INTEL
MICROPROCESSOR TO BE DESIGNED IN INDIA
Intel Inside" will soon spell "designed in India".
Having just beaten Israel to emerge as Intel's largest design
centre outside the US , India centre is now learnt to be working
on designing a microprocessor completely in India.
The high-end microprocessor
, its first to be designed in India, is expected to hit the
global markets in three to four years.
A cutting-edge
microprocessor with roots in India is being seen as a vote
of confidence for India's tech capabilities , till now known
more as software and BPO outsourcing destination.
Though Intel is
keeping these plans under wraps, India is already perceived
as a threat in countries like Israel where reports of Intel
dumping Jerusalem in favour of Bangalore are doing the rounds.
While Intel confirmed
that India has indeed emerged as its largest non-manufacturing
design centre outside the US, it refused to comment on the
processor being completely designed in India.
"Intel does
not comment on products which have not been launched and we
do not disclose processor design plans,'' says Intel's spokesperson.
With a headcount
of over 2,000, Intel's India development centre has now overtaken
Israel which has about 1,700 people.
Significantly,
the Indian R&D centre, started in 1999, is actually among
the youngest on Intel's map. In comparison, the Israel centre
has been around for 25 years and Malaysia for over a decade.
"Intel's India
development centre has already designed chipsets for digital
home technology and has a mobile computing team and is also
developing standards for Ultra Wide Band (UWB) radio,'' says
Intel India president Ketan Sampat.
The new Xeon processor,
planned to be designed in India, is believed to be prominent
on Intel's roadmap. The chip is believed to be codenamed Whitefield
after the township neighbouring Bangalore, though there is
no confirmation of this from Intel.
Precise details
about the chip are not available, but it is learnt to be Intel's
Xeon processor intended for multi-processor servers or workstations,
which is likely to incorporate a new micro-architecture.
Intel's India development
centre comprises Intel Communications Group, Desktop Products
Group, Microprocessor Products Group, Technology and Manufacturing
Group, Finance and Enterprise Services, Corporate Technology
Group and Intel Capital.
