Intel partners to advance the market for tablets

With an annual revenue of nearly $ 53 billion and a global sales force, Intel dominates the market for years of computer chips, but it's far from repeating that performance in recent quarters and growth faster, like smartphones and tablets. In four years of trying, few manufacturers of the equipment embarked on the design of the American company, with relevant results so far. The choice has fallen on smaller suppliers chips, as the American Qualcomm also Taiwanese and MediaTek, which develop chips based on English technology ARM.
Give up, however, is not an option for Intel. With the shift in consumer preferences, sales of traditional PCs have fallen, forcing the company to invest in new areas.
During the opening panel of Computex, Asia's biggest technology fair, which takes place in Taipei, Taiwan, until Saturday, the company presented new components and partnerships to advance primarily the world of tablets. "We are going to fulfill our goal to sell 40 million units in 2014," said the President of the company, Renee James. The number represents nearly 15% of 276 million which will be sold in the year, according to research firm Gartner. For comparison, Apple sold 70 million iPads last year.
According to Intel, 130 new equipment will arrive at stores around the world this year. Only at Computex, will be presented 12 models of brands such as Asus and Acer. In his presentation, Renée received, among other guests, an Executive of Taiwan's Foxconn, the largest manufacturer of custom electronics in the world, to present a equipment with 8-inch screen developed by the company. The relationship between the two companies started only five months ago and has already netted the ten design equipment. This is relevant because it gives options for manufacturers from all over the world use Intel products.
Companies such as Foxconn develop what is known in the market of technology as reference models. These prototypes are then presented to brands such as the Brazilian Positivo Informática and DL technology and serve as a basis for the development of its products. The construction of this "ecosystem" was one of the main challenges of Intel to grow in the world of tablets.
Until recently, the company had no relationship with suppliers of components for this type of device, which are different from the names with whom she used to negotiate in the world of PCs without a well-developed supply chain, it is virtually impossible to do with any electronic product has some success. At the same time, Intel had to develop chips that offer the speed and, above all, the low power consumption required by the devices.
Taking advantage of its size, the company also has invested in a subsidy to manufacturers that adopt its components. Basically, the company has taken over the difference in costs of ARM products for Intel, which still are a bit more expensive than the competition. According to Renee, with technological advances and gains of scale, the goal is to terminate this program next year.
In the evaluation of Mauricio Ruiz, Director of Intel's channels in Brazil, the company has reached a point of confluence between the evolution of its chips and the creation of an ecosystem that will allow her to win a relevant position in the tablets. Even in emerging countries such as Brazil. According to him, several devices reach the market place. Most in the fourth quarter, in time for Christmas shopping. "We want to sell 1.5 million units in the year," he said. One of the main drivers of this result is the provision of devices with prices in the range of $ 400 to $ 600, the most sought after these days.