你现在几乎就可以看到2020年的业界头条新闻了：IBM出售仅余硬件业务给＿＿(填充题)。我想，这经由标题应该就能轻易地琢磨出答案来了。
蓝色巨人(Big Blue)在2001年4月宣布20.5亿美元出售其硬盘业务给日立(Hitachi)。尽管硬盘就是IBM发明的，但这项业务如今已成为以希捷科技(Seagate)等大量产且低利润的企业为主导的商品了。
三年半后，该公司又与中国联想集团(Lenovo)达成了一项协议──IBM于2005年出售其桌面计算机和笔记本电脑业务给联想。尽管IBM的 ThinkPad 曾经是商旅客户的最爱，但对于一家以服务器、软件与服务等高利润业务为导向的企业而言，其个人计算机市场相形之下正处于亏损状态。
而年前，该公司基于Intel x86的服务器产品线也以23亿美元转卖给联想。
联想收购IBM x86 PC服务器业务
联想集团年前发布以23亿美元收购IBM X86 服务器硬件及相关业务。此次联想收购IBM的业务包括 x86 服务器硬件产品(包括 System x 、 BladeCenter 、 Blade 、 Flex System 、 Pure Flex 产品，以及Blade Network Technology等网络系统)、与该业务有关的IP与业务合约等。
根 据发布的公告显示，此次23亿美元的收购款中，20.7亿将在首次完成时以现金形式支付，剩余2.3亿美元将在完成时以向IBM或其委托代理人发行 1.82亿联想股票形式支付，若联想在此交易完成前不发行新股，则本次所发行股票占公司已发行股本1.75%。同时，IBM将有7,500名员工加入联想 集团。
随着近年来PC市场下滑，联想正致力推动业务的多样化。例如联想于2010年启动智能型手机业务，这一业务目前正快速发展中，并在中国市场成为继三星之后的第二大智能手机厂商。如今，购入服务器以及其他企业市场产品将为联想带来新的营收来源。
尽 管已成为全球最大的PC厂商，但目前联想在企业服务器市场的规模还很小。收购IBM的低级服务器业务后，联想可望在规模500亿美元的服务器市场成为一家 更具竞争力的厂商。根据IDC的资料，2013年第三季，惠普(HP)是全球最大的服务器厂商，营收市场份额为28%，而IBM和戴尔(Dell)分别为 23%和16%。
另一方面，对于IBM而言，出售低级服务器业务有助于确保更有效打造其企业数据中心，同时，也有利于IBM正从硬件迈向软件与服务业务的转型。接下来，藉由其新的华生超级计算机事业部所建立的更高利润软件与服务业务基础，或许有一天将成为IBM的核心业务。
IBM持续转型软件与服务业务
这家老字号企业如今仍拥有丰富的生命力。该公司制造的高阶服务器驱动着全球最强大的运算系统，主要用于华尔街的大型金融机构以及美国国家级实验室中，主导着核武器储备以及高度敏感的任务。短期内，这些高阶服务器并不会被卖到中国或甚至其它任何国家中。
不过，我预期这总有一天也会发生。事实上，去年IBM在一项为美国中情局(CIA)供应服务器的6亿美元交易输给了亚马逊(Amazon)。这正是 x86 服务器巨量数据丛集正蚕食IBM专有内部架构优势的一项警讯。
同时，随着每一次的制程升级过渡，摩尔定律(Moore's Law)也变得越来越“昂贵”，而业界专家认为目前的动能可能只剩三次重要的制程世代转换了。但在真正退出硬件战场以前，IBM其实还有好几次出击的好机会。
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
第2页：IBM可能出售半导体业务的传言四起
第3页：IBM半导体业务的潜在买主
相关阅读：
• 联想收购IBM X86服务器业务，将改写中国市场格局
• 联想23亿美元并购IBM低端服务器业务
• IBM投资10亿美元拓展人工智能计算机业务9guesmc
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目前IBM剩下最大的硬件业务就是一个主要用于制造 IBM Power 与专有服务器处理器的大规模且越来越昂贵半导体业务。
最近市场对于 IBM 可能会出售半导体业务的讨论甚嚣尘上──伦敦《金融时报(Financial Times)》日前报导指出，有“熟悉内情”的匿名消息人士透露， IBM 已委请投资业者高盛(Goldman Sachs)“试探该业务的潜在买主意向”；迄今IBM对此传言未发表任何评论。
似乎每当 IC市场景气走下坡时，就会有人提到 IBM 可能出售半导体业务；最近这几年该话题越炒越热，甚至有人指出 Globalfoundries 是潜在买主。这一次，又被拿来炒作的这个话题有什么不同？它会终于成真吗？
笔 者认为，引发此话题讨论的幕后因素包括：其一， IBM 由硬件供货商转型为软件/服务供货商的过程几乎已经完成，该公司不久前并宣布将低级服务器业务以23亿美元出售给联想(Lenovo)；其二，IBM的硬 体业务逐渐萎缩，仅剩的微处理器业务亏损严重，在最新一季的营收衰退幅度达33%。
其三，IBM总裁暨首席执行官 Virginia Rometty已经上任两年，现在正是她证明是否能做出前辈们做不到之艰难抉择的时机。Rometty在最近一次的财报发表会上指出：“展望未来，我们将 继续为企业客户提供几个关键领域的创新，包括大数据、移动解决方案、社群业务与安全性，同时拓展新市场、开发新客户。”
IBM的半导体业务将如何发展、以达成Rometty所声明的未来愿景，我们并不清楚；在进一步猜测之前，以下有几个基本信息是我们需要知道的：
● IBM仍在美国纽约州East Fishkill制造芯片；
● IBM并没有在公开市场上销售芯片；
● IBM在半导体研发领域扮演要角并拥有辉煌纪录，对芯片产业的贡献包括开发数种制程以及创新技术，包括硅锗(SiGe)与绝缘上覆硅(SOI)；
● IBM在十几年前就首创一种能分担成本的芯片技术开发合作模式，即「通用平台(Common Platform)」，该联盟成员包括IBM、Samsung与Globalfoundries等公司；
● IBM的通用平台仍持续向前迈进，最新的研发焦点是催生FinFET技术的14nm节点块状制程，该联盟表示，其下一代制程研发任务是在微缩节点的同时达到低电压运作。
● IBM与美国官方机构一直合作良好，并展现其产业领导者的风范，除了协助纽约州振兴北部区域、建立了一个半导体研发中心，在2011年秋天还承诺将率先投资36亿美元推动一个总投资额达44亿美元的五年计划，全力推动半导体制造的未来；
● IBM的芯片业务持续关注新兴市场，与以色列半导体业者Tower Jazz与印度的Jaiprakash Associates合作，参与即将在印度推动的晶圆代工厂计划。
● IBM的芯片工程师开始与美光(Micron)等合作伙伴携手，展开处理器与内存的 3D 堆栈之路，期望推动其于未来几年的一大进展。
● 去年底，IBM还与Google共同参与一个联盟，期望重振其 Power 服务器架构。不过我对于Google 参与这项合作的目的持怀疑态度。
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
第3页：IBM半导体业务的潜在买主
相关阅读：
• 联想收购IBM X86服务器业务，将改写中国市场格局
• 联想23亿美元并购IBM低端服务器业务
• IBM投资10亿美元拓展人工智能计算机业务9guesmc
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IBM在全球半导体产业界所扮演的模范龙头角色毋庸置疑，甚至该公司虽然持续裁减芯片业务人力、以及RD活动规模，仍然获得尊重与敬畏。不过有一个得不到答案的问题是，IBM投资研发半导体制程、超紫外光微影等先进技术，所获得的报酬是什么？
如果有足够证据显示IBM对半导体技术的努力研发是有实质回收的，接下来的问题就是该公司将怎么将之运用在未来的业务发展。以上问题都是Rometty需要想清楚的，如果IBM有留住微电子业务部门的充分理由，她需要能被说服。
在 IBM半导体业务的潜在买主方面，让人疑问的是会有谁乐意只收购该公司的晶圆厂，不包括半导体研发团队以及知识产权(IP)。据我们所知IBM已经与Globalfoundries、三星(Samsung)共同分享其于芯片制程的秘密武器了──未来这两家公司也最有可能收购IBM的晶 圆厂。
如果IBM半导体业务的买主是 Globalfoundries，这家已经是通用平台联盟成员的晶圆代工业者，肯定知道IBM在位于East Fishkill的12吋晶圆厂之外，真正有价值的是其半导体技术研发人员与专利。
先前我们有一篇文章
《IBM芯片业务：GlobalFoundries愿买，美国愿卖么？》提到，除了价格，有两个症结点可能会让IBM与任何非美国企业之间的交易破局，即美国对于国家安全的考虑与民族自豪感；你可能认为这两点完全是情感因素，但也因为如此，它们的价值更难估量。
本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载
编译：Luffy Liu
参考英文原文：IBM Exits Hardware in 2020?，by Rick Merritt,；IBM’s Chip Unit on Chopping Block?，by Junko Yoshida
相关阅读：
• 联想收购IBM X86服务器业务，将改写中国市场格局
• 联想23亿美元并购IBM低端服务器业务
• IBM投资10亿美元拓展人工智能计算机业务9guesmc
{pagination}
IBM Exits Hardware in 2020?
Rick Merritt, SiliconValley Bureau Chief
You can almost see the 2020 headline now: IBM sells remaining hardware business to (fill in the blank). You can connect the dots to that headline pretty easily.
Big Blue announced plans to sell off its hard disk drive business to Hitachi in April 2001 for $2.05 billion. Even though it invented the hard drive, the business had become a commodity dominated by high-volume, low margin companies such as Seagate.
Three-and-a-half years later, it struck a deal to sell its desktop and notebook PC business to China's Lenovo for $1.75 billion. Despite the fact IBM's ThinkPad was an icon of the business traveler, its market was a loss leader for a company that lived on high margin servers, software, and services.
Today, Big Blue effectively said its Intel x86-based server line has become a commodity too and would be sold to Lenovo for $2.3 billion. What's left is a big, increasingly expensive semiconductor business primarily geared to make IBM's Power and proprietary server processors.
There's still plenty of life left in this old gal. The servers it makes power some of the world's most powerful systems used on Wall Street to run big banks and in US national labs to shepherd the country's nuclear stockpile and other highly sensitive jobs. These servers are not going to China -- or even another company -- in the immediate future.
But I predict they will go. Indeed, last year IBM lost to Amazon a $600 million deal to supply servers to the CIA. That's a sign big data farms of x86 servers are eating away at the advantages of IBM's in-house architectures.
Meanwhile, Moore's Law is getting more expensive with each turn of the crank and experts agree there are only perhaps three major turns of the crank left on that engine. But IBM still has a couple good punches left before it bows out of the hardware fight.
IBM's chip engineers are well down the path with partners such as Micron to 3D stacks of processors and memory that will give them a big boost in the next couple years. Late last year it also attracted Google to join a consortium rallying around its Power architecture in servers. I'm taking a show-me stance on the Google collaboration.
IBM is as well positioned as a company can be for such a dramatic step completely into software and services. It has already shared the secret sauce of its chip process with Globalfoundries and Samsung -- the most likely candidates to buy IBM's fabs someday. And it is on solid footing in the higher margin software and services markets with its new Watson analytics group that may someday be the main business we associate with IBM.
This maker of global business machines survived the death of typewriters. I suspect it could have a long life after 2020 when I expect to read the story about it existing hardware.
IBM’s Chip Unit on Chopping Block?
Impetus behind the talk
Junko Yoshida
MADISON, Wis. — Here we go again. Discussions about putting IBM’s semiconductor business on the chopping block have returned with a vengeance.
The Financial Times Friday morning reported that IBM retained Goldman Sachs “to sound out possible buyers for the business,” citing unnamed sources “familiar with the matter.”
IBM is not making any comment at this time.
At every down cycle of the IC market, talks about the potential sale of IBM’s semiconductor business have come up. In recent years, the speculation has intensified, identifying Globalfoundries as the potential buyer.
So, what’s different this time around? Is it finally happening?
Here are some factors contributing to the impetus behind the talk.
First, IBM’s transformation from hardware supplier to software/service company is almost complete. IBM announced the sale of its low-end server business to Lenovo for $2.3 billion last month.
Second, of IBM’s declining hardware business -- what’s left of it, the microelectronics group is the biggest loser. In the latest quarter, its revenue was down by 33%.
Third, it’s been two years since Virginia Rometty took the helm at Big Blue. It’s time for her to prove that she can make tough choices that her predecessors couldn’t.
During the latest earnings call, Rometty noted, “Looking ahead, we continue to invest to deliver innovations for the enterprise in key areas such as big data, mobile solutions, social business and security, while expanding into new markets and reaching new clients.” It’s not clear how IBM’s semiconductor business could possibly fit into the big picture she painted in her statement.
Before diving into the speculation, here are some basic facts we all need to know.
? IBM still makes chips at East Fishkill, New York.
? However, IBM does not sell chips on the open market.
? IBM is big on semiconductor R&D, with stellar records. The company’s contributions to the chip industry include a host of manufacturing processes and innovations include Silicon-germanium (SiGe) and Silicon on Insulator (SOI).
? IBM innovated, more than a decade ago, a new model of sharing R&D costs to develop chip technology. Called “the Common Platform,” the alliance consists of IBM, Samsung and Globalfoundries.
? The Common Platform is moving forward. The latest focus by the Common Platform is on the development of the 14nm bulk node which will introduce FinFET technology. Its mission is to offer the next generation of process scaling with low voltage operation, according to the alliance.
? IBM has played well with public authorities and shown its industry leadership skills when it helped the state of New York revitalize the upstate New York area to create a semiconductor R&D hub. In the fall of 2011, the company promised to contribute $3.6 billion to the total of $4.4 billion five-year project, all dedicated to the future of chip making.
? IBM chip business is keeping an eye on the emerging market. IBM is involved in one of the upcoming foundry projects in India, partnering with Israel’s Tower Jazz and India’s Jaiprakash Associates.
Nobody disputes an exemplary leadership role IBM has played in the global semiconductor industry. Even though the company continued to hack away at its workforce in its chip business, IBM, especially in its R&D activities, still commands respect and awe.
A big unanswered question, however, is what, then, IBM gets in return for all that money it is spending for research in manufacturing processes, extreme ultraviolet lithography, and other advanced technologies. Assuming there is an ample evidence for fruits of the company’s semiconductor R&D efforts, the next question is what plans IBM has to leverage it in its future business.
These are the questions Rometty needs to ask. If there are strong reasons to keep IBM Microelectronics division, she needs to be convinced of it.
As for a potential buyer of IBM’s chip business, it’s questionable if anyone would be happy to acquire IBM’s fabs alone, sans access to IBM’s semiconductor R&D team and IPs.
Certainly, if a buyer of IBM’s chip division were to be Globalfoundries, already a partner with IBM in the Common Platform alliance, the Abu Dhabi-owned foundry is surely aware of the value of IBM researchers and patents – beyond IBM’s 300-mm wafer fab at East Fishkill.
As our former EE Times’ colleague Peter Clarke once wrote, besides price, there are two factors that could kill a deal between IBM and any entity outside the United States (such as Globalfoundries). They are US national security and national pride.
You may call these two factors more of an emotional issue than anything else. But precisely because of that, it's hard to attach any value to the potential deal.
责编：Quentin
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