Microsemi Corp.’s latest partnership with Sunnyvale-based Rambus Inc. provides a deeper look into how the company has maintained a strong position in the military and defense markets.
Under the rare deal, the Aliso Viejo-based company will serve as reseller of certain power analysis technologies developed by Rambus’ cryptography research division, which specializes in solving complex data security problems.
Microsemi seldom resells other companies’ technology. The Rambus deal, though, provided added security benefits it wouldn’t have had on its own.
The Rambus intellectual property, coupled with Microsemi’s chips, firmware and software is geared for mission-critical applications, such as missile, radar and communications systems, provides added security against what are known as side-channel attacks, a growing concern in the government and military sectors.
“We provide the physical protection so people can’t get in,” said Charlie Leader, vice president and general manager of Microsemi’s Power & Microelectronics Group.
Side-channel attacks aim to steal data without touching a device. Instead, attempted breachers monitor the system or device emissions, including the timing of microprocessors at work, acoustics or measure electromagnetic discharges to correlate statistical data and break encryption keys.
“That’s where [the Rambus cryptography research division’s] intellectual property is extremely valuable,” Leader said.
Microsemi generated revenue of $302.7 million in the defense and security market in the 12 months through September, the end of its fiscal year, or roughly 27% of $1.13 billion in annual sales, according to its annual report.
Blizzard Games Score
Irvine-based video game maker Blizzard Entertainment Inc. is attracting millions of new online players with a lineup of titles steeped in fantasy lore and modern game play.
A look at some figures Blizzard Chief Executive Michael Morhaime disclosed on a recent conference call highlights the gains:
• Blizzard’s first free-to-play title, the collectible card game “Hearthstone,” had more than 25 million users since its March release. The game is estimated to bring in about $40 million per quarter as gamers pour in real money to purchase special card sets and accessories to boost performance.
• Another free-to-play game in development, “Heroes of the Storm,” which pits favorite characters from Blizzard’s Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo franchises against each other in online brawls between clashing universes, has amassed more than 9 million players for its closed beta test that kicked off last month.
• Subscriptions for its flagship World of Warcraft franchise topped 10 million users, a milestone the popular fantasy role-playing game hasn’t hit in years.
That figure will likely drop, however, in the coming months as players exhaust the content, according to Morhaime.
“As with previous expansions, we do anticipate a decline in subscribership in the coming months, particularly out of Asia, where the subscriber base has been more fluid,” he said.
The recent gains, coupled with the success of “Diablo III: Reaper of Souls” and the latest expansion “World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor,” fueled record revenue of $1.72 billion last year, up 53% over 2013.
TextPower Gets Patent
San Juan Capistrano-based TextPower Inc. has picked up a key patent for its text messaging authentication system.
The patent covers technology that allows users to send text messages from their mobile phones to authenticate identities without the need for login names and passwords, replacing tokens and security fobs.
Privately held TextPower, which industry veterans Scott Goldman and Mark Nielsen established in 2009, has annual revenue of less than $5 million.
The company licenses its TextKey platform on a per-user basis to large corporate customers, utilities, offices, personal websites and blogs, among others.
