Intel spells out the future to SBs

Intel increased European channel shipments by 50 per cent in March compared to the previous month, the vendor claimed yesterday.

Speaking at the Integrator Forum Europe 2000 in Monte Carlo, Rob Eckelmann, Intel vice preseident of EMEA, seemed to feel the need to defend his company before launching into his presentation of Intel as a "Building Block Supplier to the New Internet Economy".

"We are at this point shipping record volumes. But it doesn't feel like it to you, and it doesn't feel like it to us.

"It is a big challenge to keep up with demand," he said.

Eckelmann also warned system builders that the e-business honeymoon was over. "Various customers and people in the industry have been re-defining the business... There have been a lot of mistakes along the way."

But he said the chance to be a first mover in this sector and win was now over.

"We are entering a new era - where the Net is dominant. Those who are driving e-business are starting to impact the sector. The defining characteristic is no longer this gleeful growth - it is now a hard competitive focus."

"The grace period is over; Consumers are no longer impressed that we have this technology working for us."

Eckelmann said the PC still ruled the Web - it was still the key way of accessing it - but claimed one of the prime sales opportunities for system builders at the moment was servers. According to Intel, only five per cent of server capacity has so far been deployed - versus what is predicted for 2005.

"Intel new architecture and products will take on Sun," he told the assembled audience, which seemed keen to scurry back to last of the day's Mediterranean sun." ®