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"The platform approach to product development is important to Intel"

Anand Parthasarathy

Paul Otellini, president and CEO of the world's biggest computer chip maker and PC technology player, is in India. In an e-mail interview toThe Hindu, he shares his vision of where silicon chip technology is headed; the alternatives being explored — and the part that Intel's India-based engineers are playing in this road map to the future.

Intel's road map in processors has kept pace with Moore's law for 25 years now. For how much longer do you see this happening? As we expect, eventually one will hit the limit of physics. But is that likely in this decade? Or the next?

We see Moore's Law continuing for at least another 15 years, but we're taking steps to ensure its longevity beyond then. At some point, we will get to a point where transistors just can't get any smaller. So, we're researching new materials that could complement or substitute the materials currently used.

Two years ago, Intel engineers first unveiled early results in optical silicon — realising optical gates and devices in silicon. Is this in your view the way forward if and when today's electromagnetic technology reaches the end of its commercial viability? When can one reasonably expect silicon photonics devices to be commercialised?

Intel is continuing extensive research into copper-based interconnects to make them go faster and expects them to be used into the distant future. However, we are also exploring the many technologies necessary for products in 5 to10 years that will let consumers easily handle terabytes of data with teraflop performance capabilities. Silicon photonics offers a potential solution to the bandwidth requirements inside and around these future computers.

Our silicon photonics research has been going well. Just last year we announced another breakthrough with the world's first continuous wave silicon laser, based on the `Raman effect,' in which silicon's atomic structure amplifies light as it passes through it. With the progress we are making, we might expect to see the first commercial silicon photonics devices by the end of the decade.

You may find it interesting that the `Raman effect' was first reported by Indian physicist Sir C.V. Raman, who won a Nobel Prize in1930 for his work on the scattering of light.

With the recent announcement of the vPro platform for the business desktop, Intel offers platforms — rather than just processors — in three major segments of its business. Is this an indicator that Intel will henceforth be a solutions provider rather than a "chip company"? Would you characterise this as a significant turning point for the company?

The platform approach to product development is important to Intel's long-term success. We have made solid progress since Intel redefined itself as a platform company early last year. Centrino platform shipments doubled in the last year, and in the first quarter of its existence, Intel Viiv Technology units outshipped Centrino during its first quarter of availability. In May, we shipped the 1 millionth Viiv unit. However, at the heart of each platform there continues to be a microprocessor. And we're particularly pleased with the production readiness of the upcoming Core2 Duo and Woodcrest processors based on Intel's new Core microarchitecture, which will give us industry-leading, energy-efficient performance across the desktop, notebook and 2-way server segments.

In Intel's view is the convergence of computing and communication appliances likely to result in an entirely new form factor combining the functionality of a mobile phone and a PC and do you see such a device taking over as the information appliance of the future, just as the TV and the PC did during the last 50 years?

We'll continue to see a gradual transformation in the way devices look and what they are used for. However, I don't think there will be a single type of device used universally. You'll see devices take different forms around the globe that are developed to meet the unique needs of the people in each geographic region, enhancing how they communicate, work and live. That said, you're right in that mobility will be a key area to watch.

For example, emerging applications such as blogs, podcasts and RSS make the Internet, an even more personal and interactive experience, and people want to carry those experiences with them. A new category of small form factor mobile devices, called Ultra Mobile PCs, is emerging today.

They differ from existing PDAs in that they'll provide full PC capabilities, full web access, and the ability to identify and adapt to its environment in order to communicate, access information, be entertained and productive virtually everywhere for long periods of time.

Finally, what role do you see for the India-based development centre of Intel in such futuristic directions and do you see the expertise available in India being channelled in any particular area of Intel's technology road map for the future?

We've been pleased with the progress made at the Intel's India Development Centre over the past five years. Last year alone, its talented engineers made 250 invention disclosures. While I won't provide details at this time about the specific products the group is working on, I will say that the group's hardware and software development work will contribute to Intel's high-performance, energy-efficient, digital enterprise and mobility platforms sold worldwide. I'd like to add that India also will play a pivotal role in Intel's efforts to create customised technology solutions that enable new types of PCs to meet the specific needs of developing countries, such as the recently introduced Intel-powered Community PC in India.

Intel plans to develop six more geographically tailored PCs designs worldwide in the next 2 years. These include low-cost, full-featured, easy-to-use PCs for home and work, Community PCs customised for public access PC kiosks, and low-cost notebook PCs tailored to the needs of schools and educators. The platform definition centre we established in Bangalore will play a key role in these efforts.

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"The platform approach to product development is important to Intel"

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