Intel Corporation CEO Brian Krzanich outlined a range of products, initiatives and strategic relationships aimed at accelerating innovation across a range of mobile and wearable devices as well as individual inventors’ own connected creations. He made the announcements during the pre-show keynote for the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show to be held here this week.
Krzanich’s keynote painted a vision of how the landscape of computing is being re-shaped and where security is too important not to have it embedded in all devices. The world is entering an era of integrated computing defined not by the device, but by the integration of technology into people’s lifestyles in ways that offer individuals new utility and value. As examples, he highlighted several immersive and intuitive technologies that Intel will begin offering this year. For example, the company is bringing human senses to Intel-based devices in a new family of hardware and software products called Intel RealSensetechnology.
Intel’s CEO also discussed how Intel is addressing two critical issues casting shadows over the consumer electronics industry: data and device security and conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He said Intel had achieved a critical milestone and the minerals used in microprocessor silicon and packages manufactured in Intel’s factories are “conflict-free” as concluded by third-party audits or direct validation by Intel’s supply chain organization.
“Two years ago, I told several colleagues that we needed a hard goal, a commitment to reasonably conclude that the metals used in our microprocessors are conflict-free,” Krzanich said. “We felt an obligation to implement changes in our supply chain to ensure that our business and our products were not inadvertently funding human atrocities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Even though we have reached this milestone, it is just a start. We will continue our audits and resolve issues that are found.”
