Intel tells resellers to look to cloud for signs of growth

Intel will overhaul its global channel program to help partners capitalise on cloud, mobility, virtualisation and embedded systems.

Speaking at the Intel Solutions Summit in Melbourne, the chip maker's global channel head Steve Dallman said it would kick-start a roadshow in Australia and New Zealand next month to promote the Intel technology provider program.

It will invest in training and other resources to help partners put Intel front and centre in their deals.

Intel's Sandy Bridge chipset generated interest for its potential to power next-generation mobile devices and its 3D transistor would be available on the market within a year, Dallman said.

It allowed for more sophisticated embedded systems that were playing a more important role in industries such as mining and manufacturing while presenting opportunities in information security. Examples included the ability to mix digital IP surveillance with face recognition.

Intel’s recent acquisition of McAfee signalled its move into security but it was yet to provide details as to how it fitted its security plans.

But the fastest-growing segment of the embedded market, Intel said, was digital signs that would drive sales through the channel because of their high levels of customisation, Dallman said: “I would be shocked if the embedded business market wasn’t worth $2 billion by 2015”.

And Intel identified channel opportunities around solid-state storage especially in data centres.

Lisa Graff, vice president of Intel’s enterprise platforms and services division said that despite many user organisations expecting to forego spending on servers in favour of cloud-based services, there was still a strong segment demanding their own “customised” servers, while others were building private clouds.

“The security is just not there [in the cloud] for smaller companies,” Graff said. “Their requirements are unique” and many don’t have the bandwidth.

Intel said that although the desktop was “dead” in big retail, resellers, given the broader scope for customisation, had new opportunities.

The company, which was investing in software, expected its partners to have more opportunities to develop custom solutions for customers and win more deals.