Broadcom is a top-ten semiconductor firm that designs, develops, and sells system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of wired and wireless communications products. In 2006 Broadcom generated over US$ 3.6 billion in total revenue, at a 6.7% operating margin. Broadcom's diversified catalog of products is used in digital cable, satellite and IP set-top boxes, media servers, high definition televisions and HD-DVD players, cable and DSL modems, wireless local area networks, cell phones, and mobile multimedia devices such as video iPods. One of Broadcom's specialties is chip integration, the placement of multiple functions on one chip, providing end-to-end solutions for its customers. Only a few companies possess the ability to create integrated chips.

Broadcom operates as a fabless semiconductor company. ("Fabless" means the firm designs, develops and supplies semiconductors, but outsources the actual manufacture and packaging of its semiconductors to other companies called semiconductor foundries that specialize in semiconductor production.) Broadcom holds the number two position in the fabless semiconductor industry, behind only Qualcomm.

(Read more at Wikinvest )