If you’re ARM Holdings, it’s nice to know that there are some companies out there willing to help you go to war against Intel.

Based in Cambridge, England, ARM creates microprocessor designs that other companies license, tweak and slot into their own array of products. The company’s expertise in chips that use little power has made it a particular friend of mobile device makers, including Apple which uses ARM silicon in the iPhone.

The good news for ARM is its popularity with the mobile set. The bad news is that Intel this year decided to have a crack at ARM’s business by releasing the Atom processor, which goes into small computers today and will eventually reach mobile phones as well.

With Intel on the prowl, ARM has formed a partnership with the processor makers I.B.M., Samsung and Chartered Semiconductor. The companies look to ensure that ARM’s designs can take advantage of the most advanced chip manufacturing techniques used to make products that should start appearing in 2010.

The wide-ranging partnership is a direct response to one of Intel’s great strengths. Intel designs and manufactures its own products, meaning it can tweak all aspects of a processor’s creation to best suit its needs. ARM hopes that by teaming with chip makers earlier in their shift to cutting-edge manufacturing technology, its designs will work well with their technology advancements and vice versa.

“Through this collaboration, we are really leveling the playing field,” said Simon Segars, an executive vice president at ARM.

Of course, some will wonder just how level the playing field really is.

Intel tends to lead competitors on the manufacturing front by moving first to new techniques which allow processors to be produced with finer features. In recent years, Intel has also been the first to adopt new materials inside processors that bolstered overall performance while also lowering power consumption.

While behind Intel, I.B.M. has been working on similar technology, and ARM hopes to tap this know-how as quickly as possible.

You can bet that Apple and indeed all of the major mobile phone makers will keep a close eye on how ARM’s new relationship plays out.