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Specialist
Former C-level Executive at Arm
Agenda
- Overview of processor landscape dynamics, highlighting Arm architecture vs x86 in areas such as data centres, IoT and automotive
- Areas where Arm remains ahead and areas where share is receding to x86
- Positioning within the AI landscape over next 3-4 years
- Challenges for licensing/industry sentiment on custom architecture
Questions
1.
What are the biggest factors determining the dynamics of the processor landscape between x86 and Arm?
2.
You described how x86 and Arm have found their own niche. Historically, where have their strengths been across mobile compute and other segments? How has this evolved over time?
3.
Licensing is a major topic in this kind of architectural environment. Over the past 18 months, there have been many positive and negative developments and company clashes, as with Arm and Qualcomm over Nuvia, with Arm really expanding its licensing revenue. What’s your take on the current environment? What struggles have the companies been going through?
4.
It’s interesting that you note new customers in the environment shift. There are hyperscale clients who might not be looking for the volumes other chip designers are looking for. What are the pros and cons you’re referring to?
5.
What’s your estimate for how many more times they could charge for a licence, given the value prop for hyperscalers?
6.
We could expect multiples on a standard licence, depending on what’s included. Could you see Arm charging twice as much as the current environment, or would it be way more?
7.
What are your thoughts on the growth we’re seeing within RISC-V and its overall adoption, especially within the embedded processors sector? How much of this is overall a general benefit to the sector, and how much of it is a cannibalistic relationship?
8.
AI is a hot topic right now, particularly in the context of power requirements. This technology’s computations and the complexities of chips coming into the market are going to have super-high power requirements. What advantages will these constraints, particularly from x86, have, particularly for Arm?
9.
In terms of allocations to CPUs and GPUs within data centres, where is Arm dominating? Where is x86 starting to receive share?
10.
Particularly with something such as the Nvidia Grace Hopper Superchip, the Arm-based CPU allows Arm’s share to grow at a 1:1 ratio with this integration. You suggested that Arm accounted for 25% of total servers deployed in AWS over the last two years. In the next two years, what do you expect this figure to grow to?
11.
For x86 and Arm, what would you consider to be the biggest challenges regarding AI? What roadblocks do you expect them to tackle in the next three years?
12.
How much of a missed opportunity are other end markets with growth or a large amount of consumer demand, such as IoT or automotive? Is there potential for either Arm or x86 to establish a strong foothold within these growing sectors?
13.
What will you be monitoring closest in this landscape? What excites you?
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