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ARM Holdings PLC is a semiconductor company based in Cambridge. Although its headquarters are in the UK, it has offices in 30 cities across 14 countries. It employs over 1,900 people and had a turnover of £491.8 million in 2011.
ARM’s business model has historically been based on developing microprocessor technology, licensing the intellectual property to manufacturers, and taking a royalty on each chip that is shipped. However, as processes have become more complex, ARM has branched out, now developing software and providing services to manufacturing partners.
ARM was set up in 1990 by three technology companies - Acorn Computer Group, Apple Computer and VLSI Technology - to develop RISC (reduced instruction set computing) chip technology. This technology simplifies the instructions used on computer hardware with the intention of speeding up the execution of these instructions. This in turn has allowed for the reduction of the number of transistors on a microprocessor, making chips more economical. The technology has been particularly useful as demand for portable devices has grown.
ARM’s clients and partners include:
2011 saw the production of the 25 billionth ARM chip. These huge numbers can be partly explained by ARM’s success in the smartphone market: 95% of all smartphones contain at least one chip developed by the company. Some of the most high-profile smartphones which contain ARM chips include the HTC Desire and the iPhone 4.
95% of all smartphones contain a chip originally developed by ARM.
The company recently unveiled what it says is the most energy-efficient chip technology to date, the Cortex-A7. It is thought that the new chip could help to increase the battery life of smartphones by five times by 2013.
ARM products can also be found in tablet computers such as the iPad 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab, as well as in e-readers, digital cameras, printers, HDTVs and many other electrical products.
ARM is listed in the following:
ARM has been recognised with the following awards:
ARM graduates can expect to earn a ‘competitive’ salary of around £25,000 per annum. A salary review is conducted every six months for the first two years of work. Staff are given 25 days’ annual leave and a discretionary relocation package is available.
Other benefits for staff include:
According to ARM, it promotes personal development and innovation by giving cash rewards to staff for original work. A cash sum is paid to employees whose ideas for patents are subsequently filed by the patents review committee. Similarly, a cash sum is paid to staff who externally present or publish papers on, or closely related to, the technology used by ARM.
ARM was set up and remains based in Cambridge. It is recognised as a major part of the ‘Silicon Fen’ brand (a nod to California’s Silicon Valley). The Silicon Fen tag refers to the area surrounding the city, which has a high number of technology start-up companies. ARM was a founder member of the ‘Cambridge Network’, which promotes networking by professionals in the area and connects businesses to academic institutions such as the University of Cambridge.
Despite its growth over the past 20 years, ARM stresses that it has retained ideas and staff that played a big part in its founding, as well as developing its links with businesses and universities in the Cambridge area.
The company lists seven values that have played a significant role since its inception:
The company cites its ‘mbed project’ as an example of these values in action. mbed is a microcontroller prototyping tool that allows people to test out ideas on microcontrollers, without having to build up the system from the ground. It was started by two ARM staff who encountered difficulties while working on projects outside of the workplace: one was helping out with an undergraduate project and the other was working with an after-school electronics club. mbed is now a part of the ARM business.
TEAM ARM is the company’s staff fundraising network. Through this organisation staff can take part in a variety of charitable events. In 2010 it raised over £93,000 through activities such as bike rides and marathons. As with many employers, ARM also lays on social events for its staff, such as a Christmas party and summer barbecue.
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