C|NET have a rather amusing article about a company that has an 80% monopoly in just one of its chosen fields, and yet "
doesn't give people the willies the same way behemoths like Microsoft or Intel do". The company in question is, of course, ARM - the chipmaker started by Acorn.
Apparently, after a deal with Sony Ericsson, ARM have an 80% share of the mobile phone market, and 40% of the digital camera market, and are still looking to expand. 788 million ARM chips were shipped last year, and yet "[y]ou'd be hard pressed to find anyone spouting "ARM is evil! EVIL!!!" in a chat room". The reasons given for ARM's "benign reputation" are apparently due to "the company is British, which tends to give their actions a genteel gloss" and "England is a perennial underdog in the IT world"
If you want to read more about Japanese ARM-powered toilets and the like, give the link below a swift clicking.
Source: C|NET article
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Monopolies good? |
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guestx (11:46 9/7/2004)
monkeyson2 (12:42 9/7/2004)
adrianl (16:57 9/7/2004)
apdl (05:45 10/7/2004)
arenaman (22:09 10/7/2004)
flypig (01:05 11/7/2004)
Loris (10:56 12/7/2004)
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GuestX |
Message #93080, posted by guestx at 11:46, 9/7/2004 |
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Posts: 102
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"First, of course, the company is British, which tends to give their actions a genteel gloss. Accents--we love 'em." As long as they don't suddenly remember Star Wars: "As you wish, Lord Vader!" |
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Phil Mellor |
Message #93081, posted by monkeyson2 at 12:42, 9/7/2004, in reply to message #93080 |
 Please don't let them make me be a monkey butler
Posts: 12380
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I haven't RTFA, but I suspect one difference is that ARM have achieved their monopoly through having a good product, rather than through dodgy business practices. |
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Adrian Lees |
Message #93082, posted by adrianl at 16:57, 9/7/2004, in reply to message #93081 |
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Posts: 1637
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ARM products are largely invisible. How many of the general public know that they're using ARM chips? |
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David Holden |
Message #93083, posted by apdl at 05:45, 10/7/2004, in reply to message #93082 |
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Posts: 138
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Probably the most important reason is that ARM don't actually make things - they basically just design things for other people to manufacture. You can't really have a monopoly on designing because it's something that anyone else with similar knowledge and experience (!) can do. Also, because they do just design things by the nature of their business they have to make full and complete information about their products available to the people that want to licence them. There is therefore no reason for them to be secretive or partial about their products, such secrecy would be counter-productive. |
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Michael Stubbs |
Message #93084, posted by arenaman at 22:09, 10/7/2004, in reply to message #93083 |
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Posts: 115
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ARM Ltd does not try to crush the competion using contractual and legal methods, or by straight forward bullying. It just has superior products for the market it aims at. As someone else said, it sells designs, it doesn't make the product, which means it cannot bully the end user. |
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David Llewellyn-Jones |
Message #93085, posted by flypig at 01:05, 11/7/2004, in reply to message #93084 |
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It may well be that ARM Ltd's success is due to the quality of its product (and licensing scheme), but I'm sure it's also perfectly willing to use legal means to "crush the competition" if it feels threatened: http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20011102S0121 After all, ARM's business is IP, which is worth very little if other people can steal all of your ideas. |
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Tony Haines |
Message #93086, posted by Loris at 10:56, 12/7/2004, in reply to message #93085 |
 Ha ha, me mine, mwahahahaha
Posts: 1025
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In a way, ARM is helping to make strong-arming unfashionable. Heh. |
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