你現(xiàn)在幾乎就可以看到2020年的業(yè)界頭條新聞了：IBM出售僅余硬件業(yè)務(wù)給＿＿(填充題)。我想，這經(jīng)由標(biāo)題應(yīng)該就能輕易地琢磨出答案來(lái)了。 藍(lán)色巨人(Big Blue)在2001年4月宣布20.5億美元出售其硬盤(pán)業(yè)務(wù)給日立(Hitachi)。盡管硬盤(pán)就是IBM發(fā)明的，但這項(xiàng)業(yè)務(wù)如今已成為以希捷科技(Seagate)等大量產(chǎn)且低利潤(rùn)的企業(yè)為主導(dǎo)的商品了。 三年半后，該公司又與中國(guó)聯(lián)想集團(tuán)(Lenovo)達(dá)成了一項(xiàng)協(xié)議──IBM于2005年出售其桌面計(jì)算機(jī)和筆記本電腦業(yè)務(wù)給聯(lián)想。盡管IBM的 ThinkPad 曾經(jīng)是商旅客戶的最愛(ài)，但對(duì)于一家以服務(wù)器、軟件與服務(wù)等高利潤(rùn)業(yè)務(wù)為導(dǎo)向的企業(yè)而言，其個(gè)人計(jì)算機(jī)市場(chǎng)相形之下正處于虧損狀態(tài)。 而年前，該公司基于Intel x86的服務(wù)器產(chǎn)品線也以23億美元轉(zhuǎn)賣給聯(lián)想。 聯(lián)想收購(gòu)IBM x86 PC服務(wù)器業(yè)務(wù) 聯(lián)想集團(tuán)年前發(fā)布以23億美元收購(gòu)IBM X86 服務(wù)器硬件及相關(guān)業(yè)務(wù)。此次聯(lián)想收購(gòu)IBM的業(yè)務(wù)包括 x86 服務(wù)器硬件產(chǎn)品(包括 System x 、 BladeCenter 、 Blade 、 Flex System 、 Pure Flex 產(chǎn)品，以及Blade Network Technology等網(wǎng)絡(luò)系統(tǒng))、與該業(yè)務(wù)有關(guān)的IP與業(yè)務(wù)合約等。 根 據(jù)發(fā)布的公告顯示，此次23億美元的收購(gòu)款中，20.7億將在首次完成時(shí)以現(xiàn)金形式支付，剩余2.3億美元將在完成時(shí)以向IBM或其委托代理人發(fā)行 1.82億聯(lián)想股票形式支付，若聯(lián)想在此交易完成前不發(fā)行新股，則本次所發(fā)行股票占公司已發(fā)行股本1.75%。同時(shí)，IBM將有7,500名員工加入聯(lián)想 集團(tuán)。 隨著近年來(lái)PC市場(chǎng)下滑，聯(lián)想正致力推動(dòng)業(yè)務(wù)的多樣化。例如聯(lián)想于2010年啟動(dòng)智能型手機(jī)業(yè)務(wù)，這一業(yè)務(wù)目前正快速發(fā)展中，并在中國(guó)市場(chǎng)成為繼三星之后的第二大智能手機(jī)廠商。如今，購(gòu)入服務(wù)器以及其他企業(yè)市場(chǎng)產(chǎn)品將為聯(lián)想帶來(lái)新的營(yíng)收來(lái)源。 盡 管已成為全球最大的PC廠商，但目前聯(lián)想在企業(yè)服務(wù)器市場(chǎng)的規(guī)模還很小。收購(gòu)IBM的低級(jí)服務(wù)器業(yè)務(wù)后，聯(lián)想可望在規(guī)模500億美元的服務(wù)器市場(chǎng)成為一家 更具競(jìng)爭(zhēng)力的廠商。根據(jù)IDC的資料，2013年第三季，惠普(HP)是全球最大的服務(wù)器廠商，營(yíng)收市場(chǎng)份額為28%，而IBM和戴爾(Dell)分別為 23%和16%。 另一方面，對(duì)于IBM而言，出售低級(jí)服務(wù)器業(yè)務(wù)有助于確保更有效打造其企業(yè)數(shù)據(jù)中心，同時(shí)，也有利于IBM正從硬件邁向軟件與服務(wù)業(yè)務(wù)的轉(zhuǎn)型。接下來(lái)，藉由其新的華生超級(jí)計(jì)算機(jī)事業(yè)部所建立的更高利潤(rùn)軟件與服務(wù)業(yè)務(wù)基礎(chǔ)，或許有一天將成為IBM的核心業(yè)務(wù)。 IBM持續(xù)轉(zhuǎn)型軟件與服務(wù)業(yè)務(wù) 這家老字號(hào)企業(yè)如今仍擁有豐富的生命力。該公司制造的高階服務(wù)器驅(qū)動(dòng)著全球最強(qiáng)大的運(yùn)算系統(tǒng)，主要用于華爾街的大型金融機(jī)構(gòu)以及美國(guó)國(guó)家級(jí)實(shí)驗(yàn)室中，主導(dǎo)著核武器儲(chǔ)備以及高度敏感的任務(wù)。短期內(nèi)，這些高階服務(wù)器并不會(huì)被賣到中國(guó)或甚至其它任何國(guó)家中。 不過(guò)，我預(yù)期這總有一天也會(huì)發(fā)生。事實(shí)上，去年IBM在一項(xiàng)為美國(guó)中情局(CIA)供應(yīng)服務(wù)器的6億美元交易輸給了亞馬遜(Amazon)。這正是 x86 服務(wù)器巨量數(shù)據(jù)叢集正蠶食IBM專有內(nèi)部架構(gòu)優(yōu)勢(shì)的一項(xiàng)警訊。 同時(shí)，隨著每一次的制程升級(jí)過(guò)渡，摩爾定律(Moore's Law)也變得越來(lái)越“昂貴”，而業(yè)界專家認(rèn)為目前的動(dòng)能可能只剩三次重要的制程世代轉(zhuǎn)換了。但在真正退出硬件戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)以前，IBM其實(shí)還有好幾次出擊的好機(jī)會(huì)。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 第2頁(yè)：IBM可能出售半導(dǎo)體業(yè)務(wù)的傳言四起 第3頁(yè)：IBM半導(dǎo)體業(yè)務(wù)的潛在買(mǎi)主

相關(guān)閱讀：
• 聯(lián)想收購(gòu)IBM X86服務(wù)器業(yè)務(wù)，將改寫(xiě)中國(guó)市場(chǎng)格局
• 聯(lián)想23億美元并購(gòu)IBM低端服務(wù)器業(yè)務(wù)
• IBM投資10億美元拓展人工智能計(jì)算機(jī)業(yè)務(wù)d2oesmc

{pagination} 目前IBM剩下最大的硬件業(yè)務(wù)就是一個(gè)主要用于制造 IBM Power 與專有服務(wù)器處理器的大規(guī)模且越來(lái)越昂貴半導(dǎo)體業(yè)務(wù)。 最近市場(chǎng)對(duì)于 IBM 可能會(huì)出售半導(dǎo)體業(yè)務(wù)的討論甚囂塵上──倫敦《金融時(shí)報(bào)(Financial Times)》日前報(bào)導(dǎo)指出，有“熟悉內(nèi)情”的匿名消息人士透露， IBM 已委請(qǐng)投資業(yè)者高盛(Goldman Sachs)“試探該業(yè)務(wù)的潛在買(mǎi)主意向”；迄今IBM對(duì)此傳言未發(fā)表任何評(píng)論。 似乎每當(dāng) IC市場(chǎng)景氣走下坡時(shí)，就會(huì)有人提到 IBM 可能出售半導(dǎo)體業(yè)務(wù)；最近這幾年該話題越炒越熱，甚至有人指出 Globalfoundries 是潛在買(mǎi)主。這一次，又被拿來(lái)炒作的這個(gè)話題有什么不同？它會(huì)終于成真嗎？ 筆 者認(rèn)為，引發(fā)此話題討論的幕后因素包括：其一， IBM 由硬件供貨商轉(zhuǎn)型為軟件/服務(wù)供貨商的過(guò)程幾乎已經(jīng)完成，該公司不久前并宣布將低級(jí)服務(wù)器業(yè)務(wù)以23億美元出售給聯(lián)想(Lenovo)；其二，IBM的硬 體業(yè)務(wù)逐漸萎縮，僅剩的微處理器業(yè)務(wù)虧損嚴(yán)重，在最新一季的營(yíng)收衰退幅度達(dá)33%。 其三，IBM總裁暨首席執(zhí)行官 Virginia Rometty已經(jīng)上任兩年，現(xiàn)在正是她證明是否能做出前輩們做不到之艱難抉擇的時(shí)機(jī)。Rometty在最近一次的財(cái)報(bào)發(fā)表會(huì)上指出：“展望未來(lái)，我們將 繼續(xù)為企業(yè)客戶提供幾個(gè)關(guān)鍵領(lǐng)域的創(chuàng)新，包括大數(shù)據(jù)、移動(dòng)解決方案、社群業(yè)務(wù)與安全性，同時(shí)拓展新市場(chǎng)、開(kāi)發(fā)新客戶?！? IBM的半導(dǎo)體業(yè)務(wù)將如何發(fā)展、以達(dá)成Rometty所聲明的未來(lái)愿景，我們并不清楚；在進(jìn)一步猜測(cè)之前，以下有幾個(gè)基本信息是我們需要知道的： ● IBM仍在美國(guó)紐約州East Fishkill制造芯片； ● IBM并沒(méi)有在公開(kāi)市場(chǎng)上銷售芯片； ● IBM在半導(dǎo)體研發(fā)領(lǐng)域扮演要角并擁有輝煌紀(jì)錄，對(duì)芯片產(chǎn)業(yè)的貢獻(xiàn)包括開(kāi)發(fā)數(shù)種制程以及創(chuàng)新技術(shù)，包括硅鍺(SiGe)與絕緣上覆硅(SOI)； ● IBM在十幾年前就首創(chuàng)一種能分擔(dān)成本的芯片技術(shù)開(kāi)發(fā)合作模式，即「通用平臺(tái)(Common Platform)」，該聯(lián)盟成員包括IBM、Samsung與Globalfoundries等公司； ● IBM的通用平臺(tái)仍持續(xù)向前邁進(jìn)，最新的研發(fā)焦點(diǎn)是催生FinFET技術(shù)的14nm節(jié)點(diǎn)塊狀制程，該聯(lián)盟表示，其下一代制程研發(fā)任務(wù)是在微縮節(jié)點(diǎn)的同時(shí)達(dá)到低電壓運(yùn)作。 ● IBM與美國(guó)官方機(jī)構(gòu)一直合作良好，并展現(xiàn)其產(chǎn)業(yè)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者的風(fēng)范，除了協(xié)助紐約州振興北部區(qū)域、建立了一個(gè)半導(dǎo)體研發(fā)中心，在2011年秋天還承諾將率先投資36億美元推動(dòng)一個(gè)總投資額達(dá)44億美元的五年計(jì)劃，全力推動(dòng)半導(dǎo)體制造的未來(lái)； ● IBM的芯片業(yè)務(wù)持續(xù)關(guān)注新興市場(chǎng)，與以色列半導(dǎo)體業(yè)者Tower Jazz與印度的Jaiprakash Associates合作，參與即將在印度推動(dòng)的晶圓代工廠計(jì)劃。 ● IBM的芯片工程師開(kāi)始與美光(Micron)等合作伙伴攜手，展開(kāi)處理器與內(nèi)存的 3D 堆棧之路，期望推動(dòng)其于未來(lái)幾年的一大進(jìn)展。 ● 去年底，IBM還與Google共同參與一個(gè)聯(lián)盟，期望重振其 Power 服務(wù)器架構(gòu)。不過(guò)我對(duì)于Google 參與這項(xiàng)合作的目的持懷疑態(tài)度。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 第3頁(yè)：IBM半導(dǎo)體業(yè)務(wù)的潛在買(mǎi)主

相關(guān)閱讀：
• 聯(lián)想收購(gòu)IBM X86服務(wù)器業(yè)務(wù)，將改寫(xiě)中國(guó)市場(chǎng)格局
• 聯(lián)想23億美元并購(gòu)IBM低端服務(wù)器業(yè)務(wù)
• IBM投資10億美元拓展人工智能計(jì)算機(jī)業(yè)務(wù)d2oesmc

{pagination} IBM在全球半導(dǎo)體產(chǎn)業(yè)界所扮演的模范龍頭角色毋庸置疑，甚至該公司雖然持續(xù)裁減芯片業(yè)務(wù)人力、以及RD活動(dòng)規(guī)模，仍然獲得尊重與敬畏。不過(guò)有一個(gè)得不到答案的問(wèn)題是，IBM投資研發(fā)半導(dǎo)體制程、超紫外光微影等先進(jìn)技術(shù)，所獲得的報(bào)酬是什么？ 如果有足夠證據(jù)顯示IBM對(duì)半導(dǎo)體技術(shù)的努力研發(fā)是有實(shí)質(zhì)回收的，接下來(lái)的問(wèn)題就是該公司將怎么將之運(yùn)用在未來(lái)的業(yè)務(wù)發(fā)展。以上問(wèn)題都是Rometty需要想清楚的，如果IBM有留住微電子業(yè)務(wù)部門(mén)的充分理由，她需要能被說(shuō)服。 在 IBM半導(dǎo)體業(yè)務(wù)的潛在買(mǎi)主方面，讓人疑問(wèn)的是會(huì)有誰(shuí)樂(lè)意只收購(gòu)該公司的晶圓廠，不包括半導(dǎo)體研發(fā)團(tuán)隊(duì)以及知識(shí)產(chǎn)權(quán)(IP)。據(jù)我們所知IBM已經(jīng)與Globalfoundries、三星(Samsung)共同分享其于芯片制程的秘密武器了──未來(lái)這兩家公司也最有可能收購(gòu)IBM的晶 圓廠。 如果IBM半導(dǎo)體業(yè)務(wù)的買(mǎi)主是 Globalfoundries，這家已經(jīng)是通用平臺(tái)聯(lián)盟成員的晶圓代工業(yè)者，肯定知道IBM在位于East Fishkill的12吋晶圓廠之外，真正有價(jià)值的是其半導(dǎo)體技術(shù)研發(fā)人員與專利。 先前我們有一篇文章《IBM芯片業(yè)務(wù)：GlobalFoundries愿買(mǎi)，美國(guó)愿賣么？》提到，除了價(jià)格，有兩個(gè)癥結(jié)點(diǎn)可能會(huì)讓IBM與任何非美國(guó)企業(yè)之間的交易破局，即美國(guó)對(duì)于國(guó)家安全的考慮與民族自豪感；你可能認(rèn)為這兩點(diǎn)完全是情感因素，但也因?yàn)槿绱?，它們的價(jià)值更難估量。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯：Luffy Liu 參考英文原文：IBM Exits Hardware in 2020?，by Rick Merritt,；IBM’s Chip Unit on Chopping Block?，by Junko Yoshida

相關(guān)閱讀：
• 聯(lián)想收購(gòu)IBM X86服務(wù)器業(yè)務(wù)，將改寫(xiě)中國(guó)市場(chǎng)格局
• 聯(lián)想23億美元并購(gòu)IBM低端服務(wù)器業(yè)務(wù)
• IBM投資10億美元拓展人工智能計(jì)算機(jī)業(yè)務(wù)d2oesmc

{pagination} IBM Exits Hardware in 2020? Rick Merritt, SiliconValley Bureau Chief You can almost see the 2020 headline now: IBM sells remaining hardware business to (fill in the blank). You can connect the dots to that headline pretty easily. Big Blue announced plans to sell off its hard disk drive business to Hitachi in April 2001 for $2.05 billion. Even though it invented the hard drive, the business had become a commodity dominated by high-volume, low margin companies such as Seagate. Three-and-a-half years later, it struck a deal to sell its desktop and notebook PC business to China's Lenovo for $1.75 billion. Despite the fact IBM's ThinkPad was an icon of the business traveler, its market was a loss leader for a company that lived on high margin servers, software, and services. Today, Big Blue effectively said its Intel x86-based server line has become a commodity too and would be sold to Lenovo for $2.3 billion. What's left is a big, increasingly expensive semiconductor business primarily geared to make IBM's Power and proprietary server processors. There's still plenty of life left in this old gal. The servers it makes power some of the world's most powerful systems used on Wall Street to run big banks and in US national labs to shepherd the country's nuclear stockpile and other highly sensitive jobs. These servers are not going to China -- or even another company -- in the immediate future. But I predict they will go. Indeed, last year IBM lost to Amazon a $600 million deal to supply servers to the CIA. That's a sign big data farms of x86 servers are eating away at the advantages of IBM's in-house architectures. Meanwhile, Moore's Law is getting more expensive with each turn of the crank and experts agree there are only perhaps three major turns of the crank left on that engine. But IBM still has a couple good punches left before it bows out of the hardware fight. IBM's chip engineers are well down the path with partners such as Micron to 3D stacks of processors and memory that will give them a big boost in the next couple years. Late last year it also attracted Google to join a consortium rallying around its Power architecture in servers. I'm taking a show-me stance on the Google collaboration. IBM is as well positioned as a company can be for such a dramatic step completely into software and services. It has already shared the secret sauce of its chip process with Globalfoundries and Samsung -- the most likely candidates to buy IBM's fabs someday. And it is on solid footing in the higher margin software and services markets with its new Watson analytics group that may someday be the main business we associate with IBM. This maker of global business machines survived the death of typewriters. I suspect it could have a long life after 2020 when I expect to read the story about it existing hardware. IBM’s Chip Unit on Chopping Block? Impetus behind the talk Junko Yoshida MADISON, Wis. — Here we go again. Discussions about putting IBM’s semiconductor business on the chopping block have returned with a vengeance. The Financial Times Friday morning reported that IBM retained Goldman Sachs “to sound out possible buyers for the business,” citing unnamed sources “familiar with the matter.” IBM is not making any comment at this time. At every down cycle of the IC market, talks about the potential sale of IBM’s semiconductor business have come up. In recent years, the speculation has intensified, identifying Globalfoundries as the potential buyer. So, what’s different this time around? Is it finally happening? Here are some factors contributing to the impetus behind the talk. First, IBM’s transformation from hardware supplier to software/service company is almost complete. IBM announced the sale of its low-end server business to Lenovo for $2.3 billion last month. Second, of IBM’s declining hardware business -- what’s left of it, the microelectronics group is the biggest loser. In the latest quarter, its revenue was down by 33%. Third, it’s been two years since Virginia Rometty took the helm at Big Blue. It’s time for her to prove that she can make tough choices that her predecessors couldn’t. During the latest earnings call, Rometty noted, “Looking ahead, we continue to invest to deliver innovations for the enterprise in key areas such as big data, mobile solutions, social business and security, while expanding into new markets and reaching new clients.” It’s not clear how IBM’s semiconductor business could possibly fit into the big picture she painted in her statement. Before diving into the speculation, here are some basic facts we all need to know. ? IBM still makes chips at East Fishkill, New York. ? However, IBM does not sell chips on the open market. ? IBM is big on semiconductor R&D, with stellar records. The company’s contributions to the chip industry include a host of manufacturing processes and innovations include Silicon-germanium (SiGe) and Silicon on Insulator (SOI). ? IBM innovated, more than a decade ago, a new model of sharing R&D costs to develop chip technology. Called “the Common Platform,” the alliance consists of IBM, Samsung and Globalfoundries. ? The Common Platform is moving forward. The latest focus by the Common Platform is on the development of the 14nm bulk node which will introduce FinFET technology. Its mission is to offer the next generation of process scaling with low voltage operation, according to the alliance. ? IBM has played well with public authorities and shown its industry leadership skills when it helped the state of New York revitalize the upstate New York area to create a semiconductor R&D hub. In the fall of 2011, the company promised to contribute $3.6 billion to the total of $4.4 billion five-year project, all dedicated to the future of chip making. ? IBM chip business is keeping an eye on the emerging market. IBM is involved in one of the upcoming foundry projects in India, partnering with Israel’s Tower Jazz and India’s Jaiprakash Associates. Nobody disputes an exemplary leadership role IBM has played in the global semiconductor industry. Even though the company continued to hack away at its workforce in its chip business, IBM, especially in its R&D activities, still commands respect and awe. A big unanswered question, however, is what, then, IBM gets in return for all that money it is spending for research in manufacturing processes, extreme ultraviolet lithography, and other advanced technologies. Assuming there is an ample evidence for fruits of the company’s semiconductor R&D efforts, the next question is what plans IBM has to leverage it in its future business. These are the questions Rometty needs to ask. If there are strong reasons to keep IBM Microelectronics division, she needs to be convinced of it. As for a potential buyer of IBM’s chip business, it’s questionable if anyone would be happy to acquire IBM’s fabs alone, sans access to IBM’s semiconductor R&D team and IPs. Certainly, if a buyer of IBM’s chip division were to be Globalfoundries, already a partner with IBM in the Common Platform alliance, the Abu Dhabi-owned foundry is surely aware of the value of IBM researchers and patents – beyond IBM’s 300-mm wafer fab at East Fishkill. As our former EE Times’ colleague Peter Clarke once wrote, besides price, there are two factors that could kill a deal between IBM and any entity outside the United States (such as Globalfoundries). They are US national security and national pride. You may call these two factors more of an emotional issue than anything else. But precisely because of that, it's hard to attach any value to the potential deal.