Apple's recent acquisition of PA Semiconductor appears to revolve around the latter company's intellectual properties and expertise, not its current products as was initially believed. AppleInsider reveals that Apple is more concerned with PA's technologies and engineers, since the semiconductor manufacturer has in the past created a dual-core 64-bit chip which only uses 15 watts of power to operate. This could allow for integration of low-consumption processors like the Intel Atom.

The move would impact many customers worldwide, including the US Department of Defense, who currently uses the efficient chipsets in some of its equipment. An insider from one of the two companies says that PA Semiconductor's technology is found in more than 10 devices used by the military, including offerings from Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

According to PA Semiconductor, Apple could potentially continue distribution by handing off production duties to third parties, until the products reach end-of-life. The cutoff could be drastic enough, however, that the Department of Defense would plead with Apple to continue distribution.