Freescale Semiconductor
| File:Freescale Semiconductor logo.svg | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Semiconductors |
| Founded | Spin-off from Motorola in 2004 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Richard Beyer, CEO Lisa Su, CTO |
| Revenue |  $5.7 billion USD (2007) |
| $1.9 billion USD (2007) | |
 -$1.6 billion USD (2007) | |
Number of employees | 24,000 |
| Website | www.freescale.com |
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. is an American semiconductor manufacturer. It was created by the divestiture of the Semiconductor Products Sector of Motorola in 2004. Freescale focuses their integrated circuit products on the automotive, embedded and communications markets. Freescale is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders.
History and products
Motorola announced that their semiconductor division would be divested on October 6, 2003 to create Freescale. Freescale completed its IPO on July 16, 2004 at an IPO price of $13. In its announcement, it estimated the stock price to be $17.50-$19.50 but following a cooling of the market towards tech stocks, it lowered its price to $13. Existing shareholders of Motorola stock received 0.110415 shares of Freescale stock for every share of Motorola stock as a dividend which was distributed on December 2, 2004 Motorola Shareholder Letter.
Products
Automotive
Freescale is one of the leading semiconductor suppliers to the automotive industry. Modern cars use electronics to manage the engine for peak performance and to reduce emissions, and Freescale is the largest supplier of engine system microcontrollers in the world. Automotive safety systems such as anti-lock brakes and airbags also use microcontrollers and analog power management circuits from Freescale. Freescale also produces a range of integrated sensor products such as accelerometers and pressure sensors.
Freescale's SMARTMOS analog portfolio provides power actuation and multiple switch detect interface family ICs, system basis chips for hybrid vehicles[1]
In November 2008 it was announced that the company will collaborate with McLaren Electronic Systems to further develop its KERS system for McLaren's Formula 1 car from 2010 onwards. Both parties believe this collaboration will improve McLaren's KERS system and help the system filter down to road car technology. [2]
Other major parts
Other major parts of Freescale's semiconductor business are wireless and mobile products, and networking chips. Freescale had also been a source of PowerPC microprocessors (ICs) for Apple Computer's PowerBooks and Mac mini products until the Apple Intel transition in 2006. They joined Power.org in 2006 as a founding member to develop and promote the use of Power Architecture. CherryPal, a new PC maker, will reintroduce the Power Architecture to the personal computer market with the forthcoming July 2008 launch of its CherryPal cloud-computer.
DragonBall is a low power derivation of the earlier Motorola 68000 family microprocessors.
Freescale also has a portfolio of Digital Signal Processor (DSP) products based on StarCore Technology. Freescale's DSPs are being used in Broadband Wireless, Voice Over IP and video infrastructure systems.
In 2006 the company announced a new Integrated Circuit (IC) which stores information without requiring continuous power. The technology, called magneto-resistive random-access memory (MRAM), stores data by relying on magnetic properties instead of an electrical charge. Freescale started commercial shipments of the 4-Mbit MRAM IC on July 10, 2006, with small volume sales priced at $25 per chip.
Buyout
On Friday, September 15, 2006 Freescale agreed to accept a buyout for the sum of $17.6 billion ($40 per share) by a consortium led by Blackstone Group LP. Share prices of $13 at the July 2004 IPO had risen to $39.35 in afterhours trading that Friday when the news, rumored that week, broke. A special shareholders meeting on November 13, 2006 voted to accept the buyout offer. The purchase, which closed on December 1, 2006, is reportedly the largest private buyout of a technology company and one of the ten largest buyouts of all time.[3][4][5][6]
Competitors
See also
Notes
- ^ http://www.freescale.com/files/shared/doc/selector_guide/SG2027.pdf?WT_TYPE=Selector%20Guides&WT_VENDOR=FREESCALE&WT_FILE_FORMAT=pdf&WT_ASSET=Documentation
- ^ McLaren to work with Freescale on KERS November 12, 2008
- ^ Freescale sells itself for $17.6bn cash – or more 15th September 2006
- ^ Freescale Took Scenic Buyout Route October 4, 2006
- ^ Freescale Semiconductor Bought Out by Blackstone for $17.6Billion September 25, 2006
- ^ Consortium of Private Equity Firms Completes Acquisition of Freescale Semiconductor December 1, 2006