🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

AMI makes firmware that helps AI data centers run

• AMI, or American Megatrends Inc., is the company in the deal. Thales, a French defense and cybersecurity company, calls it the world’s largest BIOS firmware vendor. BIOS, or Basic Input/Output System, is the low-level software that starts a computer. AMI says AMIBIOS runs on a large share of computers worldwide 1.
• Another big part of AMI’s business is software plus hardware for Baseboard Management Controllers (BMCs). These specialized microcontrollers sit on server motherboards and let operators manage systems remotely 2.
• Data centers rely on BMCs to run modern hardware. That includes AI systems such as NVIDIA’s GB200 rack-scale systems, which tie BMC-level management into both computing and networking functions 2.
• The global BMC market was worth US$3.8 billion in 2025. It could reach US$7.6 billion by 2034 as demand rises 2.

The deal moves Lattice deeper into data center software

• The acquisition gives Lattice a bigger role in software plus AI system management for cloud and AI infrastructure. It builds on the company’s work in programmable chips and its push into those areas.
• The move also fits a wider shift across the chip industry. Companies gain ground when they own more of the software stack, especially as open-source firmware projects such as OpenBMC, an open-source platform for server management firmware, make parts of the market more standard 2.
• With Lattice’s programmable chips, AMI’s firmware and infrastructure software could help it compete with BMC chip vendors such as ASPEED and Nuvoton. Those two companies account for an estimated 80-85% of global BMC chip shipments 2.