Intel claims 2015 a 'once in decade' high for PC innovation

Chip giant claims the planets will align for PC industry this year thanks to Windows 10 and Skylake chip launches

2015 will see a level of innovation experienced only once or twice each decade, thanks to the launches of Windows 10 and Intel's Skylake chip, a top Intel executive told delegates at the Intel Solutions Summit (ISS).

Expected to be released in the second half of 2015, Skylake is a microprocessing chip from Intel which is anticipated to be branded in the sixth generation of the Intel Core processor family and will be compatible with Windows 10 and available for desktops and laptops.

Speaking on the first day of this year's ISS in Abu Dhabi, Maruits Tichelman, vice president for channel sales and marketing at Intel, said: "We are coming out with Skylake. There is only once or maybe twice in a decade when you see Microsoft and Intel at the same time bringing fantastic innovation to the computing industry and that is happening this year."

As well as praising this innovation with Skylake, Tichelman highlighted the refresh that will follow the launch of Windows 10 as a great opportunity for the channel.

"Microsoft has been talking about Windows 10 for quite some time now. We all know it's just around the corner and, yes, we will probably have to bear one more quarter to tap into the fantastic marketing elevation of the compute industry.

"That doesn't mean we have to stop selling and wait for Windows 10. As we all know, every Windows 8 device we sell today has a free upgrade to Windows 10, but it will provide an extra push and an even greater opportunity to go through a refresh and tap into new customers during 2015."

Last week, chief executive of AMD Lisa Su seemed to inadvertently reveal the release date of Windows 10 as the end of July.

But as well as addressing the start of Windows 10 as a great opportunity for Intel's channel, Tichelman also pointed to the end of support for Windows Server 2003 – also coming this July – as a chance for partners to benefit from the refresh.

"Many of you have been extremely successful in selling server solutions for SMEs and we know that at the end of July, Windows 2003 Server will not provide any updates any longer. And again, herein lies another opportunity for the channel," he said.

"Many of you have been very successful and active in the SME customer base and making sure they get the best level of support. And the best level of support for them will go through a refresh, so again it's another opportunity for you [the partner] to tap into."