PC BIOS designer Phoenix Technologies, facing the rise of tablet PCs, has prepared solutions for ARM architectures with expectations to gain a strong market share in the upcoming Android and Windows 8 generation in 2012, according to Kelly Wu, VP and general manager of Phoenix Greater China.

Phoenix was unlisted from NASDAQ in 2010 due to some financial troubles and was later acquired by a private equity firm. After re-organizing its business lines, Phoenix has already set several targets for the future. For the notebook market, Phoenix currently still has about 40% share and still maintains strong relationships with its clients. In 2012, with the appearance of Windows 8, Phoenix's UEFI-supported BIOS, which provides both strong system security, stable firmware operations and shorter boot times, is still expected to help the company maintain its share in global notebook market, Wu noted.

As for tablet PCs, since there are over 20 combinations of ARM-based chips/operating system platforms available for tablet PCs downstream vendors will need to spend extra to work on all of the possible combinations. Phoenix is capable of saving downstream vendors costs and is already in cooperation with both hardware and software players to offer customized designs through its modularized system, Wu added.

Wu also pointed out that the company has recently started cooperating with Microsoft and is already developing both x86 and ARM solutions.

Kelly Wu, VP and general manager of Phoenix Greater China.
Photo: Monica Chen, Digitimes, June 2011