When it comes to technology collaboration, few companies have the same dynamic as Intel and Microsoft. For a long time, when it comes to the combination of processor chips and operating systems. the name “Wintel” is certainly familiar among IT professionals.
Recently, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, has given a rather serious criticism of Intel, saying that the company has been left behind in the semiconductor chip design and production sector by companies such as ARM, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, TSMC and so on, and can no longer be seen as a global semiconductor giant.
This is what he said during an interview with the Associated Press, where he also said that Pat Gelsinger should have also been given the opportunity to see his IDM 2.0 project come to fruition, where he finally advanced their semiconductor chip manufacturing process from 10nm used from 2016 to 18A (18 Angstrom or 1.8nm) last year.
His plan is for Intel to remain competitive in both the processor chip design and semiconductor chip manufacturing arenas. From February 2021 when he returned to Intel as CEO until he stepped down in December 2024, Intel has been seen to have advanced their processor chip production process through the 5N4Y program, which aims to advance their semiconductor chip production process five times in four years.
During that period, Intel has also been seen to have introduced many processor chip products that use more modern processes, and has even released their first graphics card, the Intel Arc Alchemist last year, and will continue with the Intel Arc Battlemage this year.
However, the increasingly fierce market war and declining profit margins, including the failure to enter the smart device market, caused Intel to lay off 15 thousand employees and Pat Gelsinger was forced to resign at the end of last year.