Intel primes channel for growth

After posting record Q1 results, Intel is planning for aggressive growth

Good times ahead: Intel is feeling bullish for the future

After enduring a bleak 2009, Intel struck a positive note as it kicked off its annual Intel Solutions Summit (ISS) in Dubai.

Fresh from posting a 44 per cent year-on-year jump in first-quarter revenues, the technology bellwether yesterday told an assembled crowd of 440 EMEA Premier Partners to expect significant growth over the coming years, particularly in the SME space.

It also predicted that the enthusiast market would swell by 50 to 100 per cent in
2010.

In his keynote speech, an upbeat Maurits Tichelman, EMEA director of sales distribution reseller for channel operations, said: “The annual numbers last night were very encouraging about the opportunity we have – we see light at the end of the tunnel.”

The processor giant signalled it is also shifting its business model so that partners will soon be rewarded for more than just integrating Intel chips. This is in recognition that a lot of integration work is now carried out by ODMs in Asia, particularly for emerging technologies such as tablets.

Additionally, the vendor said it is attempting to make it easier for integrators to partner with Asian ODMs.

“The channel is still Intel’s number-one customer and will be for some time, ” said Tichelman.

Intel also used the summit to reassure its integrators that the shift to cloud computing will not wipe out PC shipment growth.

Steve Dallman, general manager of the worldwide Reseller Channel Organisation at Intel, said he expected the total SME market to grow from 250 to 500 million units between 2009 and 2012.

“If 100 million end up in the cloud I am pretty sure it is not going to impact business,” he said.