ARM SecurCore Foundry Program Provides Access To 32-bit Smart Card IP

TMC, HED and HHNEC are first partners to support new foundry program specifically targeted at secure applications

CAMBRIDGE, UK -- Oct. 10, 2007 -- ARM today announced the launch of the new ARM® SecurCore™ Foundry Program, with fabless design houses TMC and HED, and pure-play foundry HHNEC, as the first Partners to enlist in the Program. This initiative enables fabless design companies to license the ARM SecurCore SC100™ processor technology, optimized for smart card and secure applications, and have their designs manufactured with the support of accredited foundries.

The strict market requirements in major smart card segments such as SIM, conditional access, multimedia and identification applications, are driving the demand for low-power 32-bit RISC microprocessing technology. According to market experts at IMS Research, by 2010 more than six billion smart cards will be in use worldwide with 50 per cent of those deployed in Asia, and around 3.5 billion will be sold each year. In addition IMS Research predicts that the market to 2010 will be increasingly driven by the Asia Pacific region with the need to install more secure, complex applications on smart cards, increasingly supported by local suppliers.

“We are seeing a strong demand from our Partners, particularly in China, for ARM solutions targeting the next generation 32-bit smart card market,” said Jun Tan, president, ARM China. “Our Partners are aggressively seeking significant design enhancements for their secure applications, and through the newly established SecurCore Foundry Program, and member companies such as TMC, HED and HHNEC, we are now able to provide our Partners around the world with IP targeted to the smart card industry.”

The new ARM SecurCore Foundry Program, an adaptation of the well established Processor Foundry Program, is an authorized foundry ecosystem for cost-effective smart card and secure IC applications. The Program extends ARM’s Partnership with fabless design companies and foundries by expanding the availability and supply of 32-bit smart cards.

“The challenges of meeting the security demands of smart card mandates can be very high,” said Dr. Xu Lei, CTO, TMC. “Through ARM’s new innovative program, we will be able to meet the strict market requirements for designs more easily with the backing of leading foundries such as HHNEC.”

“The ARM SecurCore processor is widely recognised as the leading 32-bit solution for smart card solutions,” said Mr. Shiping Jiang, Deputy General Manager, HED. “We licensed the ARM922T™ processor through the ARM Processor Foundry Program in 2005 and we are pleased to extend our Partnership with ARM in 32-bit smart card applications through this SecurCore Foundry program.”

“ARM processors have been in high demand among our customers, and we are delighted to expand our relationship with ARM to enable more widespread use of SecurCore smart card technology,” said Dr. Leiping Lai, VP and CMO of HHNEC. “The Partnership with ARM, TMC and HED will enable us to provide HHNEC customers with ARM SecurCore processors for faster and more secure applications, enabling us to offer a more comprehensive range of secure functionality.”

Members of the ARM SecurCore Foundry Program will gain access to secure processor designs from ARM. Through the program, fabless design companies will receive the SecurCore design kit with manufacturing enabled through approved foundries. This success-based model ensures the secure details of the design remain solely within the design company and allows innovation through lower barriers to entry.

Following the recent agreement between ARM and Embest (see: ARM Invests in Embest to Underline Support for the Chinese Embedded System Design Community, September 5, 2007) members of the SecurCore Foundry Program in China can now also benefit from direct access to the ARM RealView® Microcontroller Development Kit  which is ideal for developing the firmware that will run on smart cards. In addition, members will gain access to ARM Artisan® Physical IP solutions which will provide members with ultra low-cost, and low-power implementation via the Metro™ low-power platform – comprehensive IP designed specifically for performance-oriented, portable electronic devices.

About the ARM Foundry Program

The ARM Foundry Program is an innovative business model that enables fabless semiconductor companies in emerging markets to gain access to ARM processor technology for use in the design and manufacture of advanced system-on-chip (SoC) solutions.

The Program offers a flexible partnership model that accelerates the time-to-market for ARM processor-based designs and enables OEMs, which do not have access to fabrication facilities, to work directly with an approved ARM semiconductor foundry. Unlike a traditional ARM license, where a licensee gains both manufacturing and design rights, the ARM Foundry Program builds a three-way partnership between ARM, an approved silicon foundry, and a fabless semiconductor companies.

About ARM

ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, graphics processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products. Combined with the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.