Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
💻

Broadcom

technology Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Broadcom is a huge American company that helps the modern world run.

Broadcom logo (2016-present)
Broadcom logo (2016-present)

It designs and makes many different kinds of technology. Most of its work is in two main areas. First, it makes semiconductors, which are tiny chips that act like brains for machines. Second, it makes infrastructure software to help big computer systems work. These products help with wireless signals, storage, and data centers. In late 2024, the company became very valuable. It was the 12th company ever to reach a market cap of $1 trillion.

Broadcom
Broadcom

To understand how Broadcom works, look at how it earns its money. About 58% of its revenue comes from semiconductor products. The other 42% comes from its infrastructure software products and services. These chips and programs work together to power many things. For example, Broadcom makes chips used in Raspberry Pi boards.

They also make parts for things like the iPhone 5s. This technology allows devices to connect to the internet and talk to each other. Without these small parts, much of our digital world would stop working.

The history of Broadcom is a long story of many changes. It actually started in 1961 as a division of Hewlett-Packard called HP Associates. Later, it became part of a group called Agilent Technologies. In 2005, a new company called Avago Technologies was formed. Avago grew by buying many other businesses over many years. In 2016, Avago bought Broadcom Corporation for $37 billion. After this big move, the company changed its name to Broadcom Limited. Finally, in November 2017, it took its current name, Broadcom Inc.

Avago Technologies logo
Avago Technologies logo

Broadcom has made many large deals to grow even bigger. In 2018, it bought CA Technologies for $18.9 billion. This helped the company move into the software business. In 2019, it also bought the enterprise security business of Symantec for $10.7 billion. One of its biggest moves happened recently with a company called VMware. Broadcom announced it would buy VMware in May 2022. This deal was valued at $69 billion in cash and stock.

Wiki letter w cropped
Wiki letter w cropped

After many checks by leaders in the UK, EU, and China, the deal closed on November 22, 2023.

Because Broadcom is so large, it is very important to the global economy. It is now part of a group called the Big Tech group. Some people even call it part of the Magnificent Seven.

Broadcom Headquarters San Jose
Broadcom Headquarters San Jose

The company is led by its president and CEO, Tan Hock Eng. Its main headquarters are located in Palo Alto, California. While it is a leader in tech, it has also faced hard jobs. For instance, the European Union and the FTC have looked into its business practices. This shows how much influence a company this size has on the whole world.

453 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (9)
File:Avago Technologies logo.svg
Avago Technologies logo.svg
File:Broadcom logo (2016-present).svg
Broadcom logo (2016-present).svg
File:Wiki letter w cropped.svg
Wiki letter w cropped.svg
File:Broadcom Headquarters San Jose.jpg
Broadcom Headquarters San Jose.jpg
File:Raspi 15807388763 6d259773fb o.png
Raspi 15807388763 6d259773fb o.png
File:Broadcom.jpg
Broadcom.jpg
File:Apple-Airport-Extreme-80211g-WiFi-Card.jpg
Apple-Airport-Extreme-80211g-WiFi-Card.jpg
File:Cambridge Science Park Broadcom.jpg
Cambridge Science Park Broadcom.jpg
File:IPhone 5s (model A1457) - mainboard - Avago A790720-6702.jpg
IPhone 5s (model A1457) - mainboard -...
More to explore

🔗 What's this?

Concepts mentioned in this article

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.