半導(dǎo)體業(yè)界巨擘英特爾公司(Intel)終于進軍無線領(lǐng)域了。經(jīng)過多年的努力，該公司表示，其針對移動裝置研發(fā)的 Medfield 新款處理器已獲得全球三家主要OEM采用，將搭載于其新款智能手機與平板電腦設(shè)計中。 在 2012年國際消費性電子展(CES)上，英特爾(Intel)公司宣布與中國聯(lián)通(China Unicom)、聯(lián)想(Lenovo Group)與摩托羅拉移動公司(Motorola Mobility Inc.)攜手展開重要的設(shè)計合作。聯(lián)想、摩托羅拉與中國聯(lián)通將在今年推出基于英特爾架構(gòu)的智能手機。這家全球主要的半導(dǎo)體公司將實現(xiàn)其長久以來追尋進 軍無線產(chǎn)業(yè)的目標(biāo)。 “當(dāng)強大的芯片與軟件技術(shù)結(jié)合卓越的移動與設(shè)計創(chuàng)新，即將展現(xiàn)驚人的成就，”英特爾公司總裁兼CEO歐德寧(Paul Otellini)表示，“我們與摩托羅拉公司長久以來的合作關(guān)系，將有助于加速英特爾架構(gòu)導(dǎo)入新的移動細分市場?！?對 于英特爾而言，取得這些設(shè)計訂單的意義并未被過份強調(diào)。多年來，該公司一直努力地尋求搶進這一領(lǐng)域。但一開始面對市場主導(dǎo)地位的ARM架構(gòu)旋即敗陣下來。 即使英特爾的PC OEM客戶都擔(dān)心，假如英特爾在無線設(shè)備市場成功主導(dǎo)另一架構(gòu)，也只是帶來另一個近乎壟斷的結(jié)果。當(dāng)時甚至預(yù)期英特爾專門為PC市場設(shè)計的處理器功耗過 大，無法為無線產(chǎn)業(yè)帶來最佳化應(yīng)用。 為了證明這些疑慮是錯的，英特爾公司斥資數(shù)十億美元進行收購以及開發(fā)新產(chǎn)品的移動。多次 的收購移動并未為其帶來想要的結(jié)果，英特爾也一直未能在此領(lǐng)域取得初步的進展。一直到最近，該公司開始在其PC微處理器事業(yè)部門布署巨大的內(nèi)部工程資源以 及大量的現(xiàn)金儲備。英特爾自此開始針對無線市場開發(fā)芯片組與參考設(shè)計。 英特爾的種種努力終于開花結(jié)果，最終為中國聯(lián)通、聯(lián)想和摩托羅拉帶來了Atom系列處理器。英特爾與幾家公司的合作協(xié)議總算為英特爾帶來長久來夢寐以求能夠感到驕傲的權(quán)利，同時也明白地昭告業(yè)界，盡管過去經(jīng)歷多次失敗，英特爾也絕不會輕言放棄這個領(lǐng)域。 另一方面，對于ARM而言，一個如惡夢般的旅程卻正悄悄地展開。藉由掌握客戶尋求避免出現(xiàn)另一個壟斷勢力的優(yōu)勢，ARM在無線領(lǐng)域迅速打造出擁有廣大客戶群 的基礎(chǔ)，長久以來持續(xù)在這一市場占有主導(dǎo)地位。然而，在英特爾積極進軍這一領(lǐng)域后，無疑地將會打破這道厚墻。如果其它OEM與電信公司開始擁抱英特爾架 構(gòu)，那么ARM的市占率將在接下來幾年內(nèi)開始顯著下滑。 當(dāng)然，如果英特爾的芯片無法發(fā)揮作用，英特爾也可能再次面臨失敗。就 算是這樣，英特爾也將再次嘗試。正如歐德寧在CES上所說的，整個世界的焦點正從對于個人計算機的關(guān)注轉(zhuǎn)變到個人運算上。英特爾公司不能也不會被排除在這個 無線世界之外。無論如何，英特爾都必須建立在這個總算穩(wěn)當(dāng)?shù)牧⒆泓c上。 編譯：Susan Hong 本文授權(quán)編譯自EBN Online，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 參考英文原文：Intel Muscles Into Smartphones, Tablets，by Bolaji Ojo, Editor in Chief

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{pagination} Intel Muscles Into Smartphones, Tablets Bolaji Ojo, Editor in Chief Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC), the 800-pound gorilla of the semiconductor market, has finally entered the wireless court. After years of trying, the company said its processors will be designed into smartphones and tablet PCs at three of the world's leading OEMs. At the annual Consumer Electronics Show, Intel announced critical design deals with China Unicom Ltd. (NYSE: CHU), Lenovo Group Ltd. (Hong Kong: 992), and Motorola Mobility Inc. (NYSE: MMI) -- its first successful challenge of ARM Ltd. (Nasdaq: ARMHY; London: ARM) in the market. Lenovo, Motorola, and China Unicom will roll out devices based on Intel architecture this year. The world's leading semiconductor company will be getting the validation it has long sought as a player in the wireless industry. "When great silicon and software technology meets great mobile and design innovation, amazing things can happen," Paul Otellini, Intel's president and CEO, said in a press release. "Our long-term relationship with Motorola Mobility will help accelerate Intel architecture into new mobile market segments." The significance of these design wins for Intel cannot be overemphasized. For years, the company has struggled to break into the sector. It initially fought vainly against the dominance of ARM architecture. Even Intel's PC OEM customers worried that another near-monopoly would result if it gained a large following in the wireless equipment market. There was even speculation that its processors, most of which were designed for the personal computer market, were power hogs and would not be so optimal for the cellular industry. Efforts to prove the doubters wrong led the company to pour billions into acquisitions and product development initiatives. Many of the acquisitions -- some early in the last decade -- failed to produce the desired results, and Intel could not make a dent in the sector. More recently, it began deploying its enormous internal engineering resources and the huge cash hoard built up in the PC microprocessor business. Intel has since developed chipsets and reference designs for the wireless market. These efforts produced the Atom processor, which China Unicom, Lenovo, and Motorola will use. The agreements gave Intel the bragging rights it has long desired and signaled clearly that it won't walk away from the sector, despite the past failures. Few companies would like to have Intel as a rival, as Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) (NYSE: AMD) can attest. Meanwhile, in England, a nightmarish journey is beginning for ARM, the IP company that rapidly built up a commanding customer base in the wireless sector on the strength of patronage by customers seeking to ward off another monopoly. ARM has maintained its leading position in this market, but Intel's latest design wins will most certainly break the dam wall. If other OEMs and telecoms embrace the Intel architecture (a lot of incentives from the company would help, especially in a price-challenged market), ARM's marketshare could slip dramatically over the next few years. Of course, Intel could face another failure if its chips fail to catch fire. In that case, the company would be forced to try again. As Otellini said in a CES presentation, the world is transitioning from a focus on personal computers to a focus on personal computing. Intel cannot afford to be excluded from this wirelessly charged world. Somehow, it has to build on this toehold it has finally secured.