Tensilica gains steam in networking

Tensilica gains steam in networking
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Reconfigurable processor startup Tensilica Inc. has signed up two more licensees, both of which plan to use the company's Xtensa processing core in communications applications. Though the company's original business plan did not call for a focus on the networking market, the deals indicate growing acceptance for Tensilica's modifiable processor within that segment.

Fujitsu Ltd. and TranSwitch Corp. have both signed licensing deals with the two-year-old company. Chris Rowan, president and chief executive officer, said Tensilica now has nearly a dozen such agreements. Half of those are from companies that plan to include the Xtensa core within communications applications, he said, including Cisco Systems Inc. and Ethernet switch vendor Galileo Technology Ltd.

"We did not originally have designs on the networking space as being the killer app for Tensilica," said Rowan. "But we are starting to see our technology being picked up pretty rapidly in that market"

TranSwitch develops a line of chips for use in telecommunications infrastructure systems. Fujitsu will use Tensilica's technology within its embedded microprocessors for communications applications.

While some critics have suggested generic processor architectures that can be ported into a variety of applications may lack all the power of a chip designed specifically for a narrow use, Tensilica's users have not faced that problem, Rowan said. "In practice, Xtensa compares extremely well with other hardware microprocessor cores that are optimized for a narrow use," he said. "Using our technology means designers have more time to optimize their entire system in order to make it more powerful."

Besides the networking deals, Tensilica's technology is being used to develop a variety of consumer applications, including digital cameras, printers and digital television systems. Rowan said he expects to announce more licensing agreements by the end of the year.

The surge in licensing deals for communications applications mirrors a trend in the industry, which has seen digital data transmission and wireless communications emerge as some of the most dominant end uses. "We originally expected the core would be used in the broad horizontal market, but we have been surprised at the rapid uptick in the networking space," said Rowan. "We are still seeing use in consumer applications, but it's not taking off as fast as communications. We underestimated the intensity of the hunger of the communications space for technology like this."