Microchip求购CSR不成，还有后话吗？

日前产业界传出美商 Microchip 求购英国蓝牙芯片供货商CSR遭拒，来自两家公司的官方消息都证实了此一消息：CSR先发布新闻稿指出该公司已经婉拒了Microchip的首次出价，而 几小时后 Microchip也坦承与CSR有过“初步的双向讨论”；而Microchip首席执行官Steve Sanghi其实曾表示，对物联网(IoT)仍抱持怀疑论。 根据Microchip的声明，两家公司有关于收购案 的讨论“仍在非常初步阶段”，并强调目前该公司并没有任何确定的出价或是即将出价的行动，与CSR之间也没有任何一种形式的交易。同时CSR的官方消息则 表示，Microchip已经提出一个数字不公开的价格，但如果Microchip真的期望能藉由CSR的无线技术能力强化在物联网市场所扮演的角色，那 样的出价恐怕不够；CSR的新闻稿指出：“Microchip所提出的价格已经被拒绝，公司董事会正在考虑其他选项。” 根据英国的商业收购规则，Microchip在9月25日之前还能再度对CSR出价，或是放弃；而其实CSR与Microchip对彼此应该都很熟悉，双方不久前才宣布合作推出采用CSR技术的Bluetooth Smart模块。 CSR在8月初推出了自家的CSRmesh网状网络通讯协议开发工具，号称能支持客户快速开发Bluetooth Smart物联网设备；利用拥有微控制器、混合讯号与模拟、以及闪存技术的Microchip在嵌入式市场的显著地位，CSR将更容易实现称霸物联网市场的梦想。 Microchip在过去几年陆续传出收购消息，几桩大规模交易包括在2010年收购闪存供货商SST (Silicon Storage Technology)，以及Wi-Fi专家ZeroG；2012年则收购了SMSC；此外2014年2月收购Supertex，5月又宣布收购锁定物联网市场的台湾蓝牙解决方案供货商创杰(ISSC Technologies)、预计第三季完成交易。CSR是否会成为Microchip下一个收归旗下的目标？有待后续观察。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Judith Cheng 参考英文原文：Microchip in Pursuit of CSR，by Junko Yoshida {pagination} Microchip in Pursuit of CSR Junko Yoshida TAIPEI — It’s official. Microchip Technology CEO Steve Sanghi, once known as a skeptic on the Internet of Things, wants to join the parade big time, as it pursues the UK-based leading Bluetooth chip vendor CSR as a potential acquisition target. Microchip confirmed Thursday that it has had “preliminary mutual discussions with CSR.” The US firm released the statement, several hours after CSR made it publicly known that it has rejected Microchip’s preliminary offer. In the statement, Microchip stressed that “the discussions between the parties are at a very preliminary stage.” The company cautioned that “there can be no certainty that an offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which any offer might be made, or that any other type of transaction will be entered into with CSR or as to the terms, structure or form of any such transaction.” Meanwhile, CSR said that the undisclosed sum of money proposed by Microchip wasn’t enough, if Microchip actually wants to raise its role in the IoT market with CSR’s radio technology. In the prepared statement, CSR said, "The price proposed by Microchip has been rejected and the board is considering its options for the company." Under British takeover rules, Microchip has until Sept. 25 to either announce a firm offer for CSR or walk away. CSR and Microchip are no strangers to each other. Microchip, long known as a “long-tail” company with 70,000 customers, has the ability to connect CSR potentially with a huge customer base. Meanwhile, CSR has an undisputed track record in the Bluetooth and Bluetooth Smart market. CSR announced late last month that Microchip has partnered with CSR to offer a CSR-based Bluetooth Smart module. The goal for the new module is to leverage CSR’s proven Bluetooth Smart ICs and offer a turnkey solution to a wider range of customers, the companies said at that time. CSR today is freshly armed with its home-grown mesh networking technology called CSRmesh, a protocol designed to run over Bluetooth Smart. CSR is now at a critical point in evangelizing the new protocol, thus hoping to lead the Bluetooth-based IoT market. CSR could use Microchip’s powerful presence in the embedded market, in which Microchip leverages its microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog, and flash technologies. Over the past several years, Microchip has been on a shopping spree. The company’s bigger acquisition deals include: Silicon Storage Technology (SST), a flash memory company, acquired by Microchip in 2010; WiFi specialist ZeroG, purchased in 2010; SMSC in 2012; and Supertex in February 2014. Microchip also announced an acquisition deal in May with ISSC Technologies Corp., a Taiwan-based provider of Bluetooth solutions for the IoT market. The transaction will close in the third quarter this year. CSR is believed to be among many potential candidates Sanghi has already set his eyes on.