Intel has announced the revival of the Altera brand name for its new standalone FPGA (field-programmable gate array) company. Previously known as Intel's Programmable Solutions Group, the business recently became an independent entity after being spun off two months ago. Intel acquired Altera in 2015 for $16.7 billion to enhance its FPGA capabilities. The decision to use the well-known Altera name for the new standalone company reflects Intel's confidence in the FPGA market, estimated to be worth over $55 billion across data centers, communications, and embedded segments.
As a standalone company with its own board of directors, Altera will focus solely on the FPGA market. While Intel will remain the majority shareholder, outside investment may support expansion plans. Altera aims to continue the Programmable Solutions Group's work on lower-end and mid-range FPGAs for embedded devices in industrial, automotive, and aerospace/defense applications.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger believes that independence will provide Altera with the necessary mandate, focus, and resources to take advantage of the expected growth in FPGAs. The revival of the Altera brand and renewed focus on the FPGA market align with Intel's strategy to invest in new chip factories and advanced manufacturing capabilities. By establishing Altera as a standalone business, Intel hopes to become a key player in the anticipated growth of the global FPGA industry.
Altera is also introducing new FPGA models, including Agilex 9, which is now in volume production; Agilex 7 F-series and I-series, released to production; Agilex 5, widely available; and Agilex 3, coming soon. These models offer functions tailored for cloud, communications, and intelligent edge applications. Below is a specification table for the upcoming FPGAs.
