Marvell Acquires DS2 to Enter Powerline Communications Space

With consumers looking for alternative ways to connect computers and peripherals, including mobile devices and smart meters, inside homes, powerline communications is fast becoming a networking technology of choice for connected homes. As a result, more and more semiconductor suppliers are entering this space. Latest announcement comes from integrated silicon solutions provider Marvell (News - Alert) Semiconductor (www.marvell.com).

Marvell, which has been enjoying significant growth in mobile and wireless markets lately, has acquired the intellectual property and assets of Spain’s Diseno de Sistemas en Silicio S.A or "DS2 (News - Alert)", a supplier of high-speed semiconductor solutions for powerline communications. By converting any existing electrical power wiring into an intelligent, high-speed networking medium, powerline technology enables consumers to quickly and affordably create a "connected home" that can stream virtually any personal or subscription-based digital content to and from any room at high speeds, said Marvell. However, financial terms of this deal were not disclosed.

Under this agreement, Marvell will continue to sell DS2 products and support existing customers. Concurrently, the company will also develop and integrate DS2 core technology into its existing IP portfolio to provide complete home networking products. With this acquisition, approximately 75 DS2 employees have joined Marvell's worldwide development team, according to Marvell.

In a company statement, Marvell’s Gani Jusuf, vice president of product development for  Communications and Consumer Business Group, commented "With the industry ready to standardize on powerline technology and consumer demand for new home networking options rising fast, now is the time to drive innovation in this space." He added, "Powerline technology makes sense for many reasons, even for consumers who already have existing wired or wireless networks.  By enabling any wall outlet in your home to serve as a broadband network connection that can send and receive data at high speeds, consumers can extend the capabilities of their existing networks or construct a totally new stand alone network optimized for streaming media.”

According to Marvell, powerline technology is one of the easiest and most reliable methods to meet this growing market demand by offering a ubiquitous broadband solution that optimizes networking over existing power, coaxial cable, phone lines and other wiring. And consumers have begun to see powerline's advantages over existing wired and wireless technologies that cannot provide the transmission speeds necessary for streaming digital video and other multimedia content, noted the manufacturer.  

Founded in 1998 in Valencia, Spain, DS2 is regarded as a technology innovator in next-generation wireline technology based on the G.hn standard, which aims to combine, powerline, coaxial, and phoneline wiring within a single wired home network.  The company globally supplied advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solutions and universal powerline association (UPA) compatible circuits for digital home, smart grid and Ethernet over coax applications.