[ptarmigan]

More as background to ADI's acquisition of Linear Tech, but often these acquisitions come down to one chipmaker's desire to offer a full system. Take for instance Analog Devices' RF converters: https://www.analog.com/en/applications/technology/rf-convert...

These chips cost hundreds or thousands of dollars and are meant for base stations. Analog Devices wants to get a contract with Nokia or anyone else and then also be able to sell the LDOs, PLLs, and clock devices that go along with it (https://www.analog.com/en/products/AD9213.html#product-tools). Linear Tech was the leader in power and the name is still used for new power products under the "Power by Linear" name with ADI. Hittite offers a number of RF chips. If you're paying $1k for a data converter, what's an extra $50 for all the analog/RF support circuitry? They may even throw it in for free. If you have a complex system with analog/RF/digital circuitry, offering a full reference design with other parts from your own catalog is a great way to ensure that those parts are used.