Just a few months back (well, way back in September…which now seems so very long ago), news broke of Dialog Semiconductor’s $4.6 billion bid to acquire fellow silicon-slinging giant Atmel Corporation.
At the time, the acquisition seemed like a relatively done deal. We even penned an article (“Dialog Acquires Atmel”) stating as much. Turns out, we spoke a touch too soon.
News broke earlier this week that Arizona-based Microchip Technologies has swooped in with a “superior proposal” that has caught the attention of Atmel’s board of directors. The actual value of the proposal is less ($3.2 billion) but is a cash-and-stock proposal that might hold more intrigue.
The move would be a big one for Microchip, who is most well known for the PIC series of microcontrollers. Atmel, on the other hand, is more known for their AVR line of microcontrollers and electronics enthusiasts are often on one side of the other as superior. It’s an interesting move for Microchip, as many see Atmel as a direct competitor. Dialog, on the other hand, focuses more on power management products.
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It remains to be seen who will ultimately acquire Atmel (and Dialog can still put up a counter proposal of their own), but for now, the odds seem in favor of Microchip and Atmel becoming one.
If that is the case, there will certainly be some excitement building around the possibility of two of the major players in microprocessors coming together -- and the future will almost definitely be interesting. Stay tuned!