We’re just a month and a half into 2021 and it is already proving to be an exciting year in terms of electronics industry mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships. This week, we bring you up to speed on the status of a few deals and partnerships in progress. Let’s take a look at new developments in the Nvidia-Arm deal, the recently announced Renesas-Dialog acquisition, Elektor’s ongoing partnership with SIMAC Electronics, and more.
 
 

Big Tech Scrutiny Heats Up Over Nvidia-Arm Deal

A few weeks ago, we reported that Nvidia aims to buy ARM for $40 billion. But the road to acquisition might not be easy. In recent days, a few of Big Tech's biggest players, as well as some EU-based regulators, have spoken out against the Nvidia-Arm deal. So, who's resisting the deal, you ask? Google, Microsoft, and Qualcomm are among the notable companies lining up comment on the potential impact of the purchase. Last month, we learned that organizations such as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK have begun investigating the possible ramifications of the merger. "The CMA is likely to consider whether, following the takeover, Arm has an incentive to withdraw, raise prices or reduce the quality of its IP licensing services to NVIDIA’s rivals," the organization reported in January.

Renesas to Drop $6 Billion on UK-Based Dialog Semiconductor

Pro engineers, makers, and start-up leaders alike will find a Renesas-Dialog deal compelling. To further strengthen its ability to deliver products that “serve high-growth segments of the IoT, industrial and automotive markets,” Renesas announced last week its intention to acquire UK-based Dialog Semiconductor. According to Renesas, the $6 billion deal will deliver a variety of benefits: Dialog’s low-power, mixed-signal solutions will strengthen Renesas’s IoT offerings; Dialog’s connectivity solutions (e.g., BLE and Wi-Fi) products will enhance Renesas’s ability to deliver new products in the areas of home automation, smart building, and automotive tech; and Renesas anticipates “costs savings from operational efficiencies” after about three years. What are your thoughts on the deal? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below this article.

Elektor and SIMAC to Continue Innovation Partnership

Electronics innovators around the globe look to Elektor for products ideas, project support, and easy access to essential tools, kits, and engineering insights. To further support the electronics community, Elektor will continue working with SIMAC Electronics to bring even more new and exciting electronics products and bundles to the market in 2021. Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany-based SIMAC Electronics manufactures and develops computer electronics and open-source hardware, and Elektor community members are familiar with its "JOY-iT" brand of products, including the JOY-iT JDS6600 signal generator and the JOY-iT JT-DPH5005 Programmable Buck and Boost Power Supply. Just recently, Elektor, JOY-iT and Conrad pooled together their know-how to bring to market the Electronic Adventure: Die Reise mit dem BBC micro:bit, which is an educational electronics kit intended to introduce young innovators to the world of microcontrollers. In the coming weeks and months, Elektor and SIMAC will partner to develop new electronics solutions. Stay tuned! And, of course, reach out to us if you want to collaborate on a creative design of your own.

Arduino Day – March 27

If you love Arduino as much as we do, then mark your calendar for Arduino Day, which is March 27, 2021. This year, community members from around the world will gather online to celebrate and collaborate on Arduino-related projects and initiatives. As you prepare for the festivities, be sure to check out all of the projects, news, and tutorials on Elektor’s Arduino Select Page. And don’t forget to watch our in-depth Elektor.TV videos as well. Enjoy! 
 
 

Updates on the Nvidia-Arm, SIMAC, and More

Subscribe to Elektor’s weekly Electronics News Byte tag for updates about Nvidia-Arm, Elektor's partnership with SIMAC, Renesas products, Arduino, and more. And make sure you sign up for Elektor’s E-Zine to receive new electronics projects, engineering tutorials, and interviews each week.