Imagination Technologies up for sale [2017]

[tangey]

IMG announced today that the entire group is up for sale. In light of Apple's announced intentions to no longer pay fees to IMG in some point in the near future, IMG had announced that both MIPS and Ensigma were being sold.

But todays announcement says that they have had enquiries from "a number of parties" over the last few weeks for the entire business. The situation looks like MIPS and Ensigma are still being offered as individual entities, but the entire group is also being offered.

Sad day that it sounds like IMG will lose it's identity and become enveloped by another company.

It is interesting to note that Tsinghua momentary went over the 3% notifiable shareholding level a few days ago, before dropping under it again. Was that a "we are interested" shot ?

I would suggest that either they, or Samsung are likely buyers. Samsung would be getting the graphics unit that it has always wanted, and both of them would have the money to fight a lawsuit regarding any perceived infringment by Apple, which can't happen until Apple launch a product with 'in-house' graphics

https://www.imgtec.com/news/press-release/commencement-of-formal-sale-process-for-whole-group/

 

[Rootax]

Damn :/

 

[tangey]

Anandtech's take on things
http://www.anandtech.com/show/11569/imagination-technologies-formally-puts-itself-up-for-sale

If IMG's Ray Tracing IP is worth a damn, one assumes Nvidia/AMD would be piqued, now that it is effectively for sale.

 

[Rys]

 

[Deleted member 13524]

If I had to guess:

1 - Samsung
2 - Mediatek
3 - HiSilicon (does Huawei have $400M to pay for it?)


The company being sold to anyone else (Qualcomm, AMD, nVidia, Intel, ARM, etc.) would probably mean scrapping all future plans, firing everyone and using the IP as constant source of revenue.


And I don't really think apple can be on that list. If they wanted to purchase IMG they would've done it years ago, before starting to hire and poach GPU engineers everywhere.

 

[Rootax]

Could Intel be interested ?

 

[Rodéric]

It could still be interesting for Apple as it would cost them a lot less than before ^^
Intel could have been, if it was still trying to sell mobile/tablet hardware, which I think it isn't anymore.

 

[AlNom]

Intel could have been, if it was still trying to sell mobile/tablet hardware, which I think it isn't anymore.

How are Surface sales anyway?

;p

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Intel could have been, if it was still trying to sell mobile/tablet hardware, which I think it isn't anymore.

There was a time when most people thought Intel would bring the PowerVR GPUs from the ULP Atoms into the big Cores and eventually phase out their Gen iGPUs. The exact opposite happened.

 

[zed]

How are Surface sales anyway?

Bad, there was a recent graph that showed even their best quarter ever revenue has been a lot lower than the ipads worse quarter ever revenue, which maybe aint so bad, but then you realize the ASP per surface is a lot higher than the ipads ASP which shows it hasn't actually been setting the world on fire.
MS IMO need to bring out a lot cheaper version, one where they only make $10 profit or something, just to get some marketshare, they can still charge the high prices for all the higher end products

 

[3dcgi]

If I had to guess:

1 - Samsung
2 - Mediatek
3 - HiSilicon (does Huawei have $400M to pay for it?)


The company being sold to anyone else (Qualcomm, AMD, nVidia, Intel, ARM, etc.) would probably mean scrapping all future plans, firing everyone and using the IP as constant source of revenue.


And I don't really think apple can be on that list. If they wanted to purchase IMG they would've done it years ago, before starting to hire and poach GPU engineers everywhere.

Most of the companies you mention would care more about the engineers than the IP.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

It could still be interesting for Apple as it would cost them a lot less than before ^^
Intel could have been, if it was still trying to sell mobile/tablet hardware, which I think it isn't anymore.

The problem there is how it would look to regulatory bodies and if they would approve the sale.

It's common knowledge that Apple was IMG's largest customer by a relatively large margin. It's common knowledge that Apple licensed IMG GPUs for use in their products. There were also rumors that Apple were in talks with IMG about a possible acquisition. Apple acknowledged they talked to IMG, but didn't disclose what those talks were about and commented that they wouldn't be making an offer at that time.

If Apple were to express interest, their actions leading up to this point could be seen as attempting to manipulate the market such that they could acquire IMG at lower than market price. Especially when everything they've been saying up to this point is that they are well along with making a GPU that is at least as good as what they were licensing from IMG without using anything which IMG holds rights to. IE - other than acquiring engineers, there is supposedly nothing that Apple needs from IMG as their GPU doesn't use anything related to IMG.

Regards,
SB

 

[Rys]

Most of the companies you mention would care more about the engineers than the IP.

A funny position for them to take, given almost all of the GPUs made by those companies could heavily benefit from the unique and PowerVR-specific technology embodied in their IP.

 

[Entropy]

We'll probably find out soon enough.
I hope the employees who haven't jumped ship already will come out of it relatively unscathed, and that the good technology developed under the IMGTech umbrella will be put to use as opposed to languishing in a largely unused IP-portfolio.

 

[Lazy8s]

I think Apple will still be one of the most likely candidates to buy them out, and I think they'd end up having to pay a rate similar to what they would have had to pay before IMG's stock price was sunk.

 

[Rufus]

In the UK there's a fairly strict Code on Takeovers. When Apple announced last year that they were not going to takeover IMG that was actually legally binding, though only for 6 months. So they are now in the clear to do a takeover again.

22 March 2016

From time to time, Apple talks with companies about potential acquisitions. We had some discussions with Imagination, but we do not plan to make an offer for the company at this time.

This announcement is made in accordance with Rule 2.8 of the Code. As a result of this announcement, Apple will, except with the consent of the UK Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, be bound by the restrictions contained in Rule 2.8 of the Code.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/other/12748077.html

2.8 STATEMENTS OF INTENTION NOT TO MAKE AN OFFER
A person making a statement that he does not intend to make an offer
for a company should make the statement as clear and unambiguous
as possible. Except in the circumstances described in Note 2 or
otherwise with the consent of the Panel, neither the person making the
statement, nor any person who acted in concert with that person, nor
any person who is subsequently acting in concert with either of them,
may within six months from the date of the statement:
(a) announce an offer or possible offer for the offeree company

http://www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/code.pdf?v=2May2017

 

[Ethatron]

A funny position for them to take, given almost all of the GPUs made by those companies could heavily benefit from the unique and PowerVR-specific technology embodied in their IP.

Fully tiled rasterizer? RUs (Raytracing Unit) for ray-probing used in collision detection and occlusion culling, heightfield tracing and global illumination traversal, and last but not least resolution independent shadow-"mapping"?
Sounds good. How much?

 

[manux]

I really don't see any point for apple buying imgtech. Apple might want specific engineers or ip but they already have inhouse solution. Why buy company just to lay off 99% of employees that apple doesn't need/want? Licencing and recruiting is much better solution. I assume apple would want to relocate anyone coming aboard where ever their existing team(s) is/are. Adding a new remote site is never a great idea.

 

[lanek]

I think Apple will still be one of the most likely candidates to buy them out, and I think they'd end up having to pay a rate similar to what they would have had to pay before IMG's stock price was sunk.

Honestly, this will be funny as IMG is in this position right now, because Apple have annunce they will not buy anymore IMG IPs, design in the future.. ( well this is part of the reason, as they have not seek other clients etc )..

Honestly if this is happend, i will start to ask me if Apple have not see the opportunity some times ago and make the move how they have do it for acquire patent and licences this way.

 

[Magnum_Force]

Part of me secretly hopes Sony will pony up the dough and buy IMG, as they have some interesting tech and I think Sony could use the majority of it; PS5, updated PS Vita, smartphones, SOCs for there TV's.

Basically I really want real time attracting hardware in a console .