So Intel has made a deal with the Shenzen based popular ARM SoC manufacturer Rockchip.
Together with Mediatek and Allwinner, Rockchip is one of the largest SoC manufacturers for linux based devices in the world.
The deal licenses Intel x86 technology to Rockchip for the production of cheap x86 Atom Silvermont SoC's on the Chinese market alone. The deal denies Rockchip the possibility to sell these cheap Atom versions in the West, where Intel plans to sell them at premium prices.
This is historical, because it means that Intel - for the first time ever - has voluntarily licensed x86 technology to another manufacturer.
The fact that Intel HAD to do this, cannot be denied. Rockchip is a budget SoC manufacturer, that doesn't need the Intel license for it's business. Rockchip does very well all by itself.
Rockchip will not be using any Intel GPU designs, but will be adding it's own GPU designs (because they're simply better no doubt). This will mean that future x86 SoC post-PC devices actually stand a chance in the market, and that the Rockchip Atom SoC's will undoubtedly perform better than the Intel-branded counterparts.
Is this a move by Intel to seek a large strategic partner outside of the US as a shelter for future company development outside of the reach of the Patriot Act and other similar future-killing absurdities, comparable to what companies like General Electric and Ford are doing in the heavy industries realm?
Is it a move by Intel to create a new opponent for AMD, in the hope of thwarting the progress AMD is making in the market?
Is it not remarkable that Intel sets up a structural partnership in the country that has banned Microsoft software, thus denying the age-old Wintel-alliance, right on the verge of the breakthrough of HSA technology?
We'll see how it turns out, but it's not very probable that:
- the US government will succesfully ban Chinese hardware, if that hardware is based on Intel designs;
- the US and EU markets will continue to buy the expensive Intel versions if they can have the same or better for a fair price from Rockchip;
- AMD will follow the limitations of the 2009 Settlement with Intel much longer when Intel actively starts licensing it's technology. They do have a strong case now for breaking those limitations;
- Rockchip will make SoC's that comply with the "mandatory NSA backdoor" provisions Intel can't escape in the US because of the Patriot Act.
This shows the kind of disparity and despair that is really going around in the US IT Industry behind the curtains.
Remember some time ago, when I signalled that brain drain is the last straw before a society falls completely into the abyss of totalitarism and destroys itself by attacking other countries to feed their economy?
Well, one thing is for sure: all the roads in IT lead to Beijing...
