AMD will acquire low-power server specialist SeaMicro for $334 millionThe basic building block of the SeaMicro system is a credit card-sized compute block, comprised of a CPU and its chipset, DRAM, and a custom SeaMicro ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). SeaMicro’s patented I/O virtualization allows companies to save money by using fewer cables and network interface cards (NICs) to connect to networks and storage.
That reminds me, Calxeda was making noises a few months ago about competing in that space using ARM cores. Cruising their site I don't see anything new so I guess they weren't as far along with their development as they were saying.
If anything, this is a loss for Intel. SeaMicro was the company to push Atom servers the most, and may have been even the only one. If they switch to AMD, that means no other other is interested in making Atom-based servers right now, which clears the path for ARM with their Cortex A15 chips later on.
Well, AMD has their own low power core, Bobcat, which I'd bet they're going to be combining with Sea Micro's stuff. In fact, given AMD's move to synthesized design for Bobcat I expect that they'll just take the GPU out of a Brazos chip, put in the logic from SeaMicro's special connector chips, and boom you've got a pretty compelling product.
AMD will acquire low-power server specialist SeaMicro for $334 million The basic building block of the SeaMicro system is a credit card-sized compute block, comprised of a CPU and its chipset, DRAM, and a custom SeaMicro ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). SeaMicro’s patented I/O virtualization allows companies to save money by using fewer cables and network interface cards (NICs) to connect to networks and storage.