Intel, Altera: Math in Question

Co-packaged x86, FPGAs ship late 2016

Rick Merritt, EETimes
6/1/2015 02:50 PM EDT

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The math on Intel’s $16.7 billion bid to buy Altera doesn’t add up although the merged companies could see gains, analysts said. The deal raises more questions than others in a string of recent mega-mergers for a semiconductor industry that is consolidating as it matures.

Analysts questioned Intel’s claim it could ride to seven percent revenue growth thanks to the merger. The x86 giant could give Altera the clout to take share from its traditional FPGA rival, Xilinx. However, Intel’s poor track record in mergers made some skeptical about that prospect.

In a conference call, Intel chief executive Brian Krzanich said the combined companies will ship integrated products starting in late 2016 for servers and some still-undetermined embedded systems. Initial products will pack x86 and FPGA die in a single package, followed “shortly” by products that merge both on SoCs

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