ARM, a designer of low-power microprocessor technologies, on Tuesday announced that it has acquired Prolific, which develops  IC design optimization software tools that significantly reduce development time and improve performance of cell-based designs.

The increasing complexity of 20nm and below process technologies is driving the need for automated layout optimization solutions. This acquisition augments ARM's strategy to provide innovative physical IP products that will enable the ARM partnership to continue to lead in the implementation of highly integrated, low-power system-on-chip solutions.

“We have been successfully collaborating with Prolific for a number of years. The technology and expertise that will come with this acquisition will expand our capabilities to accelerate ecosystem adoption of advanced process nodes at 20nm and below,” said Simon Segars, executive vice president and general manager of physical IP division at ARM.

The Prolific team will become part of the ARM physical IP team based in San Jose, California.

"Prolific has a long history of improving the efficiency of complex physical design process flows. The ARM partnership will benefit from faster time to market for advanced node solutions through the addition of Prolific’s leading-edge optimization tools, which enable optimum power, performance and area with accelerated development timelines," said Paul de Dood, president and founder of Prolific.

Tags: ARM, Cortex, Prolific