While the computing world continues to shift around them, Intel has remained steady and true to form, remaing loyal to its infamous tagline: Intel Inside.
The company, which has staved off advances from competitors like Advanced Micro Devices and is posting $50 billion in annual sales has remained sure-footed even as it searched for a new CEO to take the helm after Paul Otellini retires in May. Despite rumors that the company was looking to an outsider to fill the role, its board selected current COO Brian Krzanich, an engineer who has been with the company since 1982. The company also elevated software honcho Renee James to President, Reuters reports.
While the duo will likely make a successful team, Intel hopes that the new appointments will aid in leading the company in a new, more mobile direction. While Intel's processing chips still sit inside many personal computers, the company is losing market share to companies like ARM, which makes rival chips for smartphones.
One of the first, most obvious changes Intel will be making will be the production of its secret "Haswell" chip, a next generation processor that serves a 'one size fits all' purpose—one that would better serve the mobile device and tablet markets. "In practical terms, this means designing a chip that can be scaled large or small, and built to emphasize either power-efficiency or performance," USA Today notes. While the new chip will surely be a positive change, it requires the company to make extensive updates to its manufacturing processes, an operation that will run them billions. Intel predicts that the new chip will provide double the battery life—a powerful bit that may help renew its Ultrabooks market and create a bigger presence in tablets.
But Haswell isn't the only thing it has got up its sleeve. Intel recently filed three trademarks for "Intel Inside & Out," what many speculate to be the company's plan to enter the TV market. The applications cover everything from set-top boxes to personal media players and imply that the company may be planning on launching a streaming subscription service with free or pre-paid content. Back in February, Intel Media's Erik Huggers indicated that the company wanted to "launch a full-blown TV subscription service that competes with cable, offering live broadcast feeds, on-demand content and an iPlayer-like TV catch-up service," according to GigaOm. It looks like they are well on their way.
While brand awareness is high for the iconic "Intel Inside" campaign via the small branded stickers on their PCs, the tagline, which launched in 1991, is a part of an ongoing marketing effort that ensures "quality, reliability, and compatibility" from the world's largest chip-maker. While Intel's chips are available inside several smartphones sold in foreign markets, it's clear that the brand is working hard to broaden its scope by facing major industries head-on.
Nice Blog Post !
ReplyDelete