Intel plans to launch energy-efficient chips

Chip manufacturer Intel plans to launch smaller and energy efficient products for the smartphone by 2012, said a top official.

Peter Gleissner, Director Sales MNC Emea and Managing Director at Intel GmbH told Emirates Business: "As new products and designs get released for the smartphone, Intel will launch compelling products for the segment. It is the same way the netbook has done well in 2009."

According to Gleissner, newer platforms and segmentalisation will help the PC industry to grow. "This is a good way of coming out of the recession. In 2009, consumers have also shown preferences for mobility products. Netbooks comprised 20 per cent of the mobility market in Western Europe, which was pretty stable.

"There was a worry that netbooks would cannibalise the notebook segment but that has not happened. In the Middle East, netbooks comprised 10 to 12 per cent of the market," he said.

In fact Intel made a leap into the smartphone market by announcing that LG's new smartphone GW990, which consists of a 4.8-inch display, will be powered by its energy-efficient Moorestown processor and run on its new Linux-based Moblin mobile OS at the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas last week.

Gleissner said netbooks set a new usage model for the customer. "The mobile product platform has been a strong contributor in 2009, though there were contraction in the market and inventories worldwide.

"Signs of the corporate recovery are back especially as technology gets refreshed in these environments."

The strong enterprise customers for Intel in the Middle East were oil and gas and financial segments.

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