Microsoft Links With ARM In New Tablet Drive

Microsoft Corp is taking a step away from a long-standing, lucrative alliance with Intel Corp and is teaming up with Britain’s ARM Holdings to take on Apple Inc in the tablet and smartphone arena. Microsoft, the second-largest U.S. technology company, plans to design a Windows operating system compatible with chips designed by ARM, an Intel rival and the dominant producer of chips for smartphones and tablet computers.

The move is the latest major win for ARM, which is making huge strides in mobile computing and also announced that graphics chipmaker Nvidia will begin designing central microprocessors for computers based on ARM architecture. Microsoft’s action is a shift from its alliance with Intel, whose chips have been the mainstay of Windows operating systems on personal computers. “We’ve already seen that the personal computer has lost dominance as a computing platform,” said Brendan Barnicle, Analyst, Pacific Crest Securities. “Microsoft has to deal with the fact that Apple is making these really compelling devices.”

“This is an existential issue for Microsoft in terms of its relevance,” said IDC analyst Al Hilwa, calling the smartphone a fundamental challenge to personal computers. “It has more technology, more devices, it’s actually smarter, more aware of its location and of its proximity to me, than my PC is,” he said. “It’s something essential for Microsoft.”

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Microsoft’s new approach marks the end of Intel’s hegemony on Windows systems, sometimes referred to as “Wintel,” which set the standard in early computing. “It’s highly symbolic, the Wintel duopoly that was such a good partnership for so long is fraying at the edges a little bit,” said Todd Lowenstein, a portfolio manager at HighMark Capital Management.

The U.S. software maker had no time frame in mind for the launch of the ARM-supported operating system version, Windows Division Chief Steven Sinofsky told reporters. But the executive added that Microsoft typically aims for 24 to 36 months between major Windows versions, suggesting a launch date of between October 2011 and October 2012.

That means tablets capable of taking on Apple’s iPad may be a year or more in coming, running the risk of leaving it too late to catch up with Apple’s iPad. “It’s still early in the adoption phase for tablets,” said Lowenstein. “Prices will be coming down, there is a mass market opening up even more, and both Intel and Microsoft have the capability to catch up. Microsoft has made a business model out of second-mover advantage, using its scale to crush opponents.”