Intel Corporation – 2007 Major News Highlights

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INTEL CORPORATION – 2007 MAJOR NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

2007 has been a very good year for Intel Corporation. The company extended its product and technology leadership; grew net income by nearly 35 percent (through the third quarter); introduced the world’s first processors built on 45 nanometer (nm) process technology; and met key milestones for introducing still more leadership products by demonstrating the Nehalem processor (due next year) and working 32nm test chips. The following details these highlights:

Intel Reinvents Transistors – Intel introduced its newest processors, the Penryn family, in November. The Intel Core™ Extreme and Xeon® processors for server and high-end gaming take advantage of a new transistor formula using a Hafnium-based high-k metal gate (Hi-k) transistor material. The industry’s first processors built on Intel’s 45nm process increase performance and reduce transistor electricity leakage and, thus, are more energy-efficient. Gordon Moore called it the biggest change to transistors in 40 years and Time magazine also included these 45nm processors in its 2007 ‘Best Inventions’ issue.

Intel ‘Tick-Tock’ Product, Manufacturing Strategy and Achievements – Intel continued to deliver on its ‘Tick-Tock’ strategy to deliver alternating new microarchitectures and manufacturing process shrinks every year. So far, Intel has tracked to this goal by delivering 45nm processors this year (tick) and demonstrating a new microarchitecture called ‘Nehalem’ (tock) due in 2008. The company also built working semiconductor devices on track for its next-generation, 32nm process technology scheduled for 2009.

Intel Discloses Next-Generation Nehalem Processor Family Details – Intel is on track to deliver Nehalem next year. The new architecture will bring leading-edge performance advantages, power efficiency and important new server features to market. Nehalem-based products will be the first to use the QuickPath system architecture that will include integrated memory controller technology and improved communication links among system components.

WiMAX Wireless Advances – In mid-2007 Intel began sampling its integrated Wi-Fi/WiMAX module solution for laptops that will be available as an option with ‘Montevina’ processor technology for Centrino-based laptops next year. Intel is also developing mobile WiMAX silicon for mobile internet and consumer electronic devices for 2008, and in September, Nokia said it will use Intel WiMAX products in future Nokia N-series internet tablets. In October, the International Telecommunication Union, a UN agency, endorsed WiMAX as the mobile technology of choice for wireless broadband. With this, the rate of growth is expected to pick up even faster. By 2010, we expect WiMAX from over 20 carriers will cover almost a billion people around the world.

R&D: Prototype 80-Core Processor Revealed – Intel researchers in February demonstrated a single, 80-core chip not much larger than the size of a finger nail that uses less electricity than most of today’s home appliances.

State-of-the-Art 45nm Factories (Fabs) –In October Intel opened its first high-volume 45nm manufacturing factory in Chandler, Arizona – called ‘Fab 32’ – to produce processors with Intel’s 45nm hafnium-based high-k metal gate transistors. Fab 32 is Intel’s sixth 300mm wafer factory. Two additional 45nm, 300mm manufacturing factories are scheduled to open next year in Kiryat Gat, Israel and Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

A ‘Greener’ Intel and Environment – Starting in 2008, Intel’s 65nm chipsets and 45nm chips will be halogen-free. Halogen is an eco-unfriendly flame retardant, and the company’s newest 45nm processors are already lead-free. Intel’s newest factory, Fab 32 in Arizona, recycles more than 70 percent of the water it uses. Earlier this year Intel joined forces with Google and other industry partners to form the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. The group is dedicated to setting aggressive new targets for energy-efficient computers and components.

New Mobile Processors for Consumer and IT – Intel in May launched a new generation of Intel Centrino processor technology (Santa Rosa), delivering faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, high-bandwidth 802.11n WiFi connectivity, richer graphics processing and optional Intel Turbo Memory. This also marked the arrival of Intel Centrino Pro technology, providing better levels of security and manageability for business PCs. Intel has shipped more than 5 million combined units of Intel vPro technology and Centrino Pro.

Ultra Mobile Processors for Portable Internet Devices – Intel introduced the Intel Ultra Mobile platform 2007 ‘McCaslin’ for Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPCs), and announced it had moved up its next-generation platform for MIDs and UMPCs, called ‘Menlow,’ from the second half of 2008 to the first half. Menlow will include the new 45nm high-k low power processor ‘Silverthorne.’

New Intel, Industry Growth Projects – Using the lower power and higher performance provided by Intel’s reinvented transistors and 45nm manufacturing process, Intel outlined three areas of new growth: Ultra-low powered processors for ‘internet in your pocket’ devices; processors for CE devices such as television set-top boxes and other internet-connected products; and expanding the company’s push in offering lower-cost computers to emerging economies and nations. Many of the projects take advantage of SoC designs.

Intel, Sun Partner Up – Intel and Sun Microsystems in January announced a broad alliance that resulted in Sun delivering a comprehensive family of enterprise and telecommunications servers and workstations based on Intel Xeon processors, with Intel supporting Solaris* as a mainstream operating system. Sun has already introduced Intel-based products.

Computers for Kids – With nearly 1.2 billion K-12 students in the world but only 50 million PCs currently available to them, the industry is uniting to expand education opportunities globally. The industry is now developing low-cost computing devices to further enable education. As an example, Intel is now shipping the Intel-powered Classmate PC. It’s rugged and durable enough to survive being dropped or spilled on. And it comes loaded with special education software. Intel is also working with the One Laptop per Child association and Asia’s Asus on their low-cost notebook solutions for this emerging segment.

Intel to Open Facility in China – Intel broke ground on a 300mm wafer fab in Dalian, a coastal city in Northeast China’s Liaoning province. The US$2.5 billion (NZ$3.2 billion) investment for the factory, designated Fab 68, will become Intel’s first wafer fab in Asia and adds significant investment to Intel’s existing operations in China.

Intel Sharpens Healthcare Focus – Intel in February announced its first reference platform built specifically for healthcare – the Mobile Clinical Assistant (MCA) – and that is was being piloted by nurses at hospitals around the world through a new product from Motion Computing. By year’s end, the Motion C5 will be piloted in multiple hospitals across the country.

New Flash Business Partner – To support the rapid global demand for mobile devices and their need for high-density memory, Intel, STMicroelectronics and Francisco Partners announced an agreement to form an independent company (eventually named Numonyx) by combining Intel’s NOR flash memory business and STMicroelectronics’ NOR and NAND flash businesses.

About Intel
Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at: www.intel.com/pressroom

ENDS

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