Intel CEO Brian Krzanich has kicked off the Intel Developer Forum by highlighting exactly where the company is headed over the next few years.
The Intel chief went into detail about how the company plans on staying relevant with its wearable technology offerings, as well as by rolling out more platforms and systems for the Internet of Things, a proposed concept where everyday things will be interconnected and be able to communicate. Intel's developer conference runs through Sept. 11 in San Francisco.
"We'll keep taking billions of transistors and placing them on processors. ... It's Intel end-to-end, going from the data center to the Internet of Things," said Krzanich. "With our diverse product portfolio and developer tools that span key growth segments, operating systems, and form factors, Intel offers hardware and software developers new ways to grow, as well as design flexibility. If it's smart and connected, it's best with Intel."
The company also used the event to officially launch the Edison platform, a tiny computer that makes use of a 22-nm chip with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It's designed for the Internet of Things and the next generation of wearable devices.
Apart from Edison, the new SkyLake platform was announced, which is the successor to its Broadwell processors and, according to Intel, will help create a world with cable-free devices. The chip was demonstrated at the event and is said to deliver a substantial increase in processing power, battery life and overall performance. It will be available to developers in the first half of 2015.
Krzanich also went into detail on Intel's future endeavors with wearable technology, saying that there would be an emphasis on fashion and usability. The company has recently released the SMS Audio BioSport headphones which track the wearers heart rate, as well as the Mica smart bracelet, which is aimed at being functional (notifying its wearer of incoming texts) as well as fashionable. It stands for My Intelligent Connected Accessory, and made its debut as an accessory at New York Fashion Week.
Intel also announced a number of partnerships related to the Internet of Things. One of these partnerships is with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and it involves improving Parkinson's disease monitoring and treatment through various technologies.
"Health care is the biggest opportunity for big data and the IoT," said Diane Bryant, general manager of Intel's Data Center Group, on the subject. "It's the one industry that can benefit the most from monitoring. It also has the potential to reduce risk, drive down cost and create new revenue streams."
Intel has had a rather busy year so far and has been focusing on a number of key areas for the future. The company has had a very heavy focus on 2-in-1 devices, which is the fastest growing segment in mobile computing. The company's Core M processors will power many of these 2-in-1 devices, which will also mostly be fanless, thanks to the processor.
Another interesting venture is the fact that Intel wants to completely do away with passwords.
"We have to eliminate passwords. You are your password," said Kirk Skaugen, senior vice president of the PC Client Group at Intel.
What this means is that, essentially, metrics like voice recognition and 3D camera input will be used to access devices.
