Intel has named Patrick Gelsinger as its first company-wide chief
technology officer.
Gelsinger will head the company's new Corporate Technology Group
and will report directly to Intel president and chief executive
officer Craig Barrett, according to a company statement. This group
will provide research and technology direction across product lines
and will work with the industry to create and deliver key industry
specifications, standards and technologies.
"The convergence of digital computing and communications requires
the coordination of many of Intel's technology and research efforts
at a high level," Barrett said. "Our goals are to offer a
consistent direction to the computing and communications industries
and to continue to play a leadership role in establishing industry
specifications and standards."
Gelsinger will co-ordinate longer-term research and help ensure
consistency among the company's emerging computing, networking and
communications technologies.
"In the past several years, we've made a push on 32-bit and 64-bit
computing platforms, and we've [branched out] into communication
activities - acquiring communications companies - networking and
wireless communications," said Intel spokesman Howard High. "Pat's
job will be to oversee the various architectures and make sure all
[aspects] of the company are interacting and are proceeding on a
number of parallel paths."
Gelsinger joined Intel in 1979 and has held a number of research,
development and general management positions at the company,
including responsibility for the Intel 486 and Pentium Pro
processor families and management of Intel's Desktop Products
Group. Most recently he was chief technology officer of the Intel
Architecture Group.