Intel

Intel is a designer and manufacturer of microprocessors, semiconductor chips, digital signal processors, communication chips and related computing technology. It is noted for a range of consumer electronics processors and chipsets,

History

The company was founded in July 1968 and is based in Santa Clara, California by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore, it was transformed into an industry leader under the direction of Andrew Grove. The success of the company has allowed it to grow to employ over 100,000 highly skilled individuals worldwide. Intel share of microprocessors and semiconductor market is about 80%, it has been said that Intel achieved a significant share of the microprocessor market through large investment in new designs during the 1990’s in response to increased competition from rival AMD.

The brand name is a blend of two words Integrated Electronics although the company originally traded under the name of NM Electronics for approximately a year. The name Intel was under trademark to a hotel called Intelco whose name rights Noyce and Moore bought.

Intel’s first product was the 3101 Schottky TTL bipolar 64-bit static random-access memory (SRAM) in 1969. Intel and Texas Instruments are both credited with the invention of commercially available microprocessors in 1971.

The successful x86 architecture is actually based on Intel’s 8086 microprocessor series (originally developed in 1978), and found in many of the world’s personal computers.

During the 1980’s Intel worked with the Semiconductor Industry Association to help the US pass the Semiconductor Chip Protection Act of 1984, a law that classifies microprocessor design as intellectual property.

From Pentiums and Core Duos to Atoms and Xeons, the impact of Intel is felt across all areas of high technology. As part of the WinTel "alliance" with Microsoft, for example, it shaped the whole development of computing in the late twentieth century.

As well as microprocessors, it is also heavily involved in a range of associated technologies, from WiMax and the encryption of Trusted Computing to virtualisation and its entrerpise-oriented vPro technology. Intel Capital also plays an increasingly important role in the funding of semiconductor startups.

In terms of manufacturing, Intel has 15 wafer fabrication plants (fabs) operating worldwide, and it boasts these facilities are consistently "sharing information to improve product performance while further fine tuning the manufacturing process".

To see a snapshot of Intel's development across the years, view its "corporate timeline"

Intel Chipset Range

Intel Atom

Intel Pentium Processor

Intel Pentium M Processor

Intel Core Solo Processor

Intel Core Duo Processor

Intel Core 2 Solo Processor

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor

Intel Core 2 Quad Processor

Intel Core 2 Extreme Processor

Intel Core i3 Processor

Intel Core i5 Processor

Intel Core i7 Processor

Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition Processor

Intel Core Processor

Intel’s competitors

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD)

Texas Instruments Incorporated

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd

Intel Inside

Intel revolutionised the image of the microprocessor industry beyond that of it’s traditional technologists customer base, through the implementation of an effective customer support mechanism due to the ‘Pentium flaw’ incident and the successful "Intel Inside" advertising campaign in the 1990s that made its processors a recognisable brand.