In case you have not seen it yet there is a website named 50BillionChips where you can follow the journey of ARM. This goes quite well with the brief history of ARM we wrote last year in preparation for our bookFabless: The Transformation of the Semiconductor Industry. ARM was a big part of that transformation of course.



A Brief History of ARM

Follow the journey of ARM from the very beginning in 1990 when Advanced RISC Machines Ltd spins out of Acorn in the hope of creating a new microprocessor standard, to the collaboration of an ECO System of Partners that enabled the mass market mobile revolution and to a future where ARM is diversifying and leading innovation to new technologies such as the Internet of Things and expanding mobile connectivity.

History of ARM 1990

Advanced RISC machines (ARM) spins out of Acorn & Apple Computers collaboration efforts with a charter to create new microprocessor standard.

VLSI Technology becomes an ARM investor and the first Licensee of ARM processor IP.

1991

Robin Saxby joins ARM as Chairman &Chief Executive Officer, his ambition earning him the nickname the “Damaging Director” by EE Times.

ARM introduces the first embeddable RISC core, the ARM6 solution.

The Apple Newton personal digital assistant is launched, based on the ARM 610 RISC processor

Panasonic launches the ARM-powered 3DO multiplayer video game console launched.

1996

Nokia launches the ARM-powered 8110 mobile phone, which due to the prominent curvature of the case earned it the nickname “banana phone”.

1998

ARM Holdings goes public with its Initial Public Offering (IPO). First day of trading saw the share price leap 118% from 375p to 820p resulting in a valuation of $1Bn.

ARM partners ship more than 50 million ARM Powered products

1999

ARM becomes the highest volume 16/32-bit embedded RISC processor solution

Software developer Micrologic is acquired by ARM

MP3 and Dolby digital software solutions are added to ARM portfolio

VLSI announces Bluetooth technology is to be included into its wireless capabilities.

Nokia launches the highly successful ARM-powered 3210 mobile phone, arguable the first consumer phone to become a fashion icon.

Staff numbers at ARM HQ soar to 500 people

2000

TSMC and UMC become members of ARM Foundry Program

e-Commerce Design Centre is opened in Sophia Antipolis, France

Software companies Allant Software and Infinite Designs are acquired

Taiwan office is opened

SC100 SecurCore™ microprocessor core is launched for smart card applications

Jazelle™ technology launched providing Java application support

Samsung and Incard launch world’s first ARM Powered 32-bit smart card for high-volume SIM applications.

Ericsson launches the ARM-powered R380 phone, the first smart phone with Symbian OS

Nokia launches ARM-powered 9210 Communicator

Palm publicises their intention to use ARM technology for future projects

2001

Offices opened in Sheffield (UK) and Israel.

SecurCore SC200 and SC210 microprocessor cores are introduced secure 32 bit processing for smart card and secure IC developers

MOVE multimedia acceleration technology introduced for wireless devices

PrimeXsys platforms with release of the PrimeXsys wireless platform

ARMv6 architecture is announced, and ARMVFP9-S and ARM VFP10 vector floating-point coprocessors

2002

Warren East appointed Chief Executive Officer

Office is opened in Shanghai, China

2003

ARM launches TrustZone™ technology for secure computing

ARM968E-S processor launched. The smallest, lowest power, synthesizable ARM9E™ family core produced to date

2004

Shanghai Zhonghua Electronics Co Ltd (ZHSOC) becomes first ARM Approved Design Centre in China

Telecom Italia Lab and NSW become the first two Approved Design Centres specialising in PrimeXsys

ARM’s first Developers Conference is held

OptimoDE™ Data Engine is launched

MPCore™ multiprocessor launched

HTC launches the ARM-powered Typhoon, billed as “the first smartphone without no size penalty”.

2005

Artisan Components is acquired by ARM, a provider of physical IP components for the design of system-on-a-chip (SoC) integrated circuits (ICs)

ARM Acquires Keil Elektronik GmbH and Keil Software, developing its software development tools

2006

Norwegian Falanx Microsystems AS is acquired, strengthening ARM’s 3D graphics IP portfolio

Cortex™-R4 processor is launched, offering high performance realtime processing for mobile phones, hard-disk drives, printers and automotive applications.

SOISIC acquisition Strengthens ARM’s Physical IP Portfolio by adding Silicon On Insulator Technology

The ARM Cortex-A8 processor is recognised as ‘Best in 2005’ by four leading electronics industry publications

2007

Five billionth ARM Powered processor is shipped to the mobile device market

Cortex-A9 processor is launched at ARM‘s Developers’ Conference in Santa Clara

ARM launches the Cortex-M1 processor – the first ARM processor designed specifically for implementation on FPGAs

AMBA Adaptive Verification IP launched

RealView Profiler for embedded software analysis introduced

Cortex-A9 processors are launched, offering scalable performance and low-power designs

ARM introduces SecurCore SC300 processor for smart card applications

Apple launches the ARM-powered iPhone.

Nokia launches the ARM-powered N95, one of the first smartphones

2008

ARM announces 10 billionth processor shipment.

ARM is voted Britain’s Top Employer by crf.com

ARM announces Physical IP for IBM’s 45nm SOI Foundry, and industry first for silicon-on-insulator technology

ARM’s Mali-200 graphics processing unit (GPU) is the world’s first to achieve Khronos Open GL ES 2.0 conformance at 1080p HDTV resolution

T-mobile launches the ARM powered GI smartphone (also known as the HTC Dream), the first phone to use the Android operating system

2009

Logipard AB acquisition extends ARM’s leadership in media processing and graphics

ARM invests in Japanese software vendor eSOL to develop enhanced platforms for next-generation automotive electronics

2GHz-capable Cortex-A9 dual core processor implementation further enhances mobile performance

ARM launches its smallest, lowest power, most energy efficient processor, the ARM Cortex-M0

Samsung launches the Galaxy S2 smartphone incorporating both ARM processor and Mali graphics

Palm launches the Pre, the first phone to use the ARMv7 architecture.

Fortune Magazine names ARM “The Chip Company That Dares to Battle Intel”

2010

ARM celebrated its 20th anniversary, recorded by Bill Thompson in his BBC article The birth of a UK tech giant

ARM Launches Cortex™-M4 microcontroller, offering High Performance Digital Signal Control

ARM Launches DS-5 Development Tools for ARM Linux-Based Systems

Giesecke & Devrient announces collaboration with ARM for secure mobile payments utilising ARM’s TrustZone technology

ARM and key partners form non-profit company Linaro to accelerate the rollout of ARM based Linux devices

ARM and Taiwanese foundry TSMC sign long-term agreement to achieve optimized Systems-on-Chip based on ARM processors, extending down to 20nm

ARM Mali becomes the most widely licensed embedded GPU architecture, a development quickly underpinned by the launch of the Mali-T604 GPU providing industry-leading graphics performance and energy-efficiency

Microsoft becomes an ARM architecture licensee

LG launches its ARM-powered Optimus 2x Android mobile phone

2011

ARM CEO Warren East makes Barron’s list of the World’s Top 30 CEOs

FTSE4Good Index, designed to measure the performance of companies that meet globally-recognized corporate responsibility standards, recognises ARM contribution

ARM granted Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation Category)

ARM collaborates with IBM to provide comprehensive design platforms down to 14nm, and extends UMC partnership into 28nm

AMD announces license and plans for first ARMv8-based processor

R&D presence is expanded in Taiwan is with ARM’s Hsinchu Design Center

Cortex-A7 processor is launched

A new approach to energy efficient mobile computing is announced with big.Little configuration for Cortex-A15 and Cortex-A7 processors.

ARMv8 is architecture unveiled at ARM’s annual TechCon event

The Mali-T658 GPU is launched

Microsoft unveils Windows on ARM at CES 2011

ARM, Cadence and TSMC tape out first 20nm Cortex-A15 multicore processor.

2012

Linux 3.7 is released with support for 64 bit ARM Architecture

2013

Simon Segars is appointed ARM CEO.

The Server Base System Architecture (SBSA) is announced, providing a common platform for heterogeneous ARM-based servers.

ARM acquires Sensinode, a pioneer in software for low cost low power internet connected devices and a key contributor to open standards for the Internet of Things

ARMv8-A, ARM’s first 64 bit architecture for high performance mobile and enterprise computing is launched

Cortex-A53 and Cortex-A57 processors are launched, offering seamless processing of 32-bit and 64-bit code and big.Little support.

Apple launches the first 64-bit smartphone, the ARM-powered iPhone 5s

ARM® designs the semiconductor intellectual property and enabling technology at the heart of the world’s advanced digital products. Our energy efficient and scalable processors deliver the intelligence which is transforming society; from smartphones and wearable devices, to enterprise infrastructure and servers, to embedded technology in automotive, industrial applications and the ‘Internet of Things’.



Our technology is licensed by partners who have now shipped more than 50 billion microchips containing ARM processors since the company was founded in 1990. Together with our Connected Community, we are breaking down barriers to innovation for developers, designers and engineers, ensuring a fast, reliable route to market for leading electronics companies. Join the conversation at http://community.arm.com.

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