Broadcom Corp. maintained its ranking among the top 10 chipmakers in the world in 2011.
The Irvine-based company, buoyed by strong growth in the wireless and mobile market, was the 10th-largest chipmaker last year as measured by revenue, said El Segundo-based market tracker iSuppli Corp., a unit of IHS Inc. Broadcom held the same position in iSuppli’s 2010 rankings.
Broadcom specializes in communication chips that go in tablets, smart phones, set-top boxes, broadband modems, networking gear and other products. The chipmaker had $7.1 billion in sales in 2011, or 7% more than a year earlier.
Looking ahead, Broadcom could pass Boise, Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc. for the No. 9 position when 2012 rankings are compiled, thanks to Broadcom’s recent $3.7 billion buy of NetLogic Microsystems Inc. in Santa Clara.
Micron posted $7.3 billion in sales last year in a 17% slip from 2010. Micron Chief Executive Steve Appleton was killed in a plane crash last month, and Chief Technology Officer Mark Durcan was selected to succeed him.
Intel
Santa Clara-based Intel Corp. topped the latest iSupply list, with $48.7 billion in 2011 revenue for a 21% improvement from a year earlier.
Broadcom is one of two chipmakers on the list that don’t operate factories; it hires contractor manufacturers to produce their chips. The other is No. 6 San Diego-based Qualcomm Inc., which gained three spots after posting a 42% revenue rise in 2011 to $10.1 billion.
—Chris Casacchia
