Intel to Open Center in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Intel Corp. (NasdaqNM:INTC - news) announced plans Thursday to open its new network processor design center in Malaysia, the first in Asia for the world's leading maker of computer chips.
The Southeast Asian country is expected to assemble, test and package the Pentium 4 chip, the U.S. company's highest-performance microprocessor for desktop computers, said Craig Barrett, chief executive of Intel.
These activities ``demonstrate how we are building on Malaysia's manufacturing expertise to expand into new areas,'' Barrett said in a statement during a brief visit to Malaysia's northern Penang state.
``Manufacturing industries focused on (research and development), skill development and continued investment will remain competitive in the global market,'' Barrett said.
In a separate interview with Reuters, Barrett also said he thinks that despite the ongoing global economic slump, ``the computer industry has bottomed out. That in itself tells you that you're looking at when it's gonna take off.''
The Intel CEO predicted that PC demand would improve during the second half of the year as students purchase new computers for schools and increased buying for the holiday season. Microsoft's introduction of its new Windows XP (news - web sites) operating system will also help.
Barrett's comments came a day after Merrill Lynch upgraded a number of semiconductor stocks, suggesting business is about to improve.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel has two plants in Malaysia - a testing and assembly site in Penang and a motherboard assembly plant in neighboring Kedah state.
The company pledged last month to more aggressively push its high-end Pentium 4 chips, maintaining price-slashing as part of a drive to phase out its older generation of chips sooner than originally planned.
Shares of Intel rose $1.36, or 4.4 percent, to close at $32.11 in trading Thursday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. |
