You know how mobile chip-maker Qualcomm has been on a bit of a buying spree, snapping up smaller companies to bolster its technology? It turns out Qualcomm isn’t alone. Chip-maker Broadcom just announced that it’s spending $3.7 billion to buy NetLogic Microsystems.
Broadcom produces chips that are used in smartphones, tablets, personal computers, and set-to-boxes, among other things. The company is probably best known for its wireless communications products, but it also offers application and media processing solutions.
NetLogic is best known for… well, it’s really not a household name, but the company makes a wide range of products including multi-core communications processors, low power chips, and other technologies which Broadcom says will help the company offer complete “end-to-end” solutions. In other words, the acquisition could put Broadcom in a better position to compete with Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and other mobile chip makers.