Displaying items by tag: Intel

Apple has revealed its first Mac computers powered by chips of its own design. The California-based tech giant unveiled its M1 chip and the first computers that will run on it: a new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini.

However, the launch failed to excite investors. Apple’s value varied during the performance, with shares dropping and the big reveal failing to stall the decline. It would seem investors were unsurprised by the new product line, but this may change as we edge closer to Christmas and as global lockdowns are eased. Perhaps this can reverse Apple’s recent revenue stagnation.

In June, the company announced it would transition away from the Intel processors it had used since 2006. Putting a processor based on the ARM architecture in its desktop and laptop computers marks a big move for Apple away from Intel-designed chips and towards its own silicon, which has been used in the iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch for a number of years.

Apple said the advantages of using the M1 chip included better battery life, instant wake from sleep mode, and the ability to run iOS apps. It added it had optimized all of its own Mac apps, but now needs to convince other developers to do likewise.

This will be the first time in the 36-year history of the Mac that Apple-designed processors will power these machines. It has changed chips only two other times. In the early 1990s, Apple switched from Motorola processors to PowerPC. At WWDC in 2005, Steve Jobs announced a move from PowerPC to Intel, and Apple rolled out those first Intel-based Macs in January 2006.

According to Bloomberg, Apple’s chip-development group decided to make the switch after Intel’s annual chip performance gains slowed and engineers worried that sticking to Intel’s road map would delay or derail some future Macs.

Intel Corporation today reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2019 financial results. Intel exceeded expectations with a record revenue of $20.2 billion, up 8 percent year-over-year (YoY). Full-year revenue set an all-time record of $72.0 billion, up 2 percent YoY on data-centric growth.

Intel also delivered outstanding fourth-quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $1.58.A record $33.1 billion cash was generated from operations and $16.9 billion of free cash flow, and returned approximately $19.2 billion to shareholders.

The company’s board of directors approved a five percent cash dividend increase to $1.32 per share on an annual basis. The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share on the company’s common stock, which will be payable on March 1 to shareholders of record on February 7.

“In 2019, we gained share in an expanded addressable market that demands more performance to process, move and store data,” said Bob Swan, Intel CEO.

“One year into our long-term financial plan, we have outperformed our revenue and EPS expectations. Looking ahead, we are investing to win the technology inflections of the future, play a bigger role in the success of our customers and increase shareholder returns."

Revenues of the largest division of Intel, the Client Computing Group, producing chips for PCs, laptops and tablets, grew by 2% (compared with the fourth quarter of 2018) to $ 10.01 billion, exceeding analytical forecasts of $ 9.74 billion.

Most notably, revenue from the Data Center Group segment, which manufactures chips for computer servers grew 19% to $ 7.21 billion, which also exceeded analysts’ expectations of $ 6.40 billion. The non-volatile memory division selling storage and memory products, received income of $ 1.22 billion, which is lower than the forecast of $ 1.28 billion.

The company expects a strong first quarter this year. Intel’s forecast for the whole of 2020 is also higher than analysts’ expectations, with 2020 revenue of approximately $73.5 billion and first-quarter revenue of approximately $19.0 billion.

TIM Brazil has selected Nokia AirFrame servers featuring new, 2nd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors to virtualize its datacenters by the end of 2021.

TIM is the first operator in Latin America to adopt the AirFrame technology for its datacenter servers to improve server capacity and deliver better service quality, internet access and video consumption for its users across Brazil.

The agreement represents a major step in TIM Brazil’s cloud and digitalization journey, supported by Nokia, as the operator creates advanced services for its customers.

The deployment consists of 1000 state-of-the-art AirFrame servers, virtualizing network functions to guarantee better customer experience. Alongside the creation of edge datacenters, the agreement with Nokia also signals important progress for TIM Brazil as a company as it moves towards 5G, a requirement of which is evolving to a cloud core for network activities.

The 2^nd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors were launched globally on 2 April 2019, and this agreement marks the first use of the new generation in Latin America. Nokia and Intel highlighted the capabilities available to customers through this technological partnership at MWC 2019 via a demonstration of VR gaming over a 5G network. 

“Nokia’s unique solution, designed to support precisely this evolution to 5G, will give TIM Brazil a crucial ongoing competitive advantage as they evolve their core networks into cloud. Nokia is proud to partner with TIM as it invests in cloud native technologies to maintain its position as one of Latin America’s most efficient networks,” Said Leandro Monteiro, Nokia Sales Director in Brazil

Leonardo Capdeville, TIM CTIO, said, “Virtualization is important to improve user experience in our network, which will count with more speed and data usage stability. With this core virtualization, TIM is leading with a 5G pilot project over the network. This process also allows us to strengthen our customers’ data protection.”

Lisa Spelman, Vice President and General Manager Intel Xeon Processors and Data Center Marketing, said, “5G communications networks are being built today with a data-centric, edge-enabled approach using high-performance Intel architecture platforms as their foundation. Nokia AirFrame servers featuring 2^nd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors give TIM Brazil the opportunity to deliver advanced digital services and compelling experiences to their customers throughout Brazil.”

US electronics behemoth Intel has made the decision to withdraw from the 5G smartphone modem business following the unlikely resolution agreement that was brokered between Qualcomm and Apple.

Apple and Qualcomm managed to settle the dispute between both parties over royalty payments and reached a deal ahead of fresh court case that was set to get underway in San Diego next week.

The modems that connect smartphones to telecommunications networks were at the heart of the battle between Apple and Qualcomm. Following the announcement the dispute had been resolved Intel wasted no time in exiting the 5G smartphone modem business.

Intel had clearly recognized and identified that there was an opportunity for them to capitalize on the dispute between Apple and Qualcomm, and then Apple had turned to Intel before reaching the agreement with Qualcomm.

The lawsuit was expected to be a protracted legal battle, but after the unlikely resolution it’s expected that Apple and Qualcomm will now become partners again before there fall out in 2017.

Intel issued a statement in which it indicated that it would complete an assessment of the opportunities for 4G and 5G modems in PCs, Internet of Things devices and other data-centric devices while pursuing investment opportunities in its 5G network infrastructure business.

CEO Bob Swan insisted that 5G will remain a key focus for the US electronics conglomerate and said its diverse portfolio of products will help them to become a major player in the 5G space.

Swan said, “5G continues to be a strategic priority across Intel, and our team has developed a valuable portfolio of wireless products and intellectual property. We are assessing our options to realize the value we have created, including the opportunities in a wide variety of data-centric platforms and devices in a 5G world."

The company also added that it would meet commitments to customers for its existing 4G smartphone modem product line, though it has no plans to launch 5G smartphone modem products, including those previously set to premiere in 2020 

Currently under deployment, ultra-fast 5G wireless networks require terminals that are equipped with 5G models and specific network infrastructure.

US chipmaker Qualcomm has robustly defended its business practices as the antitrust lawsuit against them draws to a close.

In their closing testimony Qualcomm declared that the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had ultimately failed to prove that the chipmaker’s business practices had harmed its competitors during the course of the trial.

FTC have alleged that Qualcomm used its market dominance in its smartphone chip development to force phone suppliers to pay higher patent licensing fees, in other words it claims the company which is headquartered in San Diego had an unfair monopoly.

Both parties now must wait for the ruling from the judiciary, although reports have suggested that the decision is not likely to be delivered any time soon.

In a statement which summarized Qualcomm’s closing argument in court, the company’s EVP and general counsel Don Rosenberg said the FTC hasn’t come close to meeting its burden of proof in this case.

Rosenberg said, “All real-world evidence presented at trial showed how Qualcomm’s years of R&D and innovation fostered competition, and growth for the entire mobile economy to the benefit of consumers around the world.”

In addition to this, Rosenberg highlighted that Qualcomm’s licensing rates were established long before it had set up its lucrative chip business and accurately reflected the value of its comprehensive patent portfolio.

The FTC closed their arguments by stressing to the judiciary that the powerful chipmaker had used its muscle and dominance in the 3G and 4G chip market to force smartphone manufacturers like Apple to sing licensing agreements with excessively high royalties.

Prosecutors on behalf of FTC argued this approach would continue in the 5G era if Qualcomm isn’t stopped.

During the trial, the FTC called witnesses from a number of handset companies including Apple, Samsung, Intel and Huawei to testify that Qualcomm had used unfair practices, harming competition in the industry.

Intel launched its new Intel Xeon Scalable processors on July 26. The product provides businesses with “breakthrough performance” to handle tasks such as real-time analytics, virtualized infrastructure and high-performance computing. Half a million of the processors have already been sold to AT&T and others.

The processors will drive “megatrends” such as cloud, analytics and 5G, said Firas Alfanney, Intel’s Data Center Group Sales Director for ME, Turkey, Africa and Russia, at a press conference in Dubai. “All of these trends are driven by data,” he said. “Today, smartphones are generating 30 megabytes per day, and a PC generates about 90 megabytes. When connected cars come into play, they will generate 40 terabytes per day. Data is increasing throughout all ecosystems.”

Businesses need to transform with this massive data growth, he said, in order to keep up with customer demand and provide the best services. For example, hybrid cloud is being promoted within the industry to give enterprises the flexibility to choose between private on-premise cloud and using some public cloud. This is going to be the trend in the future, Firas claims, and Intel’s new processors are the built for big data.

“At Intel we have been talking a lot about industry transformation,” Firas said, “The transformation of old industries adopting new technologies.” For example, farmers today now use drone technology, sensors and satellite imagery to assist them in meeting strong demand. Even in retail, sensors are used to help monitor stock. Data center is the core to support these megatrends, he said.

“Data center and network infrastructure is undergoing massive transformations to support emerging use cases like precision medicine, artificial intelligence and agile network services paving the path to 5G,” said Navin Shenoy, executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Data Center Group. “Intel Xeon Scalable processors represent the biggest data center advancement in a decade,” he said.

The processors are optimized to meet the wide range of performance demands in data centers and communications networks, offering up to 28 cores and up to 6 terabytes of system memory (4-socket systems), and scale to support 2-socket through 8-socket systems and beyond, powering entry-level workloads to the most mission-critical applications.

The processors are also “scalable” and are available at different levels to match the different sizes of enterprises. It’s not “one size fits all” Firas said. The Bronze level processor is for “light tasks” which moves up to Silver for “moderate tasks” and then Gold and Platinum which are “optimized for widest range of evolving/multi workloads”. The Platinum level processors have “scalable performance, hardware enhanced security, and advanced RAS.”

The general availability announcement of the processors follows Intel’s largest data center early ship program with more than half a million Intel Xeon Scalable processors already sold to leading enterprise, high-performance computing, cloud and communication services provider customers.

AT&T, the top telco in the US, has adopted the processors mainly for its ambitions with 5G and to cope with tremendous data growth. The processors require fewer servers and connect more virtual machines, which is ideal for 5G, since 5G is “all about network function virtualization.” The processors also provide the necessary power to run 5G, offer lower energy costs and space efficiency.

The benefits of the processors, Firas said, include a dramatic performance increase of 1.65x on average over previous generation technology. With 58 world records and counting, Intel Xeon Scalable delivers “industry leading performance across the broadest range of networks.”

The processors were architected to help customers accelerate the deployment of cloud infrastructure, transform communications networks and unleash artificial intelligence, said Firas. The product is supported by 480 Intel builders who verified its performance, and received broad support from a variety of technology leaders including Huawei, Lenovo, Nokia, Samsung, ZTE, Ericsson, Microsoft and AT&T.

Nokia is working with Japan’s NTT DOCOMO to test applications using a 5G base station and the Intel® 5G Mobile Trial Platform end-user device. This demonstrates the potential of Nokia 5G FIRST to deliver enhanced broadband at vastly greater scale. A showcase at the 5G Tokyo Bay Summit 2017 will signal the start of 5G trials in the Tokyo area.

Nokia will develop the 5G ecosystem with leading Japanese operator NTT DOCOMO, INC. in Japan to prepare for the upcoming introduction of the next generation wireless network. The collaboration - which uses the Intel® 5G Mobile Trial Platform - will commence with the key interoperability testing of multi-vendor technology using the 4.5GHz frequency band.

"This trial is an important milestone for the development of 5G in Japan, which will be one of the first countries in the world to adopt the technology,” said Jae Won, head of Nokia Japan. “Furthermore, the initiative is an important step forward in our collaboration with NTT DOCOMO, as well as other key technology partners, as we develop a technology that will meet the ever-growing demands of huge numbers of people living in megacities."

5G will deliver high speeds and low latency in support of a new generation of broadband applications, meeting new requirements for connecting people and devices, especially in megacities such as Tokyo. Nokia will conduct trials of 5G technology with DOCOMO in the Tokyo metropolitan area throughout 2017, with particular focus on busy tourist, shopping and business locations as well as at key public events hosted by the operator.

"This is a vital first step to allow us to ensure that we have the 5G network infrastructure available for when we commercially introduce the technology, with an ecosystem of device vendors to offer our subscribers the best possible choice and highest quality,” said Seizo Onoe, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Board of Directors of NTT DOCOMO.

The tests will use the Nokia 5G FIRST solution, incorporating the Nokia AirScale base station transmitting over a 5G radio interface to the Intel® 5G Mobile Trial Platform. The companies will test end-to-end applications over the air between the base station and the device on the 4.5GHz frequency band, which is one of the candidate bands for 5G in Japan. The Nokia 5G FIRST solution is based on early-adopters radio specifications that define a common interface to allow equipment from multiple vendors to connect over a 5G radio network.

"Intel believes key collaborations such as this one driving ecosystem partner trials and early deployments are critical to building successful 5G technologies and accelerating the vast benefits they will bring to users,” said Asha Keddy, vice president and general manager of Next Generation and Standards in the Communication and Devices Group at Intel. “We are excited to be part of this interoperability testing in Japan using the 4.5GHz radio spectrum as part of the 5G end-to-end solution."

 Nokia is working with industry leaders around the globe to deliver a 5G infrastructure that will meet the massive broadband needs of a variety of industries and applications. 

US computer chip giant Intel announced on March 13 its plans to purchase Israeli technology firm Mobileye for over $15 billion. The deal is the largest ever cross-border acquisition for an Israeli technology firm, according to Israeli media. The two firms have already collaborated with German automaker BMW to develop autonomous vehicles.

"The combination is expected to accelerate innovation for the automotive industry and position Intel as a leading technology provider in the fast-growing market for highly and fully autonomous vehicles," said a statement by the two companies which added that the deal was worth approximately $15.3 billion.

"Intel estimates the vehicle systems, data and services market opportunity to be up to $70 billion by 2030," the statement added.

BMW announced last year its plans to join with Mobileye and Intel on an autonomous vehicle project for "highly and fully automated driving" planning to go commercial by 2021. BMW said in January that it would deploy 40 self-driving cars for tests in the US and Europe.

In August, Mobileye and UK-based auto-equipment maker Delphi said they were teaming up to develop an autonomous driving system which would be ready for vehicle-makers in 2019. Mobileye, which also develops systems for accident avoidance, has concluded an agreement with Volkswagen on road data technology as well.

During Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Zain Group, a telecom operator present in eight markets across the Middle East and Africa, announced that it has joined the Telecom Infra Project, (TIP), an initiative co-founded by Facebook, Intel, Nokia, SK Telecom, Deutsche Telekom and others in 2016.

The primary aim of TIP is to bring mobile operators, infrastructure providers, system integrators, and other technology companies together to collaborate on the development of new technologies and reimagine traditional approaches to building and deploying telecom network infrastructure. Operators and the broader telecom industry need to collaborate, be more flexible, innovative and efficient, and TIP looks to help achieve this goal.

As a pioneer in telecommunications in the Middle East and Africa, Zain brings vast expertise and resources to the initiative as it will leverage its regional footprint and experience in network deployments across challenging territories to support TIP.

TIP is exploring new approaches and technologies across these initial focus areas: access, backhaul, and core and management. The projects within these areas utilize the unique engineering and operational expertise of each member, focusing on developing new technologies and exploring new approaches to deployment in both developed and emerging markets. Each member contributes to the area of its expertise, while learning from others so that together all parties can collaborate and build better, faster, more efficient systems.

Commenting on becoming a part of the TIP initiative, Scott Gegenheimer, Zain Group CEO said, "It could be argued that scaling traditional telecom infrastructure to meet the ever-increasing demand for broadband data is not moving as fast as it needs to ensure customers receive the mobile experience they demand and deserve. Zain recognizes there isn't a single solution for this, and that no one company can tackle the problem alone. We firmly believe collaboration in innovation will drive efficiencies in our business and we are keen to be part of such prime opportunities wherever they may arise."

Gegenheimer continued, "Being a staunch advocate of the expansion of connectivity for all, Zain fully appreciates the power the internet has to enhance and empower the communities it serves. There are 4 billion people in the world who still don't have a data connection and we commend Facebook and the other founding companies for kick-starting TIP. We have high expectations that this initiative will result in bridging the digital divide by greater inclusion, and call on for more of our regional and industry peers to join us in this initiative."

Since the launch of TIP in February 2016, the initiative has achieved numerous milestones including the creation of 'TIP Ecosystem Acceleration Centers' that incubate local talent around the world and accelerate product development through support from leading global and local investors.

A 'People and Process Project Group' was also created in order to develop and share cultural and process transformation best practices that can improve operators' key metrics. In addition, Facebook contributed Voyager, the industry's first white-box transponder and IP/MPLS routing solution that was successfully tested. Furthermore, Facebook's OpenCellular designs and schematics are now fully open source within TIP to accelerate the industry's ability to provide wireless access in remote areas of the world.

Driving a faster pace of innovation in telecom infrastructure is necessary to meet new technology challenges and to unlock new opportunities for everyone in the ecosystem. Flexibility will be key in everything TIP does though and the goal is to allow mobile network systems to evolve without having to start over.

ZTE Corporation a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for mobile internet, and Intel, officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement at an IoT forum in Barcelona, Spain. Both parties will jointly establish an innovative lab for research and development of future key IoT technologies, including experimental verification, evaluation, and research and development of related technologies, thereby providing integrated market-oriented IoT solutions.

ZTE is committed to becoming an industry leader in the commercial use of IoT and 5G in the IoT field. ZTE and Intel have previously cooperated in many fields, such as IoT access technologies, open-source collaboration, IoT platforms, and solution integration.

Rose Schooler, Vice President of Intel's Sales Group and General Manager of Intel Global Internet of Things Sales said: "In Intel's vision, 5G will bring us a smarter internet and deliver a world of connectivity in a more flexible, effective and cheaper way. We are looking towards the infinite possibilities that come from 50 billion smart devices. Intel and ZTE will make joint efforts for the IoT lab. With rich experience and continuous innovation, we will create a new generation of IoT solutions for promoting the construction of an IoT application ecosystem as well as the development and prosperity of the IoT industry."

Chen Jie, CIO of ZTE, said: "IoT is not only an important part of the 'Made in China 2025' plan and the internet+ strategy, but also an important way to promote China's industrial advancement and economic revitalization. As a leader in independent innovation, ZTE continues to invest in research and development, to maintain continuous innovation and competitiveness, making breakthroughs in key technologies. In addition, ZTE actively explores business models, and is focusing on creating two major support platforms: an IoT ecosystem platform and capital platform. I am very pleased with the progress Intel and ZTE are making in the IoT field in joint R&D and the construction of the IoT Innovation Lab. I hope that both parties can work together to make breakthroughs in terminals, networks, and IoE PaaS. We will promote the construction of an IoT application ecosystem as well as the development and prosperity of the IoT industry by strengthening industrial collaboration, eliminating information silos, and creating industrial scale effects."

ZTE has built an open connection, management, and application platform together with Intel to provide services for upstream and downstream customers in the industry chain. ZTE's Smart IoT operating system (OS) provides intelligent capabilities for IoT terminals, and the IoT management platform enables simpler equipment and user management for customers. In addition, ZTE helps partners tap the value of each "BIT" by integrating big data and cloud computing capabilities.

As an ICT enabler for the IoT industry, ZTE provides Internet of Everything (IoE) solutions involving narrow band IoT (NB-IoT), long term evolution (LTE), LTE-M ASICs, modules, OSs for smart devices and software development kits, accelerating the development of various sensor technologies and facilitating the research and development of IoT application gateways, sensors, and modules.

With regards to terminals, ZTE focuses on chips, OS, communication modules, and intelligent gateways, and actively participates in industrial collaboration to create an open IoT platform for terminal hardware and software to help industry customers accelerate the development of intelligent IoT terminals.

As for networks, ZTE is committed to providing customers with better connectivity services and optimizing short-range, wide area network (WAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), and core network technologies, in order to meet differentiated needs for IoT application. ZTE implements technological innovation and upgrades in delay, capacity, and reliability.

ZTE has formulated end-to-end security solutions to provide customers with security services for simultaneous planning, construction, and operation. ZTE pushes to adapt to security strategies in different scenarios and create trustworthy application environments, OS platforms, and chip-level solutions for customers.