Gennum, the Canadian communications IC company, is peculiarly well positioned to do well out of the Cloud Computing thing.
"Cloud computing is a positive turn of events for us", says Dr Martin Rofheart, senior vp at Gennum and general manager of its analogue and mixed signal products.
Cloud computing is all about speedy links, and speedy links are Gennum's core competence.
Video broadcast links, data centre storage links, consumer connectivity are the Gennum foci. "The electrical characteristics of these three areas are aligned with the know-how and investment theory of Gennum", says Rofheart, "aligning your company with increasing data rates and densities is like aligning it with the force of gravity - it is never a mistake."
So what issues does Cloud Computing have? "There are backplane issues, line card issues, module issues", says Rofheart, "we are working with people in all these areas to solve these issues."
The broadcast companies need to double data rates while the number of ports increases so requiring lower power and increasing density.
To get there Gennum is using 120ft and 200ft SiGe processes from Tower Semiconductor and, for CMOS, it is using processes down to 40nm.
Asked if he agreed with NXP's recent, disputed claim that mixed signal and analogue represented an $85bn market opportunity, Rofheart replies: "When you look at the totality of analogue and mixed signal, it's just about anything that's high speed, and the whole world is going high speed. I don't doubt their $85bn estimate at all. The whole world is becoming a high-speed mixed signal/analogue domain."