Intel Corp (INTC)

[Elmer Phud]

02/12 12:52
Intel to Produce More Than 5 Million Centrino Systems in 2003
By Todd Prince


Moscow, Feb. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Intel Corp., the world's No. 1 maker of computer chips, expects this year to make more than 5 million systems that allow wireless access to the Internet through laptop computers from train stations, hotels and coffee shops.

Intel has invested more than $300 million to develop the Centrino system, a three-piece processor that contains several chips for Wireless Fidelity technology, or Wi-Fi. The technology allows people to send files and e-mails for short distances and at high speeds over airwaves from convenient places, dubbed hot- spots.

Chief Executive Officer Craig Barrett is placing one of his biggest bets on Wi-Fi, which he hopes will drive new demand.

``We are expecting to produce well over 5 million (Centrino) processors this year, and we expect next year Centrino mobile technology to be the highest selling product in notebooks,'' said Michael Splinter, an Intel executive vice president, in an interview in Moscow.

Intel expects there will be about 2,000 hot spots in Europe, including Russia, by the end of the year, Splinter said.