Intel CEO Brian Krzanich sees huge potential for Cloud computing and the IoT, and is transforming the company to capitalize on it.
“The Cloud is the most important trend shaping the future of the smart, connected world,” wrote Krzanich.
Why Intel Sees Clouds on the Horizon
Intel’s core client business in the past has been PCs and mobile. However, Krzanich admits that these are only a small part of the wider world of connected things. For Krzanich, it isn’t the thing itself—whether phone, sensor or any other client device—that holds the most value. It’s the connectivity of these devices to the Cloud over the IoT that unlocks their full potential.
“It means that everything that a ‘thing’ does can be captured as a piece of data, measured real-time and is accessible from anywhere,” explained Krzanich. “There is much more value to unlock from the Cloud and data center, and analytics is the key to that.”
Krzanich offered several specific examples of how Intel will contribute to IoT, with Cloud-connected autonomous vehicles heading the list. Intel will also focus on industry and retail opportunities including clothing and smart home applications.
However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. He sees potential everywhere, writing, “the biggest opportunity in the Internet of Things is that it encompasses just about everything in our lives today–it’s ubiquitous…the Internet of Things is transforming everything and every experience.”
Krzanich isn’t the only one to see IoT and Cloud technologies as becoming ubiquitous in the near future. A recent report from Yeti predicts that IoT will become so entrenched in our products that the term itself will become outdated. Everything will just be on the IoT.
Meanwhile, the consulting firm McKinsey predicts the IoT industry will be making $11.1 trillion dollars a year by 2025.
IoT and Cloud is Transforming Intel
Krzanich’s beliefs about the future are informing his strategy for Intel. “Our strategy itself is about transforming Intel from a PC company to a company that powers the Cloud and billions of smart, connected computing devices.”
This statement came on the heels of an announcement about a restructuring initiative of the company to shift its focus to the “growth engines” of data center and IoT businesses. Last year, these businesses delivered $2.2 billion in revenue growth and made up 40 percent of revenue for the company.
Krzanich’s full post discussing his strategy and five core beliefs can be found here.