Intel Developer Forum Les Vadasz, who joined Intel before Andy Grove did, yesterday explained how the chip goliath made its investment decisions. Vadasz, who quipped: "You don't want to hear about how I got there before Grove", said Intel has a large pool of money and is investing in new media companies and security companies, as well as others. There are two reasons for the investments but the primary reason is to accelerate the development of new market segments, Vadasz said. "You can't alone move the world," said Vadasz. "We have recognised a long time ago this interdependence." He said, talking of companies Intel had invested in: "Today, there are over 200 companies, many are small but a number are public companies. Last year we invested $800 million." Companies Intel has invested in include Be, and Red Hat. The latter told us yesterday the new Linux kernel would not arrive until April at the earliest. But Intel is not interested in managing companies it invested in, said Vadasz, leaving that to venture capitalists. "I expect VC investment in the same companies," he said. "We insist it [the VC] will look after the management side." The percentage Intel takes is between five and 20 per cent, said Vadasz. "We try to be under the 20 per cent limit," he said. Twenty per cent of investment is in foreign, meaning non-US companies, said Vadasz. ®