Intel’s processors once dominated the computing landscape, but the company has been under pressure as chips based on the rival ARM architecture have become the preferred engine for not only mobile devices, but also a new breed of data center technologies.
At this week’s Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco, CEO Brian Krazanich outlined how the company plans to maintain its stature. The speech marked his first major appearance since succeeding Paul Otellini in May, and his message was, in a sense, simple: Intel intends to put a chip in almost everything.
Krazanich stressed that the company is still committed to innovation in the floundering PC space. He also argued that new manufacturing processes will help the company catch up to ARM in the mobile space. But his keynote address also emphasized wearable technology and the Internet of Things. How will this vision change Intel’s trajectory? Here are four takeaways from Intel’s IDF presentation.
1. Quark is a new line of processors designed for wearable technology and the Internet of Things.
Quark, which Krazanich introduced for the first time this week, is one-fifth the size of Intel’s low-power Atom processors, which are used in mobile devices. With such tiny dimensions, the chip is designed to be an ultra energy-efficient component in wearable products and connected devices.