Report

PSA Technology: The Global Semiconductor Industry – Introduction to the Data Processing Unit

The development of the DPU is probably as significant for the semiconductor and data centre industries as it is for the companies in the race to bring it to market. We see the DPU being a large market in its own right, but one that also facilitates a furthering of the data storage boom and AI / ML, which itself has a positive feedback loop for the semiconductor industry. Pelham Smithers discusses the key players and identifies who is punching above their weight and who is at risk of falling behind.
Underlyings
Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

Advanced Micro Devices is a semiconductor company. The company primarily provides x86 microprocessors, as standalone devices or as incorporated into an accelerated processing unit, chipsets, graphics processing units (GPUs), data center and personnel GPUs, and development services; server and embedded processors, semi-custom System-on-Chip products, development services and technology for game consoles. The company also licenses portions of its intellectual property portfolio. The company's segments are: Computing and Graphics, which consists of desktop, notebooks, commercial, and chipsets products; and Enterprise, Embedded and Semi-Custom, which includes server processors, and embedded P\processors products.

ALPHABET HOLDING CO INC

ASML Holding NV

ASML Holding provides lithography systems for the semiconductor industry, manufacturing machines that are used in the production of integrated circuits or chips. Co. develops, produces, markets, sells and services advanced semiconductor equipment systems exclusively consisting of lithography systems. Co. sells its products to micro-processor manufacturers and Foundries, NAND-Flash memory and DRAM memory chipmakers. Co.'s products line includes the following: PAS 5000 lithography systems, which Co. no longer manufactures but continues to refurbish; PAS 5500 products; TWINSCAN DUV systems and TWINSCAN EUV systems based on a new platform utilizing the concepts of the TWINSCAN platform.

Broadcom Inc.

Broadcom, via its subsidiaries, is a designer, developer and supplier of a range of semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions. The company develops semiconductor devices with a focus on digital and mixed signal complementary metal oxide semiconductor based devices and analog III-V based products. The company provides products that are used in end products such as enterprise and data center networking, home connectivity, set-top boxes, broadband access, telecommunication equipment, smartphones and base stations, data center servers and storage systems, and factory automation. The company has three segments: semiconductor solutions, infrastructure software and intellectual property licensing.

Cisco Systems Inc.

Cisco Systems designs and sells a range of technologies that power the Internet. The company's business is organized into the following three geographic segments: Americas; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and Asia Pacific, Japan, and China. The company's products and technologies are grouped into the following categories: Infrastructure Platforms; Applications; Security and Other Products. In addition to its product offerings, the company provides a range of service offerings, including technical support services and other services. The company delivers its technologies through software and services. The company's customers include businesses of all sizes, public institutions, governments, and service providers.

Dell Technologies Inc Class C

Dell Technologies is a holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the company designs, develops, manufactures, markets, sells, and supports a range of products and services. The company's reportable segments are: Infrastructure Solutions Group, which includes servers, networking, and storage, as well as services and third-party software and peripherals; Client Solutions Group, which includes desktops, thin client products, and notebooks, as well as services and third-party software and peripherals; and VMware, which provides compute, cloud management, networking and security, storage and availability, and other end-user computing offerings.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is a technology company. The company's segments are: Hybrid IT, which provides a portfolio of infrastructure and solutions including servers, storage, and HPE Pointnext services; Intelligent Edge, which is comprised of cloud solutions that include wireless local area network, campus and data center switching, software-defined wide-area-networking, security, and associated services to enable secure connectivity; Financial Services, which provides investment solutions for customers that facilitate technology deployment models; and Corporate Investments, which includes Communications and Media Solutions, Hewlett Packard Labs and certain business incubation projects.

Intel Corporation

Intel is a data-centric company. The company's operating segments are: Data Center Group, which develops platforms for compute, storage, and network functions; Internet of Things Group, which facilitates its customers creating, storing, and processing data; Mobileye, which provides assistance and automation solutions; Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group, which provides memory and storage products based on Intel? Optane? technology and Intel? 3D NAND technology; Programmable Solutions Group, which provides programmable semiconductors; and Client Computing Group, which connects people to data, allowing each person to focus, create, and engage in ways that unlock their individual potential.

Lasertec Corp.

Lasertec is mainly engaged in the development, manufacture, and sale of semiconductor-related products and other products, as well as the provision of services for its products. Co.'s principal products include systems related to defect inspection/measurement of mask, mask blanks and wafer; systems related to defect inspection of large size photomask and PV cell conversion efficiency distribution measurement system; and systems related to microscope based on confocal optics. Along with its subsidiaries, Co. offers its products and services in Japan as well as in North America, Europe, and Asia regions.

Marvell Technology Group Ltd.

Marvell Technology Group is a semiconductor provider of application-specific products. The company is focused on the development of System-on-a-Chip devices, utilizing its technology portfolio of intellectual property in the areas of analog, mixed-signal, digital signal processing, and embedded and standalone integrated circuits. The company develops integrated hardware platforms along with software that incorporates digital computing technologies. In storage, the company is engaged in fibre channel products and data storage controller solutions spanning cloud, enterprise, edge and personal computing markets. The company's networking products include ethernet solutions, embedded processors and WiFi connectivity solutions.

Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft is a technology company. The company develops and supports software, services, devices, and solutions. The company provides an array of services, including cloud-based solutions as well as solution support and consulting services. The company also delivers relevant online advertising. The company's products include operating systems; cross-device productivity applications; server applications; business solution applications; desktop and server management tools; software development tools; and video games. The company also designs, manufactures, and sells devices, including personal computers, tablets, gaming and entertainment consoles, other devices, and related accessories.

NVIDIA Corporation

NVIDIA engages in graphics processing unit (GPU)-based visual computing and accelerated computing platforms. The company has two segments, GPU and Tegra Processor, which are based on a single underlying architecture. The company's GPU product brands are aimed at markets including GeForce for gamers; Quadro for designers; Tesla and DGX for artificial intelligence data scientists and big data researchers; and GRID for cloud-based visual computing users. The company's Tegra brand integrates an entire computer onto a single chip, and incorporates GPUs and multi-core CPUs to drive supercomputing for autonomous robots, drones, and cars, as well as for game consoles and mobile gaming and entertainment devices.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

Samsung Electronics is engaged in the manufacture and sale of electronic goods, communication products, semiconductors, telecommunication equipment, home appliances and other similar products. Co.'s products are mobile phones, MP3 Players, DVD players, video equipment, including Blu-Ray, TVs and VCRs; household appliances, including microwave ovens, refrigerators, home air conditioners, washing machines, ultrasonic humidifiers, dehumidifiers, vacuum cleaners and other small electrical goods; audio equipment, including semiconductors, information systems, and computers; miscellaneous parts; other products, including automatic vending machines, refrigerated display cases and electric tools.

SoftBank Group Corp.

SoftBank Group is a holding company. Domestic Telecommunications business provides mobile communication services, mobile devices, broadband services to retail customers, and telecom services to corporate customers in Japan. Sprint business provides mobile communication services and fixed-line telecommunication services in the U.S. Yahoo Japan business operates Internet-based advertising and e-commerce business. Distribution business distributes mobile devices overseas, and sells software and mobile device accessories in Japan. ARM business designs microprocessor intellectual property and related technology. SoftBank Vision Fund & Delta Fund business is engaged in the investment activities.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Sponsored ADR

VMware Inc. Class A

VMware is engaged in the development and application of technologies with x86 server-based computing, separating application software from the underlying hardware. The company's product and service solutions are organized into three main product groups: Software-Defined Data Center, which is designed to transform the data center into an on-demand service that addresses application requirements; Hybrid Cloud Computing, which is comprised of VMware Cloud Provider Program and VMware Cloud Services; and End-User Computing solution, which consists of VMware Workspace ONE, its digital workspace platform, that includes Unified Endpoint Management and VMware Horizon application and desktop virtualization.

Provider
Pelham Smithers Associates Ltd
Pelham Smithers Associates Ltd

Founded in 2009, Pelham Smithers Associates (PSA) provides market intelligence on Asian technology, focusing in particular on Japan. The industries covered by our team of specialists are: consumer electronics, telecomms, pharmaceuticals, internet, electronic parts and materials, automotive technology, retail and capital goods. 

PSA produces both company and sector reports. The focus of PSA’s research is to identify winners and losers as new technologies impact the top and bottom lines of corporations. Critical to our research is the clear explanation of how these new technologies work and how they impact companies and industries. 

The founding partners have worked closely together for twenty years and the team has more than doubled in size since 2012. 

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