"Expect more change from Intel"

Big changes are happening at Intel­both inside and outside. Big news is: Expect more. It is on full display at the Intel Developer Forum
(IDF) Spring 2005 in USA, which kicked off on March 1, 2005. For example, Intel started with stressing its commitment to what it calls the three Ps. And no, those do not contain either PC or Pentium. That itself is the biggest change. 

Rather, the culmination of the big change that started sometime after Craig Barrett took over. The new Ps for Intel somewhat summarizes that change­People, Platforms, and Possibilities.

At least two of them­platforms and possibilities­are new slogans. The first one positions Intel as more than a PC-centric company, a change, the impact of which is visible now. The second one is more important. Intel is now talking about the research it is conducting, the innovations where it is putting its money. A long way from the days when you heard about the new chips two weeks before release. That is a big culture change. 

This change would probably accelerate. Soon, Craig would step down and Paul
Otellini, the present COO, would take over as the CEO. Interestingly, Paul will be the first out and out marketing person to head Intel. Even in the high decibel marketing era of the 90s and 2000s, Intel had continued with its PhD CEOs and had succeeded. Paul has to steer this large engineering corporation to a new direction. Recent experience in other technology corporations has not been too rewarding. That would be a challenge. The only thing in Paul´s favor: he is a true Intel
Inside(r) person, not an outsider.

The keynote at IDF by Craig, just declared, rather excited, Intel´s users, partners, and other stakeholder about this big change. To innovate and integrate­he announced­would be Intel´s core approach. Stressing on the platform approach, he said, "Intel's commitment to Moore's Law now allows us to create integrated platforms that deliver a broad range of capabilities for individuals and organizations that use technology. To realize the full potential of these capabilities, continued innovation and industry cooperation will be more important than ever." 

Craig outlined five building blocks--digital enterprise, mobility, channel platforms, digital home, and digital health, as the guiding force of future for technology in general and Intel in particular. Apart from the mobility, digital enterprise, digital home areas, which Intel has been talking about for some time, Craig significantly included channel platforms­localized approach to platform creation in different geographies­and digital health to Intel´s core focus. 

And of course, reiterating the partnership approach, Craig said, "Innovation happens at many levels. We will continue to innovate at the transistor and individual chip level, but now our job is to work with the extended ecosystem of developers, software designers, systems engineers, service providers and others to innovate at the platform level," he added.

He also said that innovation is driving the global digital economy. By working together as an industry and by advocating education and government policies that nurture innovation, there's no limit to what we can achieve.

SHYAMANUJA DAS 

SAN FRANCISCO