Not quite sure what the play is here, are Apple looking to move away from Power VR entirely?
If yes, then ex-Imagination employees might not be the best people to oversee that. If no, then it doesn't seem like a healthy relationship, taking employees away from a crucial supplier.
Companies don't think this way. For one Imagination is in trouble and would have to lay off people anyways. Second it is better to have your employees making money someplace else and keeping their skill sharp because they may one day return. Third a company in trouble is not always a good partner to do business with, picking up their talent is one way to minimize risk.
Companies don't think this way. For one Imagination is in trouble and would have to lay off people anyways.
Not in the PowerVR division; they've publically announced that they are expanding staff in that area.
Besides which, why would that be a consideration at Apple? Until the employees have been laid off, I'd expect them to be out of bounds due to partnership anti-poaching clauses.
Second it is better to have your employees making money someplace else and keeping their skill sharp because they may one day return.
The best place for graphics processor engineers, or even managers, to hone their skills will be at a graphics processor engineering company. And again, why would this be a consideration at Apple? Are you suggesting some kind of deal between Apple and Imagination to put those employees on some kind of skill building secondment? I suppose that's possible, but it hasn't been suggested anywhere I've read.
Third a company in trouble is not always a good partner to do business with, picking up their talent is one way to minimize risk.
And also a good way to marginalise that company. Good partners stick by each other. Given that one of the more significant reasons for Imagination's current issues is given as iPhone shipments being down from expectations, then it seems like Imagination isn't at fault here. Besides which, it doesn't sound like Imagination is under any sort of existential threat, they're just struggling a little bit in some areas; they'll be fine as long as their partners don't rock the boat.
Apple have long had a public reputation (deserved or not) as rather a fickle partner, and this sort of thing won't do them any favours.
I agree with everyone, but serious question: when Apple hires big swaths of staff from these companies, how does it avoid patent infringement? Do they have to invent all-new IP? If so, why poach these particular employees?
It's not just that. Large-scale poaching itself can lead to lawsuits (although so can agreements not to poach). I'm surprised Apple is doing this. It's also kind of unethical - it's like buying the company without buying the company.
I wonder why Apple just doesn't buy Nvidia since they are mainly in the GPU business. They technically could, right?
I think Nvidia has a lot of trouble offering GPUs that could compete against Imagination in terme of performance per watts. This could explains why no Nvidia SoC has ever found its way in a mass market smartphone.
I agree with everyone, but serious question: when Apple hires big swaths of staff from these companies, how does it avoid patent infringement? Do they have to invent all-new IP? If so, why poach these particular employees?
Patent infringement is basically independent of the people who work on a project. They're most likely hired for their experience.
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Besides which, why would that be a consideration at Apple? Until the employees have been laid off, I'd expect them to be out of bounds due to partnership anti-poaching clauses.
The best place for graphics processor engineers, or even managers, to hone their skills will be at a graphics processor engineering company. And again, why would this be a consideration at Apple? Are you suggesting some kind of deal between Apple and Imagination to put those employees on some kind of skill building secondment? I suppose that's possible, but it hasn't been suggested anywhere I've read.
And also a good way to marginalise that company. Good partners stick by each other. Given that one of the more significant reasons for Imagination's current issues is given as iPhone shipments being down from expectations, then it seems like Imagination isn't at fault here. Besides which, it doesn't sound like Imagination is under any sort of existential threat, they're just struggling a little bit in some areas; they'll be fine as long as their partners don't rock the boat.
Apple have long had a public reputation (deserved or not) as rather a fickle partner, and this sort of thing won't do them any favours.