LONDON — Imagination Technologies Group plc, licensor of graphics processor cores, has said it has concluded a multi-year, multi-use license agreement with an international electronics systems company. Imagination did not name the company or indicate how much money the deal might be worth.

Imagination's PowerVR MBX is already designed into the Apple iPhone (see iPhone code trail points to MBX graphics core, published July 2007). This could indicate that Imagination has followed a line possibly taken by another IP licensor, ARM Holdings plc, and granted a broad IP license to allow Apple to design with its cores (see Apple with P.A. is possible ARM architecture licensee , published July 30, 2008).

The multi-year, multi-use license gives the unnamed company access to Imagination's current and future POWERVR graphics and video IP cores, the company said. As a result of this agreement, Imagination said it expected its cores would feature in a number of SoCs to be used in the systems company's future products.

Imagination said it will receive on-going license fees as well as royalty revenues on SoCs incorporating Imagination’s IP.

ARM used to work closely with Imagination on the combined licensing of their processor and graphics cores. ARM moved away from Imagination when it acquired Falanx Microsystems AS and its Mali line of graphics processors. (see June 2006 story).