARM architecture have always gone on to produce microprocessors of their own?

A. Mostly, yeah. And Microsoft hasn’t done that to date. But the architecture licence allows it to do that if that’s what it chooses to do.