Industry Expert Blogs

The recurring semiconductor industry cycle between standardization and customization was accurately described by Tsugio Makimoto in his presentation entitled "Implications of Makimoto's Wave" in the early 90s. From the mid-90s until approximately 2010, Makimoto's Wave has been off its normal frequency -- stalled in the standardization phase.

Today, the cycle has shifted dramatically toward customization. Apple's development of its custom A4 application processor used in the iPad and iPhone signaled the beginning of this cyclical shift and placed system companies, rather than semiconductor companies, squarely in the drivers' seat for development of complex, multicore systems-on-chip (SoCs).

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