- Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is partnering with programmable ASIC maker eASIC (EASI - recently filed for an IPO) to create custom Xeon CPU products that (per the companies) can deliver up to 2x the performance acceleration of a solution using an FPGA for programmability. Web/cloud service providers (major buyers of custom Xeon parts) are targeted, as are security and big data/analytics workloads.
- eASIC, whose customers include Seagate, Ericsson, and Huawei, argues ASICs designed by its clients deliver the programmability, development cost, and deployment time advantages of FPGAs (to a large extent, at least), while maintaining the size, unit cost, performance, and power draw advantages of standard ASICs. 60%-120% and 50%-80% performance and power advantages are respectively claimed over comparable FPGAs.
- The alliance could act as a hedge against reported acquisition target Altera (ALTR), whom Intel has partnered with to create solutions that put a Xeon CPU and Altera FPGA in the same package. Web/cloud providers looking to use FPGAs to accelerate processing for algorithms they've developed are among the intended clients. FPGAs can still deliver a level of on-the-fly programmability that eASIC's offerings can't.
- For those interested, eASIC filed its latest IPO prospectus last week. The company had 2014 revenue of $67.4M (+126% Y/Y), and a net loss of $1.1M. As of March 31, eASIC had enabled over 200 custom IC designs and shipped over 21M chips.
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Last week: Intel launches new high-end Xeon CPUs