NVIDIA announced today that it has agreed to acquire Icera, a leading innovator of top-performing baseband processors for 3G and 4G cellular phones and tablets.
Icera has more than 550 patents granted or pending worldwide, and its high speed wireless-modem products have been approved by more than 50 carriers across the globe. By combining the companies’ products and technologies, including NVIDIA’s Tegra processor, NVIDIA will enhance its position as a leading player in the growing mobile market.
“This is a key step in NVIDIA’s plans to be a major player in the mobile computing revolution. Adding Icera’s technology to Tegra gives us an outstanding platform to support the industry’s best phones and tablets, said Jen-Hsun Huang, President and CEO, NVIDIA.
By offering the two main processors used in smartphones (the application processor and baseband processor), the combined company will help OEM customers both improve their time to market and deliver the requirements of next-generation mobile computing. NVIDIA will also have approximately doubled its revenue opportunity within each device.
The market for baseband processors is one of the fastest growing segments of the technology industry, worth an estimated $15 billion a year. Icera will be able to leverage NVIDIA’s momentum in the smartphone and tablet markets to capitalize on this growth.
Stan Boland, President and CEO, Icera, said, “NVIDIA’s Tegra processor has the most impressive roadmap in the industry, and it is an ideal match for Icera. As part of NVIDIA, we will be able to reach a broader market. Our team has collaborated closely with NVIDIA for several years on a range of projects, and we’re delighted to be joining forces.”
