Mobile Computing News

Photo: Stock.Xchng

British processing company ARM, is really beginning to flex its muscle in the mobile devices processing space, with their impressive Q2 results showing just how well the once spunky upstart is doing in closing the gap with, believe it or not, Intel of all companies.

The numbers

Off the back of the explosive growth in the smartphone market recently, steady netbook performance and the early days of the tablet market that could one day be a massive part of computing, ARM posted Q2 revenue of £100 million, up 50 per cent from the same time last year. What’s more, the company’s profit grew a mind blowing 167 per cent to reach £43.5 million.

Warren East, who is ARM’s CEO, said that the company was ‘pleased to report strong underlying revenue and profit performance in the first half, in improved trading conditions compared with one year ago.’ Strong underlying performance? That’s surely a euphemism, considering that ARM processors are seeing explosive growth in what isn’t exactly a growth industry anymore.

Who is driving this growth?

East also took the opportunity to explain that the company’s strategy, saying that ‘growth in mobile, non-mobile and new technology outsourcing’, would continue unabated. The latter of those three moves – ‘new technology outsourcing’ – has been very rewarding for ARM of late, wherein they signed on Microsoft and others as partners.

For the future

Photo: ARM

ARM is currently the leader in processing for mobile devices, with the company spreading its tentacles and leveraging its competitive advantage at a dizzying pace. If the global adoption of smart devices is anything like it was a short while ago for personal computing, ARM may find itself in a position to compete with and, potentially, beat Intel all in all.

Can you imagine that? The great Intel unseated was once unthinkable. It’s still a way off, but it isn’t impossible, especially if ARM processor adoption continues at this rate. Unreal.

And if you don’t think it is indeed impossible, think of the smartphone you’re holding. It likely uses an ARM processor. What of that iPad you love so much? Yep, ARM architecture is licensed there, too. Netbook owner? Yeah, they have a significant presence there, too. The company is slowly beginning to find itself everywhere. Intel should at least be uneasy, if not nervous.