"In Q4 and throughout 2011 Arm has seen strong licensing growth, driven by market-leading semiconductor companies increasing their commitment to Arm technology, and more new customers choosing Arm technology for the first time," said chief executive Warren East.

"We have also seen our royalty revenue continue to grow faster than industry revenues as the Arm Partnership gains share in our target markets."

The firm agreed 25 new licenses in the three months to the end of December 2011, including a deal with networking semiconductor company, LSI.

Analyst reaction to the results has been positive.

"Against a weak industry backdrop, Arm's core business royalty revenue accelerated 23% year-on-year versus 20% in the third quarter ..."