IC future looks bright, but vendors must invest and innovate, says Intel CEO
Semiconductor Business News
(02/25/02 16:58 p.m. EST)
SAN FRANCISCO -- Intel Corp.'s top executive here today gave a vote of confidence for the future of the IC industry in spite of the current downturn, but chip makers and systems houses must continue to invest and innovate in order to propel the industry.
The semiconductor industry is still in the midst of its worst downturn, in which worldwide chip sales fell a staggering 35% in 2001 over 2000, said Craig Barrett, chief executive of Intel Corp. of Santa Clara, Calif. "This is the deepest trough that the semiconductor industry has ever faced," Barrett said during the opening keynote of the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) here today.
To drive the industry out of the current doldrums, Barrett urged chip makers and systems houses to develop new products and services. "You need to continue to invest," Barrett said. "We have to innovate out of the recession with new products," he added.
The Intel CEO did indicate that the IC makers and systems houses are on the verge of what he called a "technology break away," that is, new products that will drive the industry.
What will drive the industry? "The Internet is it," he said. The Internet "has just started its build out. That's why I'm confident about the future [of the semiconductor industry]," he added.
Other related markets will also drive the chip industry, such as broadband, optical networking, security, wireless, and, of course, the PC. "The computer and communications convergence is emerging," he said. |
