In 2014 with the broadcom, nvidia, Marvell sunk, phones from free-for-all suddenly turned into a qualcomm, mediatek cauldron of pattern. Because of mobile phone chips technology intensive and capital intensive, Matthew effect, such as features, even the broadcom chip giant also cannot bear the money of hundreds of millions of dollars a year can't see the hope, many industry insiders expect there will be no more new entry. This year as Marvell and broadcom mobile phone chip business on hand, but also confirmed the prediction.
Challengers have again-every chip giant Intel and brother spreadtrum. After the Chinese government sanctions, qualcomm is mediatek's price war greatly lower the profit margins, market rumors its chip business is likely to break up, and then acquired by Intel; Although invested $7 billion into flat chips, Intel's lack of interest in mobile chips have no money earned, but still have the opportunity to purchase market leader qualcomm is full of temptation. Spreadtrum to violet light in 2014 after its blood over the age of resurrection, become the greatest variable to the change of industry structure.
Money is capricious
Purple light may be China's most high-profile companies. Just a few short years time from unknown rapid rise, through a series of big, bold determined acquisition, is almost out of thin air, abruptly create a prototype of the empire "from the core to the cloud". From buy-outs spreadtrum, RuiDi branch, China 3, taking a stake in the data in the west and force into a stake in Taiwan, and ready to continue to invest 300 billion chip, purple light almost month in semiconductor headlines.
Even giant Intel light from the front, and it is a mobile phone chips to the purple light company invested 9 billion yuan. Purple light means of capital operation is very good, I not in judgement, but violet light can through capital operation to create a chip empire, estimated that many in the industry it thinking. Indeed purple light is very rich, also willing to spend money, on the one hand, the malicious RuiDi family of price war, direct purchase; To exit the chip manufacturers, network their talents for their own use; To rivals such as mediatek also practise fraud. In terms of the market, win after RuiDi division of mediatek malicious price war, mediatek.
However, technology is not able to buy. Objective, with strong capital strength help, spreadtrum's rapid progress, but the implementation technology of corner overtaking is very difficult. Mediatek for spreadtrum is also being blocked, HuDuZi of Taiwan's government has repeatedly, with judicial intervention measures to intercept mediatek former employees to spreadtrum, and resolutely smash spreadtrum to poaching "open plan" in Taiwan. The Taiwan government is no open chip designer, try very hard to keep their own worlds.
So, wei-guo zhao nu. Emperors wrath, dead millions, bleeding; The wrath of cloth, bareheaded ACTS Xian to land grab. Strategist wrath, bring in much, shifting alliances, in a good direction, attack the enemy the art. Borrow force into a stake in Taiwan, after finishing his speech in Beijing wei-guo zhao went to Taiwan, under the pile of the "malicious words" to the people of Taiwan.
Carrot + stick
Wei-guo zhao first knock a bar in Beijing. "Open country to put pressure on Taiwan's local governments, chip industry, otherwise should be banned is a brand of Taiwan and Taiwan chip and its related products sales in mainland China." Yes, say is you, mediatek. Since this year by qualcomm spreadtrum before and after the attack, mediatek and I will be very sad, the day of a significant decline in gross margin, the stock price down, if really a lock-up in mainland China, I'm afraid all day not bottom go to. And then there are all kinds of political and economic factors, Taiwan semiconductor analysts zhao kingdom "frighten us.
Came to Taiwan, wei-guo zhao back out of a carrot. "If Taiwan IC design industry is open to local government investment, purple light willing to let two IC design company spreadtrum, RuiDi merged with mediatek, beyond qualcomm, hand in hand." If the intentional listener is more interested in, mediatek chairman Mr Tsai quickly responded positively, and the Taiwan government is open IC design industry policy wrangling. Capital market is also actively responded to mediatek, clearly fourth-quarter results difficult to respond, share price rising suddenly Dally ceng, three days up nt $75 billion.
It should be said that is not a fable wei-guo zhao proposal. Policy is gradually let go of, will not be decisive; Merged cell phone chip market is enough big, don't worry about no market; Although both sides business high coincidence, but the combined reduced the price war, qualcomm in the low-end market, not rivals, market or your own; In high-end chip, mediatek can also challenge qualcomm have enough strength. This cannot but make investors heartache.
Merger, of course, there are many problems waiting to overcome, but beefing up wei-guo zhao, can't, don't want to have things full of possibilities. Future spreadtrum may not have been the chip market challenger, but continue with the aid of capital means the nation, realize the corner overtaking. Wei-guo zhao said last year "purple light hope in five years more than mediatek, ranked second in the world industry, shipments first IC design company", this year's position is abandoned the practice of "small", aimed at the more spectacular goals. Spreadtrum can hold up this dream?
