IBM inks 2 Power Architecture agreements

IBM today announced it has inked a duo of agreements related to its Power Architecture chip technology.

The industry stalwart said it has signed an agreement with Israel-based fabless semiconductor company CeRoma Ltd. to collaborate in the development, manufacture, marketing and sale of high-definition digital media integrated circuits optimized for multiple applications such as set-top box (STB), Internet protocol television (IPTV), digital television (DTV) and multiple transmission standards.

IBM said the CeRoma collaboration is focused on commercially deploying a family of G1.x products, the first of which will become commercially available in Q4. Products will leverage multi-core PowerPC capability with multiple high-definition (HD) media sources and standards, IBM said.

In addition, Big Blue said it has also inked an agreement with Synopsys Inc. that allows the EDA giant to sub-license IBM's PowerPC 440 and 405 embedded microprocessor cores and associated peripheral cores directly to customers. Synopsys now offers sub-licenses that include the right for customers to manufacture SoC designs incorporating PowerPC cores at any foundry of their choosing.

With this agreement, Synopsys becomes the second Power Architecture design center outside of IBM's own business line, and the only independent supplier to offer Power Architecture cores, EDA tools, design services and other IP elements, IBM said.

Both IBM and Synopsys are founding members of Power.org, an open community of more than 40 companies aimed at driving collaboration around the Power Architecture technology.

Financial terms of both deals were not disclosed.