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Marvell Technology

(Redirected from Marvell Semiconductors)

Marvell Technology, Inc. is an American company, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, which develops and produces semiconductors and related technology. Founded in 1995, the company had more than 6,500 employees as of 2024, with over 10,000 patents worldwide, and an annual revenue of $5.5 billion for fiscal 2024.[1][2]

Marvell Technology, Inc.
Company typePublic
ISINUS5738741041
IndustrySemiconductors
Founded1995; 29 years ago (1995)
Founders
HeadquartersSanta Clara, California, U.S.
Key people
Products
RevenueDecrease US$5.508 billion (2024)
Decrease US$−568 million (2024)
Decrease US$−933 million (2024)
Total assetsDecrease US$21.23 billion (2024)
Total equityDecrease US$14.83 billion (2024)
Number of employees
6,577 (2024)
Subsidiaries
Websitemarvell.com
Footnotes / references
Financials as of February 3, 2024.[1]

History

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Marvell was founded in 1995 by Dr. Sehat Sutardja, his wife Weili Dai, and his brother Pantas Sutardja.[3][2] They worked on designing a CMOS-based read channel for disk drives as their first product. Seagate Technology became their first customer.[3] The initial public offering on June 27, 2000 (near the end of the dot-com bubble) raised $90 million.[4]

In April 2016, CEO Sehat Sutardja and President Weili Dai were ousted from their posts after activist investor Starboard Value fund took a roughly 7 percent stake in the company.[5]

In July 2016, Marvell appointed Matt Murphy as its new president and CEO.[6]

 
Marvell's development center in Petah Tikva, Israel

On July 6, 2018, Marvell completed its acquisition of Cavium, Inc.[7] On the same day, it announced the appointment of Syed Ali (co-founder of Cavium, Inc., and previously the company's president and CEO), Brad Buss (director of Cavium, Inc.) and Edward Frank (director of Cavium, Inc.) to the Marvell Board of Directors.[8]

In September 2019, Marvell completed the acquisition of Aquantia.[9]

In April 2021, Marvell completed the acquisition of Inphi Corporation. As part of the acquisition, Marvell reorganized so that the combined company is domiciled in Wilmington, Delaware.[10]

In September 2023, Marvell Technologies acquired an expansion deal in Pune, India.[11]

Acquisitions

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Through the years, Marvell acquired smaller companies to enter new markets.

Date Acquired company Expertise Cost
October 2000 Galileo Technology Ethernet switches, system controllers $2700M in stock[12]
June 2002 SysKonnect PC networking[13]
February 2003 Radlan Embedded networking software $49.7M[14]
August 2005 Hard disk controller division of Qlogic Hard disk & tape drive controllers $180M in cash + $45M in stock[15]
December 2005 SOC division of UTStarcom Wireless communications (3G) $24M in cash[16]
February 2006 Printer ASIC business of Avago Printer ASICs $240M in cash[17][18]
July 2006 XScale product line from Intel Communications processors and SOCs $600M in cash[19]
January 2008 PicoMobile Networks Communication software for IWLAN and IMS[20]
August 2010 Diseño de Sistemas en Silicio S.A. ("DS2") Spanish company, PLC communication ICs[21]
January 2012 Xelerated Network Processors[22][23]
July 6, 2018 Cavium ARM Processors $6B in cash & stock[24]
May 2019 Avera Semi ASICs $650 million in cash[25]
September 2019 Aquantia Corporation ASICs Multi-Gig Ethernet $450 million in cash
April 2021 Inphi Corporation Mixed-signal integrated circuit $8.2 billion[10]
October 2021 Innovium Data center network switches $1.1 billion[26]

Products

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Marvell Yukon Gigabit Ethernet controller in a Sony Vaio FW series laptop

Compute

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Data Processing Unit

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Marvell OCTEON and ARMADA DPUs which integrate a CPU, network interfaces and programmable data acceleration engines on a specialized electronic circuit.[27]

Custom

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Marvell also offered Customer Specific Standard Product (CSSP), where customer accelerators and interfaces could be integrated directly into Marvell's Octeon processors. Following Marvell's 2019 acquisition of Avera Semiconductor (formerly the custom ASIC division of GlobalFoundries and prior to that of IBM), Marvell offers custom ASIC tailored to clients' specific design goals.[25][28] And it provides services for ASICs development to the Aerospace and Defense industries through its independent subsidiary Marvell Government Solutions (MGS).[29] In a joint venture with TSMC, Marvell introduced a 3nm product.[30]

Infrastructure Processors
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On November 12, 2019, Marvell announced that their ThunderX2 SoCs have been deployed on Microsoft Azure.[31] On March 2, 2020, Marvell announced OCTEON Fusion and OCTEON TX2 5G infrastructure processors, as well as deals to provide processors for 5G Infrastructure for Huawei, Nokia, Ericsson, ZTE, and Samsung.[32] On March 16, 2020, Marvell announced ThunderX3 and their plan for ThunderX4 in 2022.[33] On August 28, 2020, Marvell announced plan to refocus their ThunderX Server Teams to their Custom Silicon Business.[34]

Security Solutions

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Marvell's security-related products include their LiquidSecurity HSM Adapters and NITROX Cryptographic Offload Engines.[35]

Networking and Storage

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Marvell's networking products include their FastLinQ Ethernet network adapters and controllers, Ethernet Switch chips for both Enterprises (Prestera) & Datacenters (Teralynx), Ethernet PHYs and Automotive Ethernet.[36][37][38][39][40]

Marvell's products include SSD Controllers, HDD Controllers, HDD Preamplifiers, Storage Accelerators, and QLogic Fibre Channel Adapters and Controllers.[41][42][43][44] On May 27, 2021, Marvell announced its first NVM Express SSD controllers to support PCI Express 5.0.[45]

Other products

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Marvell supplied the Wi-Fi chip for the original (first-generation) Apple iPhone.[46] Marvell Mobile Hotspot (MMH) is an in-car Wi-Fi connectivity. The 2010 Audi A8 was the first automobile in the market to feature a factory-installed MMH.[47]

Google's Chromecast products are powered by Marvell SoCs. Namely the Marvell ARMADA 1500 Mini SoC (88DE3005) for the Chromecast 1st gen and Marvell ARMADA 1500 Mini Plus SoC (88DE3006) for the Chromecast 2nd gen & Chromecast audio.[48]
Synaptics acquired Marvell Multimedia Solutions on 2017-06-12.[49] ARMADA 1500 SoC's are now produced under different names.[50]

Controversy

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Stock options

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In 2006, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) started an inquiry into the company's stock option grant practices.[51] An investigation determined "grant dates were chosen with the benefit of hindsight" to make the options more valuable.[52] The press estimated that the founders and other executives had made $760 million in gains from the options, which were awarded by the founding couple, Sehat Sutardja and Weili Dai.[53] The SEC asked to interview the company's general counsel Matthew Gloss, but Marvell claimed attorney–client privilege.[54] Gloss was fired just before the investigation results were announced in May 2007.[55] Abraham David Sofaer was hired to investigate the investigation after Gloss alleged it was not independent. In announcing the results of its own inquiry, the SEC did not give Marvell the credit granted to other companies in the options scandal for cooperating with the SEC's investigation or for cleaning up.[56] At the time of the announcement, the co-acting regional director of the SEC's San Francisco office stated, among other things, that the SEC did not believe that the lack of cooperation and remediation shown by Marvell merited much credit in terms of being lenient with Marvell.[56] In announcing its results, the SEC found that Gloss was not a participant in Dai and Sutardja's backdating scheme.[56] Marvell restated its financial results, and stated that Dai will no longer be executive vice president, chief operating officer, and director but continue with the company in a non-management position.[57] The company agreed to pay a $10 million fine in 2008, but did not fire Dai nor replace Sutardja as chairman as stated by the investigating committee.[52][56]

Patent infringement

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In December 2012, a Pittsburgh jury ruled that Marvell had infringed two patents (co-inventors Alek Kavčić and Jose Moura) by incorporating hard disk technology developed and owned by Carnegie Mellon University without a license.[58] The technology, relating to improving hard disk data read accuracy at high speeds, was reported to have been used in 2.3 billion chips sold by Marvell between 2003 and 2012.[59] The jury awarded damages of $1.17 billion, the third largest ever in a patent case at the time.[60] The jury also found that the breach had been "willful", giving the judge discretion to award up to three times the original damage amount.[59] In December 2012, the company lost its mistrial bid in this dispute.[61] Post-trial hearings were scheduled for May 2013 and Marvell reported to be considering an appeal in the interim.[58] In August, US District Judge Nora Barry Fischer upheld the award.[62] On February 17, 2016, Marvell agreed to a settlement in which Marvell will pay Carnegie Mellon University $750,000,000.[63]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Marvell FY 2024 Fiscal Year Form 10-K". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 13 March 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Marvell Technology | MRVL Stock Price, Company Overview & News". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  3. ^ a b Perry, Tekla S. (October 29, 2010). "Sehat Sutardja: An Engineering Marvell". IEEE Spectrum.
  4. ^ "Marvell rises 278% in debut". CNN Money. June 27, 2000.
  5. ^ Carey, Pete (April 5, 2016). "Marvell ousts Silicon Valley power couple from top posts". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  6. ^ "Company - Leadership - Matt Murphy - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  7. ^ Ltd, Marvell Technology Group. "Marvell Technology Completes Acquisition of Cavium". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  8. ^ "Marvell Technology Completes Acquisition of Cavium". www.marvell.com (Press release). Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  9. ^ Marvell. "Marvell Completes Acquisition of Aquantia". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2019-10-22.
  10. ^ a b "Marvell to Buy Inphi for $8.2 Billion to Grow in Cloud, 5G". Bloomberg.com. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  11. ^ "Marvell Tech reveals India expansion plans signaling confidence in the market". DIGITIMES. 2023-09-04. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
  12. ^ "Marvell to acquire LAN-chip supplier Galileo for $2.7 billion in stock". eetimes. 2000-10-17. Retrieved 2011-06-12. [verification needed]
  13. ^ "Marvell Acquires SysKonnect GmbH for 10 Gbps Client-side Silicon". convergedigest.com. 2002-06-21. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-06-12. [verification needed]
  14. ^ "Marvell Acquires Radlan". edn.com. 2003-02-06. Archived from the original on 2013-01-21. Retrieved 2011-06-12. [verification needed]
  15. ^ "Marvell to Acquire the Hard Disk Drive Controller Business of QLogic". Marvell. 2005-08-29. Archived from the original on 2016-01-16. Retrieved 2011-06-12. [verification needed]
  16. ^ "Marvell acquires UTStarcom's SoC Division". evertiq.com. 2005-12-23. Retrieved 2011-06-12. [verification needed]
  17. ^ "Marvell Acquires Avago's Printer ASICs Business". insidchips.com. December 2005. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2011-06-12. [verification needed]
  18. ^ "Marvell Technology Group acquires Avago for $240 million". dealipedia.com. 2006-02-20. Retrieved 2011-06-12. [verification needed]
  19. ^ "Marvell buys Intel's handheld processor unit for $600 million". Eet.com. 2006-06-27. Retrieved 2011-06-12. [verification needed]
  20. ^ "PicoMobile Networks, Inc". businessweek.com. January 2008. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved 2011-06-12. [verification needed]
  21. ^ "Marvell Acquires DS2 Technology". News release. Marvell. August 19, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2013. [verification needed]
  22. ^ Nicolas Mokhoff (January 4, 2012). "Marvell's buy of Xelerated lines up comms offerings". EE Times. [verification needed]
  23. ^ Ray Le Maistre (January 4, 2012). "Marvell Snaps Up Xelerated". Light Reading. Retrieved May 27, 2013. [verification needed]
  24. ^ PALLADINO, Valentina (20 November 2017). "Marvell Technology to buy chipmaker Cavium for about $6 billion". Ars Technica. Retrieved 20 November 2017. [verification needed]
  25. ^ a b Shilov, Anton. "Marvell to Acquire Avera Semiconductor from GlobalFoundries". www.anandtech.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  26. ^ Nellis, Stephen (3 August 2021). "Marvell Tech to acquire Innovium for $1.1 bln as it courts more cloud customers". Reuters.
  27. ^ "Data Processing Units (DPUs) | Empowering Carrier, Enterprise and Cloud Data Services - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  28. ^ Frumusanu, Andrei. "Marvell Unveils its Comprehensive Custom ASIC Offering". www.anandtech.com. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  29. ^ "Marvell Government Solutions | Delivering CUI, ITAR and Trusted Custom ASIC End-to-End Solutions - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  30. ^ "New Electronics - Marvell unveils 3nm data infrastructure IP portfolio". 21 October 2022.
  31. ^ "Company - Newsroom - Marvell's ThunderX2 Solution Now Deployed for Microsoft Azure Development - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  32. ^ Frumusanu, Andrei. "Marvell Announces OCTEON Fusion and OCTEON TX2 5G Infrastructure Processors". www.anandtech.com. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  33. ^ Frumusanu, Andrei. "Marvell Announces ThunderX3: 96 Cores & 384 Thread 3rd Gen Arm Server Processor". www.anandtech.com. Retrieved 2020-03-20.
  34. ^ Frumusanu, Andrei. "Marvell Refocuses Thunder Server Platforms Towards Custom Silicon Business". www.anandtech.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  35. ^ "Security Solutions | Protecting Cloud and Enterprise Data - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  36. ^ "Ethernet Network Adapters and Controllers | Boosting Server and Edge Connectivity - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  37. ^ "Switching technology I Powering the next generation of borderless and secure networks - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  38. ^ "Ethernet PHY Transceivers | Connecting Infrastructure with Broadest Ethernet PHY Portfolio - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  39. ^ "Automotive | Advancing the Future of Intelligent Driving - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  40. ^ "Data Center Switches | Enabling the AI cloud with High-bandwidth, low-latency, multi-terabit network switche".
  41. ^ "SSD Controllers | Unleashing High-Performance Edge to Cloud Data Storage - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  42. ^ "HDD Solutions | Delivering High-Capacity Cloud and Edge Data Storage - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  43. ^ "Storage Accelerators | Accelerating Edge to Cloud Workloads with Innovative Controller Solutions - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  44. ^ "Fibre Channel Adapters and Controllers | Scaling Storage with Trusted High-Performance Connectivity - Marvell". www.marvell.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  45. ^ Tallis, Billy. "Marvell Announces First PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD Controllers: Up To 14 GB/s". www.anandtech.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  46. ^ "iPhone 1st Gen Teardown". 29 June 2007. Retrieved 2011-03-28.
  47. ^ Wilson, Richard (August 10, 2010). "Marvell chip turns Audi A8 into Wi-Fi hotspot". ElectronicsWeekly.com.
  48. ^ Google’s Chromecast 2 is Powered By Marvell’s ARMADA 1500 Mini Plus - Dual-Core Cortex-A7. www.anandtech.com. Retrieved on 2016-01-05.
  49. ^ "Press Release | Synaptics Accelerates Consumer IoT Strategy with Acquisitions of Conexant Systems, LLC and the Multimedia Solutions Business of Marvell Technology Group | Synaptics". www.synaptics.com. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  50. ^ "Google Chromecast Ultra (NC2-6A5-D)". wikidevi.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-29. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
  51. ^ Marvell Technology Group Limited (July 3, 2006). "Form 8-K". Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  52. ^ a b "Marvell Completes Independent Review of Stock Option Practices". Securities and Exchange Commission. May 7, 2007. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  53. ^ Edward Robinson (May 21, 2007). "Billionaires From Jakarta, Shanghai Undermined by U.S. Options". Bloomberg News. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  54. ^ Justin Scheck. "SEC Stumbles on Privilege Waivers". In-House Counsel. Archived from the original on February 26, 2009. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  55. ^ Alan Rappeport (May 8, 2007). "Marvell Fires General Counsel: Marvell's general counsel was fired before the release of the company's backdating report. The counsel's attorney denies any connection". CFO Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  56. ^ a b c d Zusha Elinson (May 9, 2008). "Marvell Technology to Pay $10 Million Fine Over Backdating". Law.Com. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  57. ^ Alan Rappeport (May 7, 2007). "Marvell CFO Resigns amid Options Probe: Microchip maker discloses a pre-tax charge of as much as $350 million". CFO Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  58. ^ a b Mouawad, Jad (2012-12-26). "Jury Awards $1.17 Billion in Patent Suit". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  59. ^ a b "BBC News - Marvell faces huge patent fine over hard disk chips". BBC News. 27 December 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  60. ^ Clark, Don (2012-12-26). "Jury Finds Marvell Owes $1.17 Billion in Patent Case - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  61. ^ "Marvell Loses Mistrial Bid In Carnegie Mellon Patent Row". December 21, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  62. ^ Vaughan, Bernard (August 23, 2013). "Judge upholds $1.17 billion patent verdict against Marvell". Reuters. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  63. ^ "Carnegie Mellon University and Marvell Technology Group Ltd. Reach Settlement". Carnegie Mellon University (Press release). 2016-02-17. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
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