Today Intel is, apparently, going to announce its entry into the ASSP business, except that it has decided to call its ASSP products SOCs. But, although these products aren't being sold yet, Intel's description of its SOCs makes them sound like ASSPs which perform similar functions to ASSPs and, therefore, probably are ASSPs.
From the descriptions coming out of Intel, the idea of its SOCs is to put system functions on a chip and then sell it to lots of different customers. The first one is to be a storage SOC for networks. Apparently the idea is to have 15 separate SOCs each targeted at a different applications market.
Is it going to work? Well judging by Intel's previous attempted diversifications, it hasn't got an earthly.
It last foray into the ASIC business revealed that its ASIC division weren't allowed to use Intel's EDA software, cell library or fabs, to make ASICs. The Intel ASIC division had to use commercial EDA, commercial libraries and outside fabs. Not surprisingly the venture flopped.
When Intel tried getting into the mobile phone chip business, similarly the mobile phone division was debarred from using Intel's latest manufacturing processes.
If this is the kind of 'thinking' now being applied to Intel's new-found SOC business, then the SOC division then it hasn't got a hope.
Besides which, SOC/ASSPs need system knowledge of the application which can only be gleaned from customers and, outside of the computer business, how many of those does Intel have?
Is it going to work? Well judging by Intel's previous attempted diversifications, it hasn't got an earthly.
It last foray into the ASIC business revealed that its ASIC division weren't allowed to use Intel's EDA software, cell library or fabs, to make ASICs. The Intel ASIC division had to use commercial EDA, commercial libraries and outside fabs. Not surprisingly the venture flopped.
When Intel tried getting into the mobile phone chip business, similarly the mobile phone division was debarred from using Intel's latest manufacturing processes.
If this is the kind of 'thinking' now being applied to Intel's new-found SOC business, then the SOC division then it hasn't got a hope.
Besides which, SOC/ASSPs need system knowledge of the application which can only be gleaned from customers and, outside of the computer business, how many of those does Intel have?
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