Intel has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Fulcrum Microsystems, a privately held semiconductor company that designs Ethernet switch silicon for data center network providers. 

According to Intel ten gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) networks are currently amongst the fastest growing market segments in the data center. So as the demand for data continues to increase, there is a growing need for high-performance, low-latency network switches, to support evolving cloud architectures as well as the growth of converged networks in the enterprise.

Fulcrum Microsystems designs integrated, standards-based 10 GbE and 40 gigabit Ethernet (40 GbE) switch silicon, which feature low latency and workload balancing capabilities, whilst assisting in the delivery of superior network speeds.

This acquisition of Fulcrum Microsystems will help Intel to fulfill a crucial component in its strategy to deliver comprehensive data center building blocks, from server processors and technologies to storage and networking. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. 

“Intel is transforming from a leading server technology company to a comprehensive data center provider that offers computing, storage and networking building blocks,” said Kirk Skaugen, Intel vice president and general manager, Data Center Group.

“Fulcrum Microsystems’ switch silicon, already recognized for high performance and low latency, complements Intel’s leading processors and Ethernet controllers, and will deliver our customers new levels of performance and energy efficiency while improving their economics of cloud service delivery.”

 

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