Intel invests $7B in U.S. Manuf. Facilities-Challenges other US companies to do same

[3peet]

Intel to Invest $7 Billion in U.S. Manufacturing Facilities
2-Year Plan to Focus on Leading-Edge Technologies
Last update: 9:00 a.m. EST Feb. 10, 2009

WASHINGTON, Feb 10, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini today announced the company would spend $7 billion over the next two years to build advanced manufacturing facilities in the United States. The investment funds deployment of Intel's industry-leading 32 nanometer (nm) manufacturing technology that will be used to build faster, smaller chips that consume less energy.
The commitment represents Intel's largest-ever investment for a new manufacturing process.
"We're investing in America to keep Intel and our nation at the forefront of innovation," Otellini said. "These manufacturing facilities will produce the most advanced computing technology in the world. The capabilities of our 32nm factories are truly extraordinary, and the chips they produce will become the basic building blocks of the digital world, generating economic returns far beyond our industry."
Intel's investment will be made at existing manufacturing sites in Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico and will support approximately 7,000 high-wage, high-skill jobs at those locations -- part of a total Intel workforce of more than 45,000 in the U.S. Intel, while generating more than 75 percent of its sales overseas, carries out roughly 75 percent of its semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. At the same time, about 75 percent of the company's R&D spending and capital investments are also made in the U.S.


Hat's off to Intel and their CEO, Paul Otellini

 

[tiznow]

intel just shifting for the future they are cutting spending overall

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Intel's $7B Plan Reveals 8% Spending Cut

Intel's (INTC Quote - Cramer on INTC - Stock Picks) $7 billion two-year U.S. manufacturing upgrade plan is really an 8% spending cut.

In a bid to pump up enthusiasm for U.S. technology investing amid a gloomy economic climate, Intel chief Paul Otellini announced the plan Tuesday at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C.

"We're investing in America to keep Intel and our nation at the forefront of innovation," Otellini said.

While billed as a major infusion of cash stateside, the move is merely a green light to a long-anticipated shift to 32-nanometer technology meant to help Intel catch up with other 32-nanometer advances by outfits like IBM (IBM Quote - Cramer on IBM - Stock Picks) and its partners.

The plan involves no new jobs or new production facilities but merely the funding of 7,000 existing jobs at three existing plants.

Intel's total spending on facility improvements and other capital expenses has been about $5 billion a year for the past two years, or $10 billion in total. Intel said in a press release that it allocates 75% of its capital budget to the U.S., equating to about $7.5 billion of the overall spending.

As a result, assuming Intel continues to dedicate three-quarters of its capital spending to the U.S. in the upcoming two years, that would imply total expenditures of about $9.33 billion, or around 8% below the level of the prior two years.

A company representative said Intel does "not have a two-year plan at this point."

It's no surprise that Intel is slashing expenses. Last month the company announced it was closing facilities in Penang, Malaysia and one in Cavite, Philippines and halting wafer production in its Hillsboro, Ore. and Santa Clara, Calif.

Sitting on a mountain of inventory amid a severe PC sales slump, Intel needs to spark a new buying cycle, and is betting $7 billion on a new 32-nanometer chip to power an array of computer and mobile devices.

Intel's decision to wave the flag over its necessary upgrade plan probably amounts to less of a windfall for U.S. manufacturing than presented. On the other hand, with tech in the throes of a massive recession, any spending can be cast as somewhat heroic.

 

[eek.]

Intel is more a phenomenon than a company as far as I'm concerned.

Quite amazing how they've kicked ass for so long.

 

[Mistermj]

Intel is more a phenomenon than a company as far as I'm concerned.

Quite amazing how they've kicked ass for so long.

Just riding the wave of Moore's Law.

 

[tiznow]

Intel is more a phenomenon than a company as far as I'm concerned.

Quite amazing how they've kicked ass for so long.

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=INTC#symbol=INTC;range=my

tiz hoping for sub 10 :grandmais

 

[tiznow]

Just riding the wave of Moore's Law.

part of the problem for companies going forward

is its getting to the point where they are surpassing the usefulness to J6P

basically no need for the average joe to upgrade anymore as their computer is fast as shit, their digital camera is very nice quality, their iphone has everything they need in a phone/handheld device.....

shit like that...

we starting to get to the point only reason to buy a new tech gadget is if your old one breaks no need to upgrade anymore on a consumer basis....

 

[3peet]

part of the problem for companies going forward

is its getting to the point where they are surpassing the usefulness to J6P

basically no need for the average joe to upgrade anymore as their computer is fast as shit, their digital camera is very nice quality, their ipod has everything they need in a phone/handheld device.....

shit like that...

we starting to get to the point only reason to buy a new tech gadget is if your old one breaks

Exactly. The only time I can think of upgrading is perhaps because of a newer or "better" technology. thinking of that where the fuck did "Blue Ray" DVD's come from? Wasn't it just 2-3 years ago the phenomena we were all scrambling to get to HD and that was great in itself?

 

[eek.]

Programming for these new units can't keep up, fewer and fewer programmers are chit hot at the cutting edge of it.

If programming does catch up we'll have pooters we can talk to, like in star trek, within a few years.

 

[tiznow]

Programming for these new units can't keep up, fewer and fewer programmers are chit hot at the cutting edge of it.

If programming does catch up we'll have pooters we can talk to, like in star trek, within a few years.

9 Year Old Writes iPhone Application


This story is bound to make all of us think about what we were doing at just 9 years of age. I personally can’t recall much about being 9 years old but what I can tell you is that I wasn’t writing programs for computers.
Lim Ding Wen is currently in fourth grade and he resides in Singapore. His father claims that he is the world’s youngest Apple IIGS programmer but it doesn’t matter much if he is the youngest or not because the boy simply loves programming. Ding Wen began using a computer at the age of 2 and started learning programming at just 7 years of age. He is now fluid in six programming languages.
Ding Wen’s current claim to fame is an application he originally created for the Apple IIGS titled Doodle Kids. Doodle Kids is a drawing application that he created for his younger sisters. The application has since been ported to the iPhone and it is currently available at the App Store for free.

Ding Wen’s father, Lim Thye Chean, is a CTO of an IT company and has been programming as well for many years. Ding Wen and his father now compete to see whose application is downloaded the most often. Doodle Kids has been downloaded over 4,000 times and after all of this publicity I am sure Ding Wen will win this round.
Lim Ding Wen is currently working on a new sci-fi game called Invader Wars. Keep an eye out for this little guy, he may just surprise us again someday.

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not really sure how talking to a computer versus typing is all that useful

and we can already talk to other people on our computers like the jetson's using skype or some other video conferencing application etc...

 

[eek.]

The problem with modern code is it's all hand built, like wot we used to do with cups and plates and swords and guns.

Code A wont work or fit in with code B kinda thing, because its handbuilt and incompatible.

During the American Civil War the Springfield armoury started what is now known as modern mass production.

Yup, good old war to the rescue...

One day someone will code a program that produces code for the user, heralding the birth of mass produced code.

 

[eek.]

You tell it what to do Tiz.

You ever wanted a chart that can do something and you can't find it?

Then tell your pooter to build it.

Pooter builds "your" chart and then downloads the info from the web to populate the axes.

 

[tiznow]

you still got to give it the data

i can type 1.595454 faster than i can say it

typing based programs already are non user friendly enough

can't imagine how bad voice operated ones would be

 

[eek.]

you still got to give it the data

i can type 1.595454 faster than i can say it

typing based programs already are non user friendly enough

can't imagine how bad voice operated ones would be

##)

Pooter builds "your" chart and then downloads the info from the web to populate the axes.

 

[tiznow]

good luck building a program that is going to be able to do all that without fucking it up and doing it right

ever use those automated voice automated phone shit

those are simple as it gets programs and still pretty shitty

 

[tiznow]

robots on the other hand a more logical progression to make man's life easier

automating vacuuming and shit like that as well as military based operations

IRBT might be a stock to pick up after the dust settles some more on the gloom and doom

 

[eek.]

good luck building a program that is going to be able to do all that without fucking it up and doing it right

ever use those automated voice automated phone shit

those are simple as it gets programs and still pretty shitty

The one I used to change my power supplier with was surprisingly accurate, it occurred to me that big brother could easily spy on a phone conversation with the program I used.

 

[tiznow]

they can spy on any cell phone conversation if they really want to