ST-Ericsson向ST转移处理器业务，裁员1700人

国际电子商情讯，意法半导体与爱立信的合资企业ST-爱立信近日宣布了一项最新的战略指导计划，内容是该公司将把业务重心放在智能手机和平板电脑的“完整系统解决方案”上。 根据这项计划，ST-爱立信将把业务重心放在交付应用处理器、调制解调器、连接解决方案及其他部件上，为着眼于在移动市场上展开竞争的供销商提供产品。此外，ST-爱立信还宣布将把自身开发技术授权给第三方使用。 ST-爱立信CEO迪迪尔·拉莫切(Didier Lamouche)发表声明称：“到目前为止，ST-爱立信的志向一直都是直接开发过于建立完整平台所需要的广泛IP产品组合，但这种战略未能带来我想要看到的结果。通过集中致力于独特产品以及在合适的领域展开合作的方式，T-爱立信将可交付客户想要的产品，同时确保现有发展蓝图的完整连续性。” ST-爱立信在移动市场上所占份额一直都在下滑，而英伟达、英特尔和德州仪器等主要竞争对手则继续拓展移动设备部件市场。ST-爱立信与诺基亚和原索尼爱立信(现为索尼移动)之间有着密切的联系，但在过去几年时间里，这两家公司的人气度也大幅下降，从而导致ST-爱立信陷入无法展示自身产品的困境。在开始运营至今的三年中，ST-爱立信已经亏损了20亿美元左右。 为了遏止这种亏损的趋势，ST-爱立信今天宣布，作为重组计划的一部分内容，该公司希望能每年节省3.2亿美元支出。为了实现这一目标，ST-爱立信计划将其全球员工人数裁减1700人。虽然ST-爱立信并未具体说明将如何实施这项裁员措施，但预计其中一部分员工将会失业，另一部分则将被转到意法半导体。 ST-爱立信将向意法半导体转移部分被裁员工之举是一项更广泛战略的部分内容，此举旨在将其应用处理器和开发业务交由意法半导体进行，并将相关员工也转给意法半导体。在这项转移工作完成以后，ST-爱立信的整个应用处理器团队都将继续进行当前的工作，并作为意法半导体与爱立信之间“传统成本分担模式”的一部分内容来获得薪酬。 不过，ST-爱立信是否能完全实施这项计划尚未可知，原因是上个月曾有报道称，消息人士透露ST-爱立信的竞争对手正考虑收购这家公司。有意发起收购的公司认为，ST-爱立信的调制解调器业务可能存在上行动量，而且这家公司所面临的困境使其潜在收购价格较低。此外，据ST-爱立信称，在2011年出售的所有移动设备中，有25%都使用了该公司的技术，而将这些技术也是竞争对手所看好的资产。 此前有报道称，HTC已与ST-爱立信结成合作关系，将合作开发用于低端智能手机的CPU，但ST-爱立信在今天发表的声明中并未提及此事。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 参考英文原文：ST-Ericsson passing processors to ST, cutting staff,by Peter Clarke

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{pagination} ST-Ericsson passing processors to ST, cutting staff Peter Clarke LONDON — ST-Ericsson NV, the loss-making mobile chip joint venture between STMicroelectronics and Ericsson, has announced guidelines for a new strategic direction and plans to cut up to 1,700 staffers to lower its breakeven point. The company said it would transfer its standalone application processor activities to STMicroelectronics but reaffirmed its intention to be a leader in smartphone and tablet computer platforms. The latter plans will hinge on ST-Ericsson's ability to deliver complete system solutions for smartphones and tablet computers—specifically, competitive integrated modems plus application processors. The list of electronics building blocks for mobile devices includes application processors, modems and wireless connectivity as well as power management, RF, analog and mixed-signal functionality. Those blocks will be developed either by ST-Ericsson or by partners and then assembled by ST-Ericsson to improve time-to-market. Meanwhile, ST-Ericsson said it would continue to develop modem intellectual property, sell thin modems and possibly license modem IP to third parties. ST-Ericsson has already agreed to transfer its application processor business and employees to ST. It will then create app processor-plus-modem platforms under a licensing agreement with ST. The company said the ST-Ericsson application processor R&D team would continue development of the current product generation under a transitional cost sharing model. Remaining ST-Ericsson activities will be consolidated into a "significantly smaller number" of sites, with an eye toward reducing 2012 general sales and administrative costs by 25 percent compared with 2011, the company said. ST-Ericsson said it foresees a global workforce reduction of 1,700 employees worldwide, including the employees who would be transferred to ST. Those cuts plus existing restructuring plans would result in annual cost savings of $320 million. Total restructuring costs are estimated to be approximately $130 million to $150 million through completion. “ST-Ericsson has a unique ability to develop and integrate complete mobile platforms for mainstream smartphones and tablets. This will be our strategic focus moving forward, while continuing to master leading-edge modem IP. We believe this is the best way to deliver those world-class technologies and services that our customers are expecting in order to shape tomorrow’s mobility and connected world," Didier Lamouche, president and CEO of ST-Ericsson, said in a statement. Carlo Bozotti, CEO of STMicroelectronics, said in the same statement, "Through this partnership, we can expand our offerings beyond our traditional product families and reach a wider customer base in multiple digital segments, further boosting ST’s multimedia convergence business toward leadership and improved financial return. We welcome ST-Ericsson’s new strategy."