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ARM: Can 'crown jewel' of UK technology be protected?

bbc.com

11–20 of 101 posts

Re: ARM: Can 'crown jewel' of UK technology be protected?

#11
post #7
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great Britain is now much more desperate. It needs to compete for market share and access to markets like a 3rd world country but without the associated cheap labour so high tech is one of the few anchors where Britain might have USP. But as you say with ARM that ship has sailed with the previous sale to SoftBank. The only chance to salvage some of the know how (not the IP) would be if these specialists could find si…

To add to this comment(might be biased as I live and work in the UK): salaries here are just not on the USA level, while costs of items are the same, if not higher(check Apple products price difference on the official website, clothing etc). For many of high demand engineers the choice is London/Manchester or move to the USA

Like most tech people I know in the UK, I've worked for North American companies my whole career. I'd love to work for a UK company and support investment in the UK more, but the pay and working conditions just aren't even remotely competitive (how crazy does that sound, saying I have to go to North American companies to get better working conditions but it's true.) Thankfully more and more let you work remotely from the UK now.

I might be misremembering and exaggerating but I think I looked at ARM internships a decade ago and they were paying about the same daily rate as the hourly rate I got from an American company. Guess where people went?

Re: ARM: Can 'crown jewel' of UK technology be protected?

#12
post #5

A: No.

Of course it can?

Just buy it from Softbank at over 40bn$.

"It's as simple as that".

What the choosing beggars want, however, is getting ARM back from Softbank for free. After Softbank paid 32bn$ for it. And there you are right, ain't gonna happen.

Re: ARM: Can 'crown jewel' of UK technology be protected?

#14
post #3

Hasn't the ship already sailed? It was sold to softbank and now NVidia? It seems a too late for this. edit: Get rid of little to late and change to too late.

Apparently; when ARM was first sold to Softbank, Softbank made several guarantees to the UK. Nvidia has made no agreement to continue those guarantees. > At that time, Softbank announced it had agreed to legally binding commitments to increase investment, headcount and preserve its headquarters in the UK. > It is not too late for the government to impose conditions, but conversations on whether to impose them or what…

> Nvidia has made no agreement to continue those guarantees.

Hasn't Nvidia has actually increased those guarantees with everything they have agreed on for buying ARM?

Re: ARM: Can 'crown jewel' of UK technology be protected?

#15
post #3

Hasn't the ship already sailed? It was sold to softbank and now NVidia? It seems a too late for this. edit: Get rid of little to late and change to too late.

Apparently; when ARM was first sold to Softbank, Softbank made several guarantees to the UK. Nvidia has made no agreement to continue those guarantees. > At that time, Softbank announced it had agreed to legally binding commitments to increase investment, headcount and preserve its headquarters in the UK. > It is not too late for the government to impose conditions, but conversations on whether to impose them or what…

I would assume Nvidia bought (by obligation) those commitments too?

Otherwise it would be pointless having them in the first place, you'd just get out of it (if you wanted to) with some creative corporate governance.

[I used to work at Arm, but not on creative corporate governance.]

Re: ARM: Can 'crown jewel' of UK technology be protected?

#18
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great Britain is now much more desperate. It needs to compete for market share and access to markets like a 3rd world country but without the associated cheap labour so high tech is one of the few anchors where Britain might have USP. But as you say with ARM that ship has sailed with the previous sale to SoftBank. The only chance to salvage some of the know how (not the IP) would be if these specialists could find si…

One problem I have with Cambridge is that, IMO, it's a small island in the middle of nowhere, which has to limit its attractiveness at some point. Sure, there is a fast-ish train link to London but Cambridge itself is quite small and there is close to nothing at all around it. Edit: Sorry guys! Obviously many people from Cambridge here.

I live in (or near) Cambridge and it is rubbish. It's different if you went to Cambridge University, though. A lot more doors are open for you. But it's far too expensive to live in so most people live miles away and do a horrible commute every day involving crawling traffic and general anger and frustration.

Re: ARM: Can 'crown jewel' of UK technology be protected?

#19
post #5

A: No.

Of course it can? Just buy it from Softbank at over 40bn$. "It's as simple as that". What the choosing beggars want, however, is getting ARM back from Softbank for free. After Softbank paid 32bn$ for it. And there you are right, ain't gonna happen.

I'm not so sure UK politicians would know what to do with a complicated tech company.

Re: ARM: Can 'crown jewel' of UK technology be protected?

#20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One problem I have with Cambridge is that, IMO, it's a small island in the middle of nowhere, which has to limit its attractiveness at some point. Sure, there is a fast-ish train link to London but Cambridge itself is quite small and there is close to nothing at all around it. Edit: Sorry guys! Obviously many people from Cambridge here.

I live in (or near) Cambridge and it is rubbish. It's different if you went to Cambridge University, though. A lot more doors are open for you. But it's far too expensive to live in so most people live miles away and do a horrible commute every day involving crawling traffic and general anger and frustration.

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