Broadcom to Bring ARM Cortex-A8 to Powerful VideoCore Mobile Media Product Line

– ARM [(LSE: ARM); (Nasdaq: ARMHY)] today announced that Broadcom Corporation has licensed the ARM® Cortex™-A8 high-performance processor, along with supporting ARM IP products for integration into a range of mobile and consumer products.  The Cortex-A8 processor has been chosen by Broadcom to deliver the performance that will be required in the next generation of mobile computing products.  Advanced mobile and consumer applications require intensive, efficient computation power for networking, media, and accessing the latest Web 2.0 services.  This high performance is required while maintaining low power consumption and meeting the cost points which consumers demand.

Broadcom will combine the Cortex-A8 with its industry leading VideoCore multimedia technology.  VideoCore is a flexible multi-media acceleration technology used for high performance and very low power 2D/3D graphics, imaging, video and audio processing.  The flexible nature of VideoCore enables rapid porting and support for ever changing Internet codecs and multimedia technologies.

“The needs of today’s mobile and consumer devices are expanding rapidly and will be required to provide an astonishing user experience that spans Web2.0, gaming, picture taking and long play audio/video” said Mark Casey, Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom’s Mobile Multimedia Business Unit. “The powerful combination of Broadcom’s industry leading VideoCore multimedia performance and Cortex-A8 industry leading power/performance will deliver outstanding advantages in our next generation devices.”
 
“We see a strong tendency among Partners such as Broadcom, to develop high-performance ARM technology-based platforms that can be used in leadership mobile platforms,” said Graham Budd, executive vice president and general manager, Processors, ARM. “The Cortex-A8 processor provides the cutting-edge performance to enable dynamic, secure, consumer-centric features, unlocking the potential of devices including high-end smartphones. The ARM ecosystem includes broad support of Open Operating Systems and third party applications, enabling an advanced mobile internet experience.”

The Cortex-A8 processor is capable of providing over 2000 DMIPS of processing power and equipped with ARM TrustZone® security technology and also incorporates Jazelle®-RCT technology for efficient execution of Java and other execution environments such as Microsoft .NET. The processor is also fault-tolerant, a key requirement in the networking arena.

In addition to its robust processing power, the Cortex-A8 processor is fully supported by the ARM RealView® Development Suite enabling OEMs to deliver rich content to Linux-based devices that fully exploit the high-performance Cortex-A8 processor with significantly reduced memory footprint. The ability to seamlessly build Linux application libraries with the compilation tools in the RealView Development Suite enables developers to maximize the performance of key elements of their code base, ultimately providing end customers with highly responsive Linux devices that have an exceptionally long battery life.

About ARM
ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, graphics processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products.  Combined with the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.