Peter, thanks for the articles.
Part of the answer may lie with Symbios' mixed-signal designs and standard-cell libraries, which could enhance LSI's system-on-a-chip expertise in the long run, said Dan Niles, an analyst at BancAmerica Robertson Stephens, San Francisco.
I think LSI's acquisition of mixed-signal technology may be very significant. I am not familiar enough with Symbios and their technology to say for sure, but it could be a very important addition to LSI's SOC and ASSP strategy.
Additionally, the translation of Symbios' intellectual-property and mixed-signal designs into LSI's manufacturing processes will consume a great deal of resources at a time when LSI can ill afford to be distracted, observers said.
This would be true if LSI were going to simply port all of Symbios' designs into LSI's fabs, but it sounds like Symbios has an advanced fab of their own. Why not just leave Symbios' current products in their own fabs? Then design new products in whichever fab process they fit best. Sure, LSI's engineers will have to deal with a new set of design rules for the Symbios fab, and vice versa, but when you are starting a new design from scratch, it doesn't really waste that "great deal of resources" that is involved in a redesign.
G.P.
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