VIA Technologies Inc hopes that it will that it will become the world’s largest fabless IC designer within two years through a link up with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The Taiwanese chip design house is aiming to capture 10% of the global market and become the world’s second largest CPU manufacturer, earning operating revenues of $1bn in the process. It intends to strike a foundry deal with TSMC after the completion of its acquisition of National Semiconductor Inc’s Cyrix x86 unit.
However, two obstacles stand in the way of VIA’s global ambitions. First, Intel Corp will try to block VIA’s access to the Natsemi’s x86 license, which is presumably key to VIA’s plans especially if hopes to make its revenues in the low-end of the CPU market. Intel has already taken out a patent lawsuit against VIA and has said that the company’s deal with Natsemi won’t allow it access to the patent. Second, the VP of TSMC told the Taiwan Commercial Times that this news is VIA’s alone and he had no comment to make on any prospective foundry deal.
