Micronas to acquire WISchip for $80 million

Micronas Semiconductor Holding AG has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all shares of privately-held fabless semiconductor company WISchip International Ltd.

Under the deal, Micronas (Zurich, Switzerland) will acquire WISchip (Santa Clara, Calif.), for $80 million. The transaction will close by the year's end.

Micronas will gain 104 employees from WISchip, including 78 experienced video and computer engineers, 32 of which are based in the company's Shanghai R&D facility.

Founded in 1998, WISchip develops advanced audio and video system-on-chip IC and software solutions, implementing the latest generation MPEG1/2/4, H.264 and VC-1 HDTV standards. These are the key technologies for emerging markets utilizing broadband networks and mass storage for next-generation entertainment and communications applications.

WISchip's technology supports existing MPEG-1/2/4 compression standards, as well as H.264 and Microsoft Window Media 9/VC-1 at full high-definition resolutions.

"The combination of technologies and products from Micronas and WISchip will enable Micronas' customers to quickly bring to market next-generation audio/video solutions for a broad range of products, including Integrated Digital HDTVs, enhanced cable, satellite and terrestrial TV set-top boxes, personal video recorders (PVRs), next generation high definition DVD recorders (HD-DVD and BluRay) and players, Internet Protocol (IP) set-top boxes, IP AV streaming systems as well as IP surveillance cameras," said Hans-J|rgen Disor, VP Consumer Products of Micronas, in a statement.

- Spencer Chin

EE Times