PLX Technology, a California-based PCI Express switch and bridge chip specialist, has agreed to acquire Oxford Semiconductor in a deal valued at more than $14.2m.
Originally a UK chip developer founded in 1992, Oxford moved its base to California in 2005, but retains most of its employees at Abingdon in the UK.
It specialises in bridge chips for PCIe, USB, FireWire, Ethernet, SATA and eSATA. Revenues for the first nine months of 2008 were $29m.
More recently Oxford has been successful in the networked storage markets for which it has system-on-chip devices for both direct-attached storage (DAS) and network-attached storage (NAS) external drives.
The acquisition is intended to strengthen PLX’s position in the PCI express and networked storage chipset markets.
“Through this acquisition, PLX will have a leadership position in two of the fastest-growing interconnect chip markets – PCI Express-based systems and external-storage,” said Ralph Schmitt, president and CEO of PLX.
“Major synergies include common interconnect technologies and design flows, sales, marketing and support systems, and supply chains. Most importantly, PLX can create innovative products that combine the considerable intellectual property and industry knowledge of Oxford and PLX,” said Schmitt.
According to Bill Schroeder, CEO of Oxford: “Joining forces with PLX gives Oxford greater scale, an increasingly important requirement for success in the semiconductor business, and the ability to access and support a wider customer base for our storage business, while creating a stronger company for our system interconnect business.”