When speaking of Internet development in foreign countries, we always not consciously targeted American silicon valley. So, say the British Internet company, can you think of?

Outside of silicon valley in the United States, is known as Britain's most successful technology companies, dare to strike table and Intel's rival, ARM. And obscure in the tide of Internet English, low-key to few people heard of this name, but this does not affect his rhythm "rule the world" :

2011 smartphones shipped 470 million around the world, the ARM chip accounted for 90%;

Feature phones global shipping 660 million units, the ARM chip accounted for 95%;

Hard disk drives and solid-state global shipped 700 million, ARM accounted for 90%;

150 million sets of digital cameras, ARM accounted for 80%;

Printer 100 million units, the ARM accounted for 65%;

400 million sets of digital TV and set-top boxes, ARM accounted for 40%;

In recent years, is still in March to smart home...

Terrible market share and low visibility, has shaped the image of a real master in the field of science and technology in the Internet. However, contributing to the ARM in blossom everywhere of the world's business model, is neither a thoughtful, nor is it a prophecy, just because when the ARM is so badly is too poor.

Born in poor ARM

On December 5, 1978, physicists hermann hauser and engineer Chris curry in Cambridge, England set up CPU company (known as the Acorn computers company) in 79, mainly for the supply of electronic equipment.

Acorn is lucky, also very unfortunate. Fortunately, the Acorn this wave coincided with personal computer. Especially in 1982, due to the powerful microprocessor BBC documentary, the company laid a good mass base. The BBC BBC Micro was an instant hit with Acorn cooperation, profit at 8.6 million pounds, Acorn so a "British apple computer" the title.

After that, the Acorn in miserable journey.

"A price of 500 pounds machine, can't use the CPU 100 pounds!" The development of new models, and a slow and expensive MOTOROLA processor turned off Acorn, turned around and Intel, has been refused, only driving a duck on their research and development.

Took 18 months to make ARM1, compared and released the same year Intel 386 processor, is without merit. So the company suffered a financial crisis, the direct result is acquired.

After the takeover, the parent company to Acorn's mission is "to a group of applied research," little room for its essence as is, no hope of Ac o orn decided to spin-off. Too poor, couldn't afford luxury development team, management failed twice tried to sell chip design department. At this time, the British apple had real, they pull to apple company joint venture established the ARM.

In fact, the ARM because no hold on the thigh, are suddenly took to the peak of life. Or too poor, head office can only in a barn in the 18th century. The first table are ceos and furniture salesman flip a coin to win. CEO would also like to play billiards win a set of drawers in the bar table, but failed. ARM's engineers can only work without drawer of the desk.

So hard working environment, there is no twist in the story. Apple to invest in the small company there is no sense, took a fancy to ARM is low consumption and cheap chips, but unfortunately, cooperation of PDA and ended in failure.

Upstream in distress

Like playing undead jack Bauer, ARM from beginning to end of YueZhanYueYong fills a breakout determination. The takeover of aware of future hopelessness, just talk from time to time for the parent company, looking for opportunities to spin off.

"We force them to say, this provocative moves are likely to dismiss us. But no matter what time, may occur in the lab, a technology, the parent company has the right to get it first, however, if do nothing, the parent company would lose that right."

ARM started to operate as an independent commercial company. In product research and development, know the arm ao however thighs, avoid is popular in the field of computer Intel CISC instruction, to develop market of RISC reduced instruction. At the same time, to redefine the core of the product: low cost, low power consumption, high efficiency.

Too poor, no money do chip production follow-up, ARM and made a decision: is neither production chip, chip design, only the central processor design, authorized for use in semiconductor company, each other can add their own on the basis of ARM technology design of DIY.

This be compelled helpless product positioning and business model, and on a personal computer and high-performance processor rule s, underwhelming. Until 1993, ARM through cooperation with nokia 6110 mobile phone first profit, get rid of the financial crisis. Vendors at this time only to find that, the ARM chip so suitable for mobile phones.

The advent of the era of mobile, the interests of the people pulled behind a phone chain, snaked through Intel finally set foot on the ARM mood.according sphere of influence, the original rule out of two intersections.

It was also the hardships of energy, and make the ARM against Intel shout: "Intel think two piece of the market for computers and mobile phones, we have to say NO! Why it can enter my site, I can't go directly to the PC market?"

Business model of the landslide

No matter look from the valuation or turnover, ARM and Intel contrast bitter, he looks more like the slogan of the wishful thinking of the high and marketing. But, in fact, obscure the ARM is the deepest behind the pilot, always stand in the semiconductor industry chain upstream of the upstream.

Different from Intel these high-performance processor power consumption in the mobile age of confusion and embarrassment, the ARM has been adhere to the low efficient mobile Internet into the 21st century, is exponential explosive growth.

In its open authorized business mode, basically all the global semiconductor bosses are partners in the ARM. To develop new products, these companies have no longer need to consume a lot of time, effort and cost from chip architecture design research, on the contrary, they just need to check the ARM chip register, buy, and then add a custom design.

ARM to these customers charge annual fee or royalty, even the same technology can be repeated charges, and these profits research next. IPod founder Tony once said: "their innovation like crazy, earn money, in turn, continue to support innovation."

In 2014, the ARM half income from a design five years ago. As long as it is computing products, from coffee pot to the corporate data center server, ARM chip is almost everywhere.

The sales mode of intellectual property rights is to let the ARM at the top of the industry value chain, the customer regardless of profit and loss, all has nothing to do with the ARM, he has been there to sell innovation.

Intel also drunk at this time in big delusion: "as long as the big companies did not shift strategy, ARM can never be more than Intel."

When Google combined with samsung, HP laptop production based on ARM chips, Microsoft also announced the Windows support ARM processor, Intel has finally realized the challenger menacing.

Now, Intel will PK opponent not just the ARM, but its behind the "ARM"