Google Purchases Startup Linked to Apple's P.A. Semi Chip Division

[MacRumors]

In another interesting twist in the relationship between Google and Apple, peHUB reports that Google has purchased startup firm Agnilux, a San Jose company founded by a number of defectors from P.A. Semi, the chip company Apple acquired in early 2008 to provide expertise in ARM chip designs for products such as the iPad and iPhone. A number of prominent P.A. Semi employees were previously known to have left Apple to form Agnilux soon after their previous company was acquired.

Many of P.A. Semi's chip developers stuck with Apple, but others -- including some system-level folks -- launched a stealth startup called Agnilux. They also personally funded Agnilux with proceeds from the Apple acquisition.

Now, peHUB has learned that Google recently acquired Agnilux, which previously held strategic investment talks with companies like Cisco, Microsoft and Texas Instruments. We have not yet been able to confirm pricing terms, although assume it must have been a big deal to convince the Agnilux founders to shun the strategic investment -- or traditional venture capital -- routes so soon after founding.

According to a New York Times article from early February, sources have claimed that some of the P.A. Semi employees left Apple due to unattractive pricing of stock grants they received as part of the acquisition. And as far as what Agnilux has been working on, the company has been silent on the matter. A separate report from The New York Times, however, cites an Agnilux employee who claimed that the company is developing "some kind of server".

It is unclear whether Google's acquisition of Agnilux is yet another direct threat to Apple's position in the mobile market, or whether reports that Agnilux is focused on server technology mean that Google's interest in the company lies elsewhere and its connection to Apple and P.A. Semi is merely tangential.

Article Link: Google Purchases Startup Linked to Apple's P.A. Semi Chip Division

 

[paul.b.davis]

I wonder how long it will be till google puts out some kind of android based tablet to compete with the ipad.

 

[Santabean2000]

Google is just becoming massive; too big?

 

[milamber]

Firstly i think it's a good idea by google

 

[intel]

Oh it's getting sticky now.

So much competition, so much love to hate goin on.

 

[headfuzz]

DriodPad in 3-2-1...

 

[intel]

Firstly i think it's a good idea by google

I don't think so, they have their finger in every pie. Somehow it doesn't feel right.

 

[4mat]

Wirelessly posted (SAMSUNG-SGH-A821/1.0 SHP/VPP/R5 NetFront/3.4 SMM-MMS/1.2.0 profile/MIDP-2.0 configuration/CLDC-1.1)

I miss the Apple vs Microsoft days

 

[ankursingla]

Agnilux means Sun-Light

Folks - AgniLux means Sun-Light and comes from the combination of word "Agni" which means "Fire, related to Sun" and everybody knows "Lux". It would be surprising if these folks are working on Mobile Chipset and named the company "AgniLux"

 

[jragosta]

Google is just becoming massive; too big?

It's not a matter of being too big. It's a matter of unbridled, undisciplined expansion.

Look at Apple's expansion. Step by step and each step makes a logical connection to the previous ones. The entire infrastructure links together and each product strengthens the other products.

Google appears to be buying companies and technologies willy-nilly. Essentially, Google is a search and advertising company. How does a cell phone fit into that? How does a chip manufacturer fit into that?

Not to mention, of course, that I wouldn't base my business on a bunch of mercenaries who sold their company once and then weren't happy with the results so they fled and started a new company. I'd much rather have people who are driven by MAKING products as well as making money. It looks like it's all about 'what's in it for me' with these guys.

You're simply seeing execution of the flawed 'bigger is automatically better' strategy.

 

[John Kotches]

I wonder how long it will be till google puts out some kind of android based tablet to compete with the ipad.

It's already known that google is working on an android tablet...

http://www.google.com/search?q=goog...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

 

[Robert M.]

Google shouldn't quit their day-jobs...

 

[z4n3]

Great news, hopefully Google will be the new Micro$oft to keep Apple on the ball.

 

[sammich]

If they are working on server hardware then it shouldn't worry Apple. In fact, given how power efficient ARM processors are, I don't see why they can't make either a scaled up ARM processor, or a hugely multicore system, because most server applications are extremely parallel they can have thousands of tiny ARM cores crunching it out.

New out of Redmond are that they are hiring people to move to ARM servers too.

 

[Digitalclips]

It is certainly a new era. The news is Apple v Google now, where once it was Apple v IBM then Apple v Microsoft. Part of me hopes behind the scenes Google and Apple are totally ok with this and will continue to both do well because this duo is eclipsing Microsoft in so many ways and that can only be good to have companies that are creative and forward thinking as opposed to the stagnant, mindless and reactive Microsoft. In a good way this duo offer a choice, open cross platform from Google if you like that or a total Eco system from Apple if you like that. There are enough customers for both to do well.

 

[kas23]

Dear gosh! How dare they! Only Apple is allowed to acquire talent via smaller company acquisition.

Really, anyone critizing this should also critize Apple's acquisition of Quattro wireless.

 

[sososowhat]

Thanks for the translation

Folks - AgniLux means Sun-Light and comes from the combination of word "Agni" which means "Fire, related to Sun" and everybody knows "Lux". It would be surprising if these folks are working on Mobile Chipset and named the company "AgniLux"

I looked at a Nexus One phone the other day in bright sunlight. OMG!!! The thing was *completely* unreadable. I held it up next to my iPhone, and the iPhone looked pretty good; the Nexus OLED display looked like a mirror. You couldn't tell it was even on.

If these guys are working on an OLED display technology that can be read in sunlight then the name makes sense, as does the acquisition.

 

[intel]

It's not a matter of being too big. It's a matter of unbridled, undisciplined expansion.

Look at Apple's expansion. Step by step and each step makes a logical connection to the previous ones. The entire infrastructure links together and each product strengthens the other products.

Google appears to be buying companies and technologies willy-nilly. Essentially, Google is a search and advertising company. How does a cell phone fit into that? How does a chip manufacturer fit into that?

Not to mention, of course, that I wouldn't base my business on a bunch of mercenaries who sold their company once and then weren't happy with the results so they fled and started a new company. I'd much rather have people who are driven by MAKING products as well as making money. It looks like it's all about 'what's in it for me' with these guys.

You're simply seeing execution of the flawed 'bigger is automatically better' strategy.

Google isn't just buying companies willy nilly.
Their core business is search and advertising.
The more that people can connect to the net and stay connected the better for google.
They chose to go into the smartphone business because it helps people stay connected to their advertising content so to speak. They are actually working on the whole ecosystem to keep that going buying companies from every field that help their cause. Everything from power companies to server companies to phones etc, i'd say that is the whole ecosystem to help people connect to the net the cheapest way so that they can count that extra click.
I guess you could say that google is powered by mouse clicks.

 

[Adokimus]

This is the next Intel / AMD type rivalry. Or even Microsoft / Apple.

Competition is a good thing, and it is pushing mobile devices faster than ever before. I LOVE IT. Now, I just have to tackle the difficult decision or going for the HTC EVO or the iPhone 4 this summer...

 

[headfuzz]

This is the next Intel / AMD type rivalry. Or even Microsoft / Apple.

Competition is a good thing, and it is pushing mobile devices faster than ever before. I LOVE IT. Now, I just have to tackle the difficult decision or going for the HTC EVO or the iPhone 4 this summer...

Lets just hope it brings something new to the party. I've yet to see anything in the media for the Android platform that makes me think "Oh wow, I wish my iPhone could do that."

 

[Yixian]

Lets just hope it brings something new to the party. I've yet to see anything in the media for the Android platform that makes me think "Oh wow, I wish my iPhone could do that."

Agreed, for all the talk of how brilliantly open it is, I have yet to see either the OS or any of it's phones do anything better than the iPhone that I actually need. I didn't even need multitasking and it looks like Apple's solution is a good bit better.

 

[kas23]

Agreed, for all the talk of how brilliantly open it is, I have yet to see either the OS or any of it's phones do anything better than the iPhone that I actually need. I didn't even need multitasking and it looks like Apple's solution is a good bit better.

What about using the iPhone as a mass storage device? That's my biggest gripe with the iPhone and one that is easily fixable.

 

[headfuzz]

Agreed, for all the talk of how brilliantly open it is, I have yet to see either the OS or any of it's phones do anything better than the iPhone that I actually need. I didn't even need multitasking and it looks like Apple's solution is a good bit better.

Tbh, mutlitasking for me on a mobile device is rather daft. Having suffered at the hands of an HTC WinMob device grinding to a halt because the hardware can't hack all those simultaneous processes caused by Mobile Excel, Calendar, Phone Book, Opera Mini etc being open at once, the iPhone OS's Unix-esque "Do one thing and do it well" design was quite welcome.

Afaic the jury's out on iPhone multitasking until I see it first hand when I go to upgrade my now out of contract iPhone 3G. I hope it proves to be well put together. Android and it's supporters have until launch day to produce a true best in class iPhone killer to get my business.

 

[headfuzz]

What about using the iPhone as a mass storage device? That's my biggest gripe with the iPhone and one that is easily fixable.

While a nice addition, the lack of this has not bothered me one iota.

 

[sockdoggy]

Buyout

I would have thought Apple's lawyers would be smarter than this... ie non-compete agreements.