Micronas Semiconductor has inked an agreement to acquire all shares of privately held WISchip International for approximately $80 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year.
WISchip develops advanced audio and video system-on-chip IC and software solutions, implementing MPEG-1, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, H.264 and VC-1, which are used to support the latest HDTV standards.
Micronas will add 104 WISchip employees to its staff roster, including 78 video and computer engineers, 32 of which are based in the company's Shanghai R&D facility.
The latest offering from WISchip is the DeCypher 8100, a multistream, HD, audio/video system-on-chip (SoC) decoder with integrated digital rights management and networking support, compliant with H.264 HD standard and Microsoft's WM9/VC-1. The decoder will enable OEM consumer electronics customers to develop next-generation IP set-top boxes.
The Cypher 7108 SoC is an integrated video/audio encoding technology designed to address the multimedia data storage and transmission requirements of next-generation home entertainment systems.
