The Inquisitr » intel

European Watchdog Finds Fault In EU Handling Of Intel Case

AHN — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:49 +0000

Washington DC (AHN) – The European Ombudsman today criticized the decision of the European Commission to impose more than a $1 billion fine on microchip producer Intel earlier this year.

In its complaint dated July 10, 2008, to the Ombudsman, Intel claimed that the Commission, the executive arm of the European Union failed to take minutes of a meeting with a senior Dell executive held on August 23, 2006. This was despite the fact the meeting was directly related to the subject matter of the ant-trust investigation.

The Ombudsman, Nikiforos Diamandouros agreed that the aforementioned meeting did concern the subject matter of the Commission investigation. “He also found that the Commission did not make a proper note of that meeting and that its investigation file did not include the agenda of the meeting,” the Ombudsman’s office said in a statement. It added, “The Ombudsman concluded that this constituted maladministration.”

The statement further noted, “The Ombudsman did find, however, that the Commission failed to make a proper note of a telephone call between the Commission and Dell, in which the information exchange agreement was discussed.” The statement concluded by saying, “Such a note would have helped to clarify the relevant facts.”

Diamandouros commented on the situation saying, “I hope that my decision in this case will help the Commission to improve its administrative procedures by ensuring that its future anti-trust investigations are fully documented.”

Intel in a statement welcomed the Ombudsman’s decision saying that it validated its charges. “Intel has consistently said that DG Comp (Director General Competition, European Commission) ignored evidence that was potentially exculpatory for Intel and that it was selective in its use of other evidence,” the company stated.

Intel had lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman, following the commission ruling in May and then knocked on the doors of the European Court of First Instances in Luxembourg.

According to sources in the European Court, the complaint is expected to come up for hearing during the first half of 2010 but experts see the present criticism from the Ombudsman has highlighted the fault lines in the European Commission’s decision.

Earlier this year, the European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes imposed a fine of 1,060,000,000 Euro ($1,581,488,200) on Intel Corporation “for violating EC Treaty antitrust rules on the abuse of a dominant market position by engaging in illegal anticompetitive practices to exclude competitors from the market for computer chips called x86 central processing units (CPUs).”

Commissioner Kroes at the time had said, “Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for computer chips for many years. Such a serious and sustained violation of the EU’s antitrust rules cannot be tolerated.”

The computer manufacturers concerned by Intel’s conduct in the Commission’s decision are: Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and NEC. The retailer concerned is Media Saturn Holding, owner of the MediaMarkt chain.

Intel To Pay AMD $1.25 Billion To End Patent, Licensing Disputes

AHN — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:39:57 +0000

New York, NY (AHN) – Intel has agreed to pay Advanced Micro Devices $1.25 billion to settle a long-standing dispute between the chipmakers over patent and antitrust issues.

Under the agreement, announced Thursday in a joint statement, the companies also will cross-license each other’s patents for five years. AMD will drop suits against Intel in the United States and Japan and Intel will abide by a set of “business practice provisions.”

“While the relationship between the two companies has been difficult in the past, this agreement ends the legal disputes and enables the companies to focus all of our efforts on product innovation and development,” the companies said.

The settlement does not all of Intel’s antitrust problems. A spokesman for Neelie Kroes, competition commissioner for the European Commission, said Intel was still obligated to pay a $1.5 billion fine levied against the company in May for violation of EU antitrust regulations.

Shares of Intel (INTC) were up 0.8 percent after the announcement, while AMD (AMD) was up 23 percent.

Intel X25-M SSD Firmware Increases Speeds By 40%

James Allen Johnson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:14:05 +0000

Intel has just released their X25-M SSD Firmware update and as promised speeds have increased by up to 40%.

That speed increase is verified on 160GB drives, with 34nm X250M SSD’s hitting write speeds up to 100MB per second sequential.

Users who upgrade their drives will also receive Trim support which helps handling of deleted data blocks, while also prolonging the drive lifespan in Windows 7, Vista and XP systems.

Find the Firmware Update Here and enjoy your new speeds.

Here’s the companies full press release:

Intel® Solid-State Drive Toolbox with Intel® SSD Optimizer
Enables Users to Maximize SSD Performance over Time

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 26, 2009 – On the heels of the Microsoft* Windows* 7 introduction, Intel Corporation today announced the availability of the Intel® Solid-State Drive (SSD) Toolbox, with Intel® SSD Optimizer and firmware update, for its 34nm Intel® X25-M Mainstream SATA SSDs. The latest tools are designed to help better manage and retain the out-of-box performance of Intel SSDs.

An SSD is built to replace a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) with added performance, lower power consumption and higher reliability. The Intel SSD Toolbox allows users to more effectively monitor and manage the SSD’s health. The firmware upgrade and Intel SSD Optimizer use the Windows* 7 ATA Data Set Management Command (known as Trim) to help keep the Intel SSD running at continued high performance. In addition, the SSD Toolbox and Optimizer also allow the respective enhancements to work with Windows* XP and Vista* operating systems.

“Fast and reliable access to data is critical for our SSD users,” said Pete Hazen, director of marketing, Intel NAND Solutions Group. “The latest firmware and toolbox upgrade for Intel 34nm SSD users provide a host of new management, information and diagnostic tools to help SSDs retain out-of-box performance. We are encouraging our 34nm customers to download the new firmware update today. Not only will Windows 7 users receive the performance enhancements of the Trim command, but so will our Windows XP and Vista users.”

For 34nm X25-M 160GB owners, the firmware update also offers a performance boost to sequential write speeds by delivering up to 100MB per second, a 40 percent performance improvement over the existing firmware version.

The Trim attribute of the ATA Data Set Management Command, often referred to as Trim, synchs the operating system’s view of deleted files with those that are deleted, but not erased on the drive. Trim tells the SSD which data blocks are no longer in use. This helps stabilize the performance and health of the SSD over time.

The Intel SSD Toolbox provides SSD management tools and information about the drive, including comparing Self-Monitoring and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) drive attributes to manufacturer threshold. It provides basic and full diagnostics, along with recommended actions. The Toolbox also features an easy-to-use graphical user interface that will allow end users to schedule and run the Trim command independent of the operating system. The company recommends users install the firmware update and toolbox, and run the Trim function daily to ensure best performance. The firmware upgrade can be found at www.intel.com/go/ssdfirmware and the Intel SSD Toolbox and Optimizer at www.intel.com/go/ssdtoolbox.

Intel’s award-winning X25-M SSD began shipping on 34nm in July. The multi-level cell (MLC) Intel® X25-M Mainstream SATA SSD is aimed at laptop and desktop PCs, and available in 80 Gigabyte (GB) and 160GB versions. SSDs are data storage devices found inside computers. Because SSDs have no moving parts they offer faster performance and greater energy efficiency and durability than traditional HDDs. A draw for gamers, media creators and technology enthusiasts, SSDs have also played a key role in the emergence of ultra-thin and light notebook PCs that are becoming increasingly popular due to their design, size and longer battery life. For more information on Intel SSDs visit www.intel.com/go/ssd.

Intel [NASDAQ: INTC], 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 and blogs.intel.com.

Intel’s dirty laundry getting aired by the EU

Steven Hodson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:57:24 +0000

Ever wondered what was behind that $1.45 billion dollar fined that the European Union levied against Intel?

Well the EU’s antitrust division has released a public version of its May ruling against Intel and boy it isn’t pretty. Part of the ruling found that Intel had had issued “conditional rebates” to Dell from December 2002 to December 2005 – the condition being that it would only give rebates to Dell if they bought only Intel microprocessors.

In an internal Dell presentation in February, 2003, a Dell official noted that if Dell switched any of its microprocessor supplies from Intel to AMD, Intel’s retaliation could be “severe and prolonged with impact to all lines of business.” In a February, 2004, email, a Dell executive wrote that Intel executives were prepared for all-out war if Dell joined the exodus to buy AMD chips. Dell would have gotten zero market development funds for at least a full quarter. Intel would also use the market development funds not used by Dell to fund competitors to Dell.

Source: VentureBeat – EU releases dirty details of evidence against Intel in antitrust case

Apparently the same deal was applied to HP during November 2002 to May 2005 where any rebates were conditional on HP buying 95 percent of its processors for business desktops from Intel. Like the other two NEC was as well told that they would need to buy no less than 80 percent of its microprocessors for desktops and notebooks from Intel in order to qualify for rebates.

This kind of business practice was also extended to what was termed as “naked restrictions”. This tied Intel payments to HP, Acer and other companies on these companies limiting the types of AMD based systems sold to specific channels or by delaying the launch of AMD based systems. In an internal HP email in September 2004 an executive stated: “You can NOT use the commercial AMD line in the channel in any country, it must be done direct. If you do and we get caught (and we will) the Intel moneys is gone. The risk is too high.”

Of course Intel is contesting the decision citing – “There is nothing new here. This Decision reflects the underlying bias we have come to expect from the case team that ran this investigation.”

Intel acquires Wind River Systems for $844 million

Duncan Riley — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:47:22 +0000

Intel has announced that it will acquire Wind River Systems for $884 million.

Founded in 1981, Wind River offers operating systems, middleware, and software design tools for development and testing of a broad range of embedded and mobile devices, including in car entertainment systems, avionics, and mobile phones. The company also provides design services and software expertise, including custom-built solutions, development tools and device testing products.

Wind River had an annual turnover for the year ended January 31 of $359.7 million, and counts as its customers Alcatel-Lucent, BMW, Boeing, Bombardier Transportation, Mitsubishi, Motorola, NASA, Sony, Verizon and more.

Intel’s offer of $11.50 per share is a 44% premium on Wind River System’s (NASDAQ:WIND) last closing price of $8 a share. The deal is expected to be finalized before the end of the northern summer.

Intel goes shopping, drops $884m on Wind River Systems

Kim LaCapria — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:10:10 +0000

In a corporate-speak heavy press release this morning, Intel announced a “definitive agreement” to acquire Wind River Systems.

Intel indicated a price tag of $11.50 a share for a total of $884 million- a hefty 44% over Wind River’s closing price at the bell on Wednesday. Wind River’s stock recently fell from a high of $12.99 in August to a low of $5.61 in March.

Per their website, Wind River is a “global leader in (DSO)- device software optimization.” Intel described a partnership designed to move beyond its core market of PC and server technology and into mobile, small footprint devices such as smartphones- not a bad plan as super-cheap netbooks steadily gobble up market share from desktops and laptops.

In a statement, Intel detailed the opportunities sought:

“The acquisition will deliver to Intel robust software capabilities in embedded systems and mobile devices, both important growth areas for the company. Embedded systems and mobile devices include smart phones, mobile Internet devices, other consumer electronics (CE) devices, in-car “info-tainment” systems and other automotive areas, networking equipment, aerospace and defense, energy and thousands of other devices. “

Translation: streaming porn onto your phone during lunch is about to get even easier!

Who would have thought: Intel makes a great TV commercial

Duncan Riley — Fri, 08 May 2009 01:30:28 +0000

Some companies are known for their great ad campaigns; Intel isn’t one of them…until now.

Intel’s “Sponsors of Tomorrow” ad campaign pitches technicians as rockstars, and surprisingly it works really well. Enjoy:

(INTC) Intel Earnings: Q1 Net Income Down 55%

Paul Short — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:58:41 +0000

Intel (INTC) earnings take a nosedive as Q1 net income dropped by 55% as a result of lower sales margins. Analysts are are informally saying that this is the bottoming out period due to stabilization in the tech industry.

Intel Chief Financial Officer Stacy Smith said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires on Tuesday:

“We have seen a bottoming, but there still is still a lot of economic volatility out there,”

Intel Corp produces chips for computers, cellular phones and other electronic devices. It’s also now the first tech industry company to post financials for Q1 2009, a volatile quarter given the current economic turmoil.

Intel Corp (INTC), the world’s largest computer-chip maker, reported net income of $647 million, or 11 cents a share, down from $1.44 billion, or 25 cents a share, a year earlier.

Intel Capital invests in Dubai based Sphere Networks

Duncan Riley — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:02:44 +0000

Intel Capital has made its first investment in the Middle East, backing Dubai based Sphere Networks. Intel Capital joined the Dubai Silicon Oasis in the round, the third round for the company. The size of the investment was not disclosed.

Sphere Networks is a software development firm that specializes in enterprise management solutions. The company was founded in 2005 by Mohamed Hamedi, a former software engineer at HP. Sphere Networks employs 26 people in the United Arab Emirates, developing enterprise level network management solutions which are already in use with a number of government customers in the region.

As part of the deal, Sphere Networks will receive support from Intel to market products, and access to Intel technologies.

Samsung Internet Enabled Televisions This Year

Duncan Riley — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:24:39 +0000

Samsung will announce at the IFA industry fair in Germany this week that it will start offering internet access in its Series 7, 8 and 9 televisions in Canada, Australia, and Singapore and in selected countries in Europe this year. No word yet on availability in the United States.

The announcement includes Samsung’s inclusion in the Yahoo/ Intel widgets on television tie-up, but may include additional content and tie-ins. Details haven’t been released.

From various reports, it would appear that Samsung is pitching the internet tie-in on an ease of use, “bite-sized” offering basis, with users being able to add news tickers or weather widgets alongside traditional television content. The head of digital media at Samsung Dr. Park told media outlets that he sees a future where in 5 years time, the television will be the center on the online experience, and will deliver music, streaming video, and other content, although it’s not clear whether the first release will include streaming video for example, a real game changing service in terms of built in functionality within a television set.

Slowly but surely the cards are falling into place in the death of broadcast television. Samsung joins Sony in offering internet enabled televisions, and others are sure to follow. They may in the first generation not be overly compelling (the whole idea of widgets doesn’t appeal to me, but it may have stronger appeal to the mainstream) but all of a sudden television sets will no longer be foreign to the network, and as users upgrade their sets or replace old ones, the internet will be built in and simply there for using in the lounge room. Couple this with easy access to streaming and live media online, and the argument that it’s too niche or won’t take off will be replaced by who offers the better software with their television sets.

See our previous coverage on the death of broadcast television here.

Intel & Yahoo Team Up for “TV Widget” System

JR — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:08:16 +0000

Intel and Yahoo have just announced plans to create an interactive, Internet-based widget system for the TV.

The Widget Channel will use Intel’s new Media Processor CE 3100 along with Yahoo’s Widget Engine to bring Web content to a television platform. The technology will essentially deliver a degree of Web 2.0-type service to the TV, letting you interact with content and share information with friends. It’ll also offer news headlines, photo access, and video-on-demand-style services.

Much of the content will be powered by established Internet services, including Flickr, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, eBay, and Blockbuster. A slew of other companies is working on new widgets, too — everyone from CBS Interactive to Disney, MTV, Samsung, and even Twitter.

Here’s the other interesting part: The whole platform is designed on open standards, so smaller developers will be able to get in on the action as well. Javascript, XML, HTML, and Adobe Flash will all be supported. As of now, the SDK is still in its early stages and is only being released on a limited basis.

Intel

Yahoo

HP, Intel, and Yahoo Get Into Cloud Computing

JR — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:39:35 +0000

The cat’s out of the bag: HP, Intel, and Yahoo are teaming up to create a new testing center for cloud computing research.

The three companies announced the news this morning. They’re working with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, along with research centers in Singapore and Germany, to create six “centers of excellence.” In non-marketing speak, that means six places with cloud infrastructures using HP hardware, Intel processors, and open source software developed under Yahoo’s watch. The programs include Apache Hadoop and Pig, a parallel programming language Yahoo Research helped head up.

The goal of the whole thing is to let educators and researchers experiment on an Internet-wide level. Want to read more? A full seven pages await you in the company’s official release.

Intel

Yahoo

Intel Inks New WiMax Deal

JR — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:37:05 +0000

WiMax fever is spreading.

Intel has just landed a $26 million deal to develop long-range wireless internet access for Sweden. It’s one of five companies that’ll take on broadband services for the country, according to news sources inside the nation.

Intel has a strong interest in the technology as a developer of WiMax and WiMax-related tools. As The Inquisitr reported earlier this week, the company just invested a full billion in Sprint and Clearwire’s new American WiMax venture. That network is being built to cover most of the U.S. with access five times faster than any wireless connections currently available.