Nikkei Electronics Asia --July 2010
Analysis
Intel Pursues the Chinese Market; Takes Aim at Embedded Market

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Jul 1, 2010 00:05 Tomohisa Takei

The major growth rates of the past seem unlikely in today's PC market, and the embedded equipment market has emerged as the key to future growth for Intel Corp. of the US. Intel hopes to use its foothold in the giant Chinese market to launch its embedded business effort successfully.

"By China, For China." This was what Intel trumpeted at Intel Developer Forum (IDF) 2010 Beijing, in April 2010, Beijing, China. It defines the company's stance of creating the products and technologies for the gigantic Chinese market in China.

Intel hopes that the Chinese market and the manufacturers there will provide the horsepower to drive their own growth. The company has positioned its Chinese research center is an advanced R&D group in the embedded equipment field, and announced plans to provide support to Chinese manufacturers in embedded development (Fig.1).

Fig.1 A New Policy for the Embedded Market
Intel has been pushing SoCs since the release of the Atom core, and now is gearing up to provide general-purpose processors for embedded equipment, and assigned the embedded equipment field as the priority target for its Chinese R&D center. (Top left and bottom right photos courtesy Intel)

"Intel Labs China will specialize in the advanced embedded field," said Justin Rattner, Vice President, Director, Intel Labs, Intel Chief Technology Officer at Intel. His made the comment at IDF 2010 in Beijing, following the establishment of Intel Labs China (ILC) as an R&D center in October 2009.

Focusing ILC Efforts on Embedded Applications

When ILC was founded, Intel considered assigning it research fields such as cloud computing, games and health care, but according the Rattner "Our decision was made from our policy of creating technologies for the Chinese market, in China." ILC will cooperate with Chinese manufacturers, research institutions and other organizations to research and commercialize technologies needed in embedded equipment.