HowTo Grown an ARM

1
© Ian Phillips 2017
201520102005200019951990
https://ianp24.blogspot.com
HowTo grow an ARM
... The UK’s World-Leading Processor Company
Early Career Researchers Workshop (ECRW’17)
University of Cambridge, Clare College
31aug17
Prof. Ian Phillips CEng, FIET, FIMA, SMIEEE
Independent Technology Consultant & Philosopher
(Formerly: Principal Staff Eng’r. @ ARM Ltd, UK)
1v1
Visiting Prof. with...
All ARM data is from Public
Sources

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201520102005200019951990
ARM Hldgs: Was Sold to SoftBank in 2016 for £24B Cash
▪How did this UK Company grow to be so important to a whole Global Industry?
▪ Lots of Questions ...
▪ How did it Start?
▪ When did it Start?
▪ What were the Key Milestones?
▪ Can it be Repeated?
▪ Does it Scale?
▪ Why isn’t it seen as an important industry to
Society/Government?
▪ What does it actually do?
▪ ... ?
▪
▪ A few of the Key Answers follow ...
SO
LD

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201520102005200019951990
1978 ...
▪ UK Prime Minister is James Callaghan
▪ World Population ~4.4 billion
▪ Public Service strikes in UK causes major
disruption to all services
▪ Volkswagen Beetle stops production after
nearly 30yrs and 20 million cars
▪ Oil tanker Amoco Cadiz runs aground off Brittany.
Oil slick 18 miles wide and 80 miles long
▪ Space Invaders Starts Video Games craze
▪ Illinois Bell Co. launches first Cellular
Mobile Phone service
▪ Intel launches 8086 (16 bit, 10MHz, 3um)
▪ Acorn Computers is formed in Cambridge ...

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201520102005200019951990
Foundations: Acorn Computers Ltd
▪ 1978: Acorn Computers formed ...
▪ Herman Hauser – Cambridge University
▪ Austrian - Masters and Phd in Physics. Family business wine.
▪ Now: Founder of Amadeus Capital Partners Ltd, Cambridge. VC company
▪ Chris Curry – Design Manager from Sinclair Radionics
▪ Born in Cambridge - Maths and Physics A-Levels
▪ Now: Founder and Director of GIS, Cambridge. (Smart Cards)
▪ Key First Employees ...
▪ Steve Furber (Hardware). Now: Prof. Uo.Manchester
▪ Sophie (Roger) Wilson (Software). Now: Broadcom, Cambridge
▪ Andy Hopper (Networking). Now: Prof. Uo.Cambridge
... From 'Cambridge University Processor Group’,
a Student Society building computing systems for fun
▪ Acorn’s mission was to bring computers to the (UK) home ...
▪ Produced the 6502 based Acorn Atom (In competition with Sinclair ZX80)
▪ Anticipated selling 8-10k (ever) ... Seen as a big market opportunity!

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201520102005200019951990
Foundations: The BEEB
▪ 1981: Acorn wins the competition to build the BBC Computer to support the UK’s
Government/BBC lead “Computer Literacy Project” for schools
▪ The Spec was developed by the BBC
▪ Submitted to competitive tender to Acorn, Sinclair, Newbury, Tangerine and Dragon
▪ Acorn based their response on their Atom-2 design which was in development; known as Proton
▪ It met or exceeded every aspect of the BBC Spec.
▪ 6502 (8-bit, 2Mhz), 16-32k memory, 32-128k ROM, 640x256 graphics, 5.25” (800k) Floppy, Keyboard (no-mouse)
▪ Engineers produced a prototype in 1-week to win the competition
▪ “The BEEB”; successful in UK (India, Australia & NZ)
▪ Launched at £235 - Needed TV/Monitor and Disk
▪ Renown for its ruggedness and quality of OS
▪ Failed to penetrate US and European education markets
▪ Failed to penetrate the UK Business market
▪ Though an excellent OS ... Its GUI was felt to be ‘childish’
▪ Finally discontinued in 1994 (after 13yrs)

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201520102005200019951990
Foundations: The ARM RISC Processor is Born
▪ 1987: BBC Archimedes was launched (Successor to The Beeb)
▪ Much Higher performance
▪ £800. 512-16MB memory, 3.5” 1.4M Floppy, 3-button mouse.
▪ Graphics: 1152x896/2col; 640x512/256 col; etc.
▪ Compatible with the wide-range of BEEB software
▪ ARM(1) Processor. 32-bit RISC (24-bit address), 8MHz
- The ARM CPU is Born -
▪ Designed by Acorn for the Archimedes using ASIC
technology (25k gates. Designed using a BEEB!)
▪ Included RISC OS – Arguably, the best OS+GUI at the time
▪ Very Successful in UK schools ...
▪ But still fails to penetrate Business and International markets
▪ GUI still seen as ‘childish’ (Apple Mac (1984), also struggling)
▪ 1990: Acorn in financial trouble, restructures ...
▪ The Si Design Group moves into a startup ‘’Advanced RISC Machines’ - The Birth of ARM Ltd -
▪ Other parts of the business restructure as Element 14 Ltd
▪ Focusing on Set-top Boxes; Digital TV ... Many of which are (still) ARM/RISCOS based
A300
ARM1

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201520102005200019951990
And Then There Was ARM ...
▪ 1990: Advanced RISC Machines Ltd. spins-out from Acorn Computers
▪ Investors: Apple, Acorn and VLSI Logic
▪ Staff: Robin Saxby (Chairman & CEO), Jamie Urquhart, John Biggs,
Tudor Brown, Pete Harrod, Mike Muller, Lee Smith, David Seal, Harry Oldham,
Andy Merritt, Harry Meekings, Dave Howard, Al Thomas
▪ The Business Plan was to be a ‘Fabless Semiconductor Co’ to allow:-
1. Apple to have its own ASIC-based CPUs (primarily for Newton)
2. Acorn to have its own range of RISC CPUs for its Personal Computers
3. ARM to supply Domain Specific Processors in a Fabless Business Model
4. ARM CPU Development to proceed independently of Acorn or Apple
5. A long-term idea to provide ‘CPUs as Cores’ for some advanced users (CPU-IP)
Formation
Acorn
ArchimedesAcorn
A4 Laptop
Apple
Newton
The Barn, Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambs.

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201520102005200019951990
The Cavalry Averts Early Disaster ...
▪ 1991: GEC Plessey Semiconductors First Paying License to ARM Technology (Ian Phillips)
▪ Several CPU/ Peripheral Chips (ARM2AS, LUE, VIDC, MEMC, IOC, ARM250, ARM6, ARM610, ARM7, ARM710)
▪ The rights to use the CPU family as ‘Cells’ in its Megacell ASIC Tools
▪ ARM Assembler and C Cross-Compiler
▪ VLSI Technology had a similar license which they bought as Founder Shares
▪ GPS License provides timely Cash-flow; and Validation of ARM’s Technology/Business Model for others
▪ 1992/3: ARM-IP Business-Model comes to the fore; License + Royalty (Shared Risk)
▪ Newton Collapses, Acorn Struggles and No New Opportunities: Fab-Less business prospect not good!
▪ Only option remaining is CPU as IP (ARM7): But little IC-design reuse at the time, so no established market
▪ Declares ambition; “To be the Z80 of the 90s”
▪ AMBA On-Chip Bus Introduced to support modular-design (Because GPS needed it)
... Notices; that ARM CPUs ought-to-be energy efficient; so makes a marketing feature of MIP/W
▪ 1993: TI becomes the Third Paying Licensee (Second was Sharp)
▪ 1993: ARM’s first profitable year ... And has been profitable every year since!
GPS License 1st
Profit
AMBAFormation

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201520102005200019951990
ARM Goes Global ...
▪ 1994: ARM opens office in Tokyo and SanJose
▪ Just one person in each office, primarily Sales/Marketing role ...
... but also to isolate the customer from language, culture and time-zone difficulties within the company
▪ Needed good Regional Sales/Marketing Skills
▪ Also needed good Technical Understanding
▪ Also needed good Communication Skills (Internal and External)
... ARM recognizes that if it wants to achieve its Z80 of the 90s ambition then it has to be present in
the markets where these chips are/will-be designed
▪ 1996: Virtual Socket Interface Alliance (VSIA) Formed
▪ Initially Toshiba and Cadence and quickly followed by Mentor and Fujitsu - ARM joins in 1997
▪ VSIA fails to recognize the breadth of the challenge (HW and SW); and eventually folds in 2007
▪ But other Industry Standard Bodies pick up specific areas (See SystemC in 2000)
... Chip Industry (Cadence) becoming aware of the need for IP based reuse for chip-productivity
GPS License 1st
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
Formation

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201520102005200019951990
10nm
100nm
1um
10um
100um
ApproximateProcessGeometry
ITRS’99
Transistors/Chip(M)
Transistor/PM(K)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore’s_law
1Mt
VSIA
1,800py 8,500py
100py
“Productivity Gap”
... In retrospect; the Industry Turning Point was nicely timed one for ARM !
Designer Productivity; A Major Issue Arising ...
Global TeamsLocal TeamsSmall TeamSingle Designer
Expertise ReuseHW&SW ReuseSome ReuseClean Sheet
“Verification Gap”

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201520102005200019951990
ARM Finds a Market for the IP Concept ...
▪ 1997: Nokia 6110 - Brings ARM Technology into Mobile Telephony
▪ TI’s ARM7TDMI (Thumb with Debug, enhanced Multiply and ICE) based SoC
▪ Thumb was necessary to get the code into a 256k ROM (Nokia req’t!)
▪ Thumb good for code density ... subsequently good for power efficiency!
... Great affirmation of the Modular-IP concept, and entry to GPS market
▪ 1998 (Apr): ARM Initial Public Offering (IPO)
▪ ARM Holdings PLC completes joint listing on the London Stock Exchange and NASDAQ
▪ IPO at £5.75. Valued £26.6m. Revenue £2.9m. Heads 350.
▪ 1998: ARM9 – ARM moves to Harvard Architecture
▪ First recognition of a market for high(er)-performance ARM CPUs
▪ (1998 (Jun): Ian Phillips joins ARM as Employee No 376)
▪ 1999: ARM enters FTSE100 (for the first time)
▪ 2010: Re-Enters FTSE100 ... and stays this time
GPS License 1st
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
Formation
N6110
Thumb IPO
Harvard FTSE100

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201520102005200019951990
One-Size Doesn’t Fit All ...
▪ 2000: SystemC - Brings HW, SW and System Modelling into C++ environment
▪ Spin-out from various sources including VSIA
▪ Facilitating Modular Design and Reuse for SoC ... Verilog and VHDL ultimately followed suit.
▪ Created demand for pluggable fast ARM Simulation Models (Makes ARMulator redundant)
▪ 2000: SecureCore - SC100 brings 32-bit to SmartCards (Samsung/Incard)
▪ 2001: DSP and Synthesizable CPUs ...
▪ Multi-Media Accelerator (MOVE) – Diversification into Signal Processing
▪ First Synthesizable CPU ARM926EJ-S – Move away from Hard Cores
▪ 2002: System Modelling Launched (not ARM at the center of the model)
▪ 2003: TrustZone and PrimeXsys ...
▪ TrustZone – Introduces Trusted Execution Environment in the CPU Hardware
▪ PrimeXsys – System Templates of systems matched with SW Design Suite
▪ 2004: Artizan Acquisition – Takes ARM into Cell Libraries
▪ 2004: 1.2Bpa (2B total) Shipped Units ‘based on ARM Technology’
▪ ARM Headcount ~1,000, Revenue £150m (PBT 18%, R&D 35%), 22 Offices (10 Countries)
GPS License 1st
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
TrustZone >1BpaSyst’m
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100

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201520102005200019951990
Performance with Power-Efficiency ...
▪ 2005: A11 MP-Core
▪ Four-Small CPUs are more energy-efficient than One-Large
▪ Cluster of 4 x ARM11 (32-bit) Processors
▪ Initially Clunky software; soon becomes Virtualized
▪ Took ARM into on-chip Multi-Processing for A-Class apps
▪ Leads-on to big.LITTLE and full Virtualisation
▪ 2005: Spinnaker Project Proposal
▪ RT 10^9 Neural Network (1M ARM’s in system !?)
▪ ARM’s First Real University Research Partnership (Involving ARM IP)
GPS License 1st
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core

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201520102005200019951990
The Global-Business Era Begins ...
▪ 2005: Cortex Family splits CPU-IP into three Application Domains (ARMv7-A)
▪ Application Processors (A) – (A8-2005)
▪ High Performance with MMU and Caches for Plug-n-Play OS
▪ Real-time Processors (R) – (R4-2011)
▪ High Performance, Predictable Real-Time
Memory Protection and TCM/Cache
▪ Embedded Processors (M) – (M3-2004)
▪ Bare-Metal CPU for Minimum Systems
▪ 2006: Robin Saxby hands over to Warren East ...
▪ After 17yr at the helm, the World Doesn’t End! (Suprise!)
▪ To Grow and Consolidate a Global IP Business
▪ To get ARM back into the FTSE100 (and keep it there)
▪ End of the Startup era.
▪ Warren; an Engineer, grown through the business
New CEOGPS License 1st
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

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201520102005200019951990
A Real Market for A-Class...
▪ 2006: Acquisition of Falanx (Norway)
▪ ARM Processor IP family Branches from ARM RISC
to include GPUs (Mali) ... A second Instruction Set
▪ 2006: Software Tools move to Eclipse IDE
▪ Easier extension, maintenance and compatibility
▪ Recognition that SW is an important part of ARM’s product
▪ 2007: Apple iPhone
▪ Defines the Smartphone
▪ Established the need for ever-more performance and
energy-efficiency in A-Class and GPU processors
iPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

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201520102005200019951990
Applicable To Every Mid- to Small-Scale Application...
The ARM Family of CPU/GPU IP spans 3 orders of magnitude in size ...
About 50MTr
About 50KTr

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201520102005200019951990
... Around 24 Processors in 6 Families ...
... Processors optimised to be used Alone and in Combination to best-fit the Application
General Purpose (CPU)
Signal Processing (GPU/DSP)

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201520102005200019951990
... With Platforms to Guide/Support Implementation
Dual channel
DDR3/4 x72
Up to 4 cores
per cluster
Up to 4
coherent
clusters
Integrated
L3 cache
Up to 18 AMBA
interfaces for
I/O coherent
accelerators
and IO
Peripheral address space
Heterogeneous processors – CPU, GPU, DSP and
accelerators
Virtualized Interrupts
Uniform
System
memory
... Complemented by SW Tools and Models in the Software Design Suite (DS5)

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201520102005200019951990
… Tools, Libraries and Partners to Realize the
Opportunities▪ Technology to build Electronic System solutions:
▪ Software, Drivers, OS-Ports, Tools, Utilities to create
efficient system with optimized software solutions
▪ Diverse Physical Components, including CPU and GPU
processors designed for specific tasks
▪ Interconnect System IP delivering coherency and the
quality of service required for lowest memory bandwidth
▪ Optimised Cell-Libraries for a highly optimized SoC
implementations
▪ Well Connected Partners in the System Life-Cycle:
▪ For complementary tools and methods required by the
System Developers
▪ Global Technology Global Partners:
▪ ~1000 Partners; Millions of Developers

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201520102005200019951990
ARM Technology Throughout Complex Electronic Systems
▪ Provides Productive Technologies for Embedding Intelligence with
Roadmap for Evolution and Interfaces for Inclusion (Helps with Reuse)
Early software
development on
Virtual Platforms
Power MgmtBluetooth
Cellular Modem
WiFi
SIM
GPS
Flash Controller
Touchscreen
& Sensor Hub
Sensor Hub
Camera
Apps Processor

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201520102005200019951990
Invisible Computing (Towards Smart-Dust)
▪ 2008: mbed – Embedded Design Enablement (Before the IoT term was used)
▪ Objective: Making ARM uC power available to the
non-expert user/application-space
▪ Plan: mbed HW Platforms for popular ARM uCs ...
▪ uC Providers to supply them
▪ Compatible with mbed IDE
▪ Include device-specific Libraries
▪ Plan: mbed Web-based IDE ...
▪ ARM to support and host
▪ Includes Editor and C/C++ Compiler
▪ Base Libraries and User Community
Online IDE. Supported and hosted by ARM.
Browser-based
and targetable to specific uCs
mbed HWPlatform and Libraries Supported
by uC Provider (Eg: NXP LPX1768)
MBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

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201520102005200019951990
▪ 2009: Microsoft Project Natal (Kinect) – Applied Deep-Learning (AI) for remote human
posture and voice recognition ... Uses an ARM7!
... Separated the NeuralNet Learning (Complex);
from implementation of a configured NeuralNet (Much Easier)
▪ Bear in mind the first that ARM hears about most new products
using ARM technology, is when the product is launched!
▪ ARM has to try and anticipate how its technologies will be used to
make sure that compute capabilities users will need are available in time
Neural Networks Eventually Get-Into Consumer Products
KinectMBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

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201520102005200019951990
▪ 2009: SPIRIT Formed - ARM a Founder
▪ Structure for Packaging, Integrating and Re-using IP within Tool-flows
▪ 2010: Released IP-XACT released ... On to become IEEE Std
▪ Lead to automatic system configuration tools in ARM.
CoreLink, CoreSight, and Socrates. Builds get-you-going
systems fast (Includes AMBA and the CoreLink Peripherals)
▪ 2009: ARM External Research Speakers Conference (ERSC)
▪ To Bring Academic Research Community and ARM Engineers together. Success; but ahead of it time ...
▪ 2016: ARM’s First Research Summit (Chris Doran) with same objective
▪ 2010: Linaro Formed - ARM a Founder
▪ Porting LINUX and SW Tools onto ARM
▪ Created System Architecture Standards for A-Class products
▪ Eases Porting of any OS’s, SW Tools and Debug Tools
▪ Eases the introduction of New Processors into Systems
▪ The basis of the ARM-A Class Dev-Boards and Systems that abound - Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, ODROID, ...
▪ But also the core architecture of ‘all’ ARM Powered Smartphones
The Value of Standards
Kinect
SPIRIT, ESRC Linaro
MBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

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201520102005200019951990
▪ 2011: Partners take ARM into HPC ...
▪ CalXeda (A9-32bit), HP-Moonshot Server and the Mont-Blanc FP7 Project - Sets ARM on the route to HPC
▪ Despite logic, substantial ‘pressure’ emerges to apply ARM
‘smart phone technology’ to the ultra-performance HPC sector
▪ ETP4HPC Formed – ARM Founder
▪ 2011: ARMv8 64-bit architecture announced
▪ Rapidly becomes must-have in Smart-Phones
▪ And creates interest in the HPC community
Professional Computing (Towards HPC) ...
HPC
ARMv8
Kinect
SPIRIT, ESRC Linaro
MBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

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201520102005200019951990
The Internet of Things (Wilgengebroed on Flickr)
The Network of Stuff
▪ 2012: Commits to A-Class, 25%pa, Tic-Toc beat
▪ 2013: Relaunches mbed as ARM’s primary IoT platform ...
▪ 90% of the products ‘now classed’ as IoT are ARM based
▪ mbed to complement the Kyle MDK and DS5
▪ 2013(16): ARM IoT Acquisitions start (Wikipedia)...
▪ Duolog Technologies - Tools for IP configuration and IP integration
▪ Sensinode - IoT startup
▪ PolarSSL - SSL & TLS Library
▪ Wicentric - Bluetooth
▪ Sunrise Micro Devices - Sub-one volt Bluetooth radio
▪ Sansa Security - HW security IP and SW for SoC components in IoT and mobile
▪ Offspark - IoT security software
▪ And continue ...
Tic-Toc ARM IoTHPC
ARMv8
Kinect
SPIRIT, ESRC Linaro
MBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

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201520102005200019951990
Business Opportunity - Drives - Technology Evolution
... ‘Old’ Markets remain; but they inherit Technologies from the Lead Markets!
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030
Main Frame
Mini Computer
Personal Computer
Desktop Internet
Mobile Internet
MillionsofUnits
pa
Professional←➔Consumer
1st
Era
Select work-tasks
2nd
Era
Broad-based computing
for specific tasks
3rd
Era
Computing as part
of our lives
IoT

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201520102005200019951990
Beginning of the IoT Era
▪ 2013: Warren East (CEO) hands over to Simon Segars
▪ To Take ARM into the 100Bpa era (IoT)
▪ 10Bpa ARM CPUs shipped in 2013 (50B total)
▪ Simon also and Engineer grown through the ARM ranks
▪ 2014: Capabilities Talk (IanP) at ARM General
Engineering Conference
▪ Clarifies the need-for and the roles-of Research in ARM
▪ New Chairman (Stuart Chambers) gets the message
▪ 2015: R&D Group remodeled into ARM Research Group
▪ With clear Research Mandate and Responsibilities to the Development Groups
▪ Immediate Upscale to all Research and Partnered Research activities
ARM IoT
New CEO
Capabilities
Research
Tic-TocHPC
ARMv8
Kinect
SPIRIT, ESRC Linaro
MBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

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201520102005200019951990
Beginning of the HPC Era
▪ ARM Architecture moves into HPC
▪ Aug16: Fujitsu announced Post-K Japanese exascale supercomputer will be ARMv8-A SVE
▪ Jan17: European Commission's Mont-Blanc HPC project choses Atos's Bull to build exascale-class compute
node using Cavium's Thunder X2 64-bit ARMv8-A server processor SoC.
▪ Jan17: EPSRC funds Isambard project to design and build, the world's first large-scale, production, ARM-based
supercomputer (Unies. of Bristol, Bath, Cardiff and Exeter, with the Met Office and Cray)
▪ ARM Supports HPC
▪ Aug16: ARM Announces SVE (Scalable Vector Extensions) ARMv8 Architecture Extension
▪ Apr17: ARM Compute Library and DinamIQ System Architecture.
▪ ARM HPC Support: Applications, Compilers, Debug Tools, Profiling Tools, Operating System (LINUX/BSD),
Parallelism Tools & Libraries, Math Libraries, File Systems, Workload Managers, Python Packages, Utilities
(https://developer.arm.com/hpc/hpc-software)
▪ Dec16: ARM Acquires Allinea Software (HPC Debugging SW)
▪ Apr17: The HPC Module for SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLES) available for 64-bit ARM (AArch64) systems.
HPC++ARM IoT
New CEO
Capabilities
Research
Tic-TocHPC
ARMv8
Kinect
SPIRIT, ESRC Linaro
MBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

29
201520102005200019951990
2016: ARM Delists and is Acquired by SoftBank
▪ 18jul16: SoftBank agrees terms with ARM Exec.
for the acquisition of ARM ...
▪ At £17/share, valuing the company at £24.3B ($32B)
▪ Specific interest in accelerating the possibilities of ARM
▪ With particular interest in the opportunities of IoT
▪ Commitment to keep HQ in UK and double UK staff
within 5yr ... and to grow the RoW activities
▪ Keen to maintain Business Model, Culture and Brand
▪ 01sep16: 6-weeks later, ARM De-Lists, SoftBank
hands £24.3B to ARM Hld. Investors and ARM
Acquisition is Completed ...
http://www.deepchip.com/items/0562-04.html
HPC++
SoftBank
ARM IoT
New CEO
Capabilities
Research
Tic-TocHPC
ARMv8
Kinect
SPIRIT, ESRC Linaro
MBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

30
201520102005200019951990
Aug16: ARM, Pre-SoftBank
▪ 2016 Revenue £1.2b (PBT 18%, R&D 35%), £1B in the bank.
▪ ARM Headcount >4,000, 22 Offices (10 Countries), 1750 in the UK.
▪ HQ Cambridge, England.
▪ Shipping Processor IP at a rate of ~20Bpa (Feb17: Hits 100B total)
▪ ARM ...
▪ has been driven by an (evolving) technical mission, and is staffed by people who believe in it.
▪ had Partners not customers ... It was a sharing relationship.
▪ responsive (not setting or driving the agenda)
▪ was as big as it needed to be (at any stage) to deliver what its partners needed (not demanded)
▪ grew organically and was very selective about who it employed
▪ was financially cautious (had around £1B in the bank)
▪ was ‘Owned’ by International Investors since its IPO (since 1998)
▪ But its Board was independent (The Chairman represents the Investors interests)
▪ ARM has been guided by a Dream & Culture ...
... And "Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast" - Peter Drucker.
HPC++
SoftBank
ARM IoT
New CEO
Capabilities
Research
Tic-TocHPC
ARMv8
Kinect
SPIRIT, ESRC Linaro
MBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex
1998: @ IPO.
Heads 350. Revenue £2.9m.
Value £26.6m.
2016: @ IPO+18yr
Heads x10. Revenue x400.
Value x1000.

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201520102005200019951990
Sep16: ARM, Post-SoftBank
▪ ‘Ownership’ is still International Investors
▪ SoftBank is 50% of the Board, with a lot more direct influence than the previous investors
▪ Especially interested in ARM’s IoT potential
▪ Investment Companies are motivated by financial returns ... somewhere.
▪ Technical or higher-level objectives are tolerated as a means to this end!
▪ Money not an obstacle to growth (Fact) - But it wasn’t before hand!
▪ Now ARM will need to set and drive the agenda - A fundamental change of ethos
▪ SoftBank is Legally-Bound (Monopolies and Mergers) to 2x ARM-UK before 2021
▪ HQ to stay in Cambridge for at least 5yrs. UK team to double from 1,749 (>76.7% to be tech staff)
▪ Reality; 2-3yrs to recruit 1,400 new technical people in the UK ... ~500/yr (The pre SB rate was ~100/yr)
▪ Also an un-binding plan to grow RoW ARM. ARM ww headcount at Sep16 was ~4,000
▪ Acquisitions are good ways to build headcount ... But you can inherit their businesses culture unless you
impose yours very quickly. (I have too much experience of acquisitions lead by bottom-line!)
... Observation: It will not be easy to meet this growth and keep the ARM Culture!
HPC++
SoftBank
ARM IoT
New CEO
Capabilities
Research
Tic-TocHPC
ARMv8
Kinect
SPIRIT, ESRC Linaro
MBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

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201520102005200019951990
Conclusions
▪ Guided by a maintained Technical Vision (Not just £££)
▪ Was it Sequentially-Lucky?
▪ All Strategies and Plans need luck to deliver ... But too many Key-Milestones here for Blind-Luck to explain!
▪ ARM made its own luck by actively evolving, with the technology and market
▪ Strategy, Capabilities and Culture were all aligned
▪ Is big on Culture, because it is NOT led by Professional Managers who ‘read the classic business books’
... but by technically competent enthusiasts with a dream; leading a committed team to deliver it!
▪ All Employees are Involved in the Business, trusted with Customers ... and Share the Rewards of success
▪ Customers liked (and continue to like), the risk-sharing business model ...
▪ License (Initial Investment), Royalty (Guarantees Involvement and Cooperation)
▪ Risk-Sharing makes Customers into Partners (Bi-directional dependency; trust, knowledge and data-flow)
▪ ARM is its own Toughest Competitor ...
▪ Winning is not a stable state (in the 21c) ... Cannot sit-on your Cash-Cows
▪ Must make your own products uncompetitive ... Before other competitors do!
... Wide Business Partnership is a winning formula for 21c Global Business
HPC++
SoftBank
ARM IoT
New CEO
Capabilities
Research
Tic-TocHPC
ARMv8
Kinect
SPIRIT, ESRC Linaro
MBEDiPhone
GPU
Profit
AMBA
Global VSIA
SecureCoreFormation
N6110
Thumb
Synth CPU
MOVE
ModelingIPO
Harvard FTSE100
MP-Core
Cortex

33
201520102005200019951990
https://ianp24.blogspot.com
2017: A New arm Begins ...
... Thank you for Listening
Ref:
1. Micro Men (28jul13) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXBxV6-zamM

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