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Intel Needs an Active, Competent Board, not a ‘Savior’ CEO

Intel Board, After Review, Insists on Token Changes

Intel Corp. said it will halt spending on new fab and facility expansion programs in Poland and Germany temporarily and establish a separate board of directors for its foundry operations in continuation of its reorganization plans and as part of efforts to revitalize the business.

The company also intends to conduct an initial public offering for Altera, the FPGA business it acquired years ago, and sell some of its shares in the business in an operation similar to the floating of Mobileye, the advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous driving division.

The details, laid out in a message to employees but which was simultaneously sent out as a press statement from CEO Patrick Gelsinger, included many of the actions observers said the company was likely to take following news the board of directors had held a special meeting last week. Some observers were expecting Intel to split into separate independent businesses.

Read More »Intel Board, After Review, Insists on Token Changes
Out of Intel, America's Dream Foundry: Here's How

Out of Intel, America’s Dream Foundry: Here’s How

By Bolaji Ojo

The United States wants a semiconductor foundry that can rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), the world’s No. 1 contract chipmaker.

Many industry executives have lined up behind this objective, considering it a worthy pursuit during a time of rapidly evolving geo-political changes and supply chain turmoil. We agree.

However, after reviewing events of the last several years, the editors of the Ojo-Yoshida Report are convinced that America must go back to the drawing board – and to Intel Corp. – if the creation of America’s world-class foundry is to become more than a wishful thinking.

Read More »Out of Intel, America’s Dream Foundry: Here’s How
Intel’s Crisis Was Predictable. Its Future Isn’t a Mystery, Either

Intel’s Crisis Was Predictable. Its Future Isn’t a Mystery, Either

By Bolaji Ojo

Three years ago, Patrick Gelsinger rode in on a charger to save Intel Corp. He should have been on a fighter jet.

The battlefield and combatants had changed since Gelsinger left Intel 10 years earlier in 2009. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) were on his radar, but the main threat was coming from a different source. While Gelsinger was focusing on process technology leadership, Nvidia Corp. with its GPU-CPU combo had invaded and taken over Intel’s lucrative server business.

Gelsinger meant well, but in aiming to restore Intel’s old “glory” with new fabs and billions of dollars in fresh capital expenditure spending, he made a classic mistake that turnaround specialists know well to avoid: attempting the restoration of a storied enterprise is a recipe for further disaster.

Read More »Intel’s Crisis Was Predictable. Its Future Isn’t a Mystery, Either
Can Intel Auto Chip Chart a New Course?

Can Intel Auto Chip Chart a New Course?

By Junko Yoshida

What’s at stake:
By all accounts, Intel Automotive is an underdog. But as automakers go through radical changes in vehicle architecture, electrification and the balance of market power, Intel sees an opening in automotive chips. However, in the midst of its internal turmoil, will Intel stick with automotive as “a must-seize” segment? And will  CEO Pat Gelsinger stick with Intel?

Among the businesses in which competitors have outplayed Intel, Intel Automotive is an outlier.

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Intel: The Beginning of the End?

Intel: The Beginning of the End?

By Peter Clarke

What’s at stake:
The break-up of the decades-long leader of the semiconductor industry would likely cause dramatic shifts in the semiconductor landscape. It would not only dent U.S. pride but could also undermine certain aspects of the American government’s technology policy and its CHIPS and Science Act.

The signs are mounting up that chip giant Intel Corp. is not long for this world – at least not in the form familiar to most industry observers.

Intel is now considering its strategic options, including splitting its product and chip manufacturing businesses, a potential sell-off, and whether certain factory projects might need to be delayed or cancelled, according to a Bloomberg report citing unnamed sources “familiar with the matter.”

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The Engineering of the CHIPS Act

The Engineering of the CHIPS Act

By Junko Yoshida

What’s at stake:
The CHIPS and Science Act is one of the most ambitious industrial policies the U.S. government has launched since the New Deal. Federal involvement in private industry ground to a halt in the administration of Ronald Reagan, which enforced the libertarian view that government guidelines are “business interferences” and financial assistance “handouts.” Given this recent history, the Department of Commerce has much to prove in executing the CHIPS Act fairly, effectively, transparently and on time.

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How IoT is Tackling Global Challenges

The global impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) is evident in its diverse applications across continents. It’s addressing rapid urbanization in the developing nations, tackling water scarcity and climate change, ensuring food safety and supply chain transparency, optimizing natural resource use in amid environmental concerns, and transforming healthcare.

Shift from Hardware-Defined SoCs to Workload-Optimized Chips

Shift from Hardware-Defined SoCs to Workload-Optimized Chips

By Ron Wilson

What’s at stake:
Increasingly systems houses, rather than chip companies, are designing the silicon for their systems and optimizing it for their workloads. Their needs are altering the traditional chip design flow.

Two closely linked changes in the semiconductor industry are gradually altering the way ICs are designed, demanding new skills from designers, inspiring new tools from the EDA industry, and opening new roles for AI in the design flow. In a recent conversation with Synopsys VP for Product Management and System Solutions Tom De Schutter we explored this evolution.

Read More »Shift from Hardware-Defined SoCs to Workload-Optimized Chips