Intel Atom Chips Landing In More Embedded Wares

Intel's (NMS:INTC) so-far unsuccessful drive to get its Atom chips into cell phones is crucial to its future, but it is selling more Atoms to makers of embedded devices.

The embedded device sector is broad

The embedded device sector is broad. It includes just about any product that has a chip inside and isn't a computer, consumer electronics device or mobile phone. This encompasses things like toys, retail checkout scanners, cars, robotics and much more.

Intel also includes in the category a new type of device it calls a media phone. This tablet-sized device often sits on a kitchen counter, bed stand or living-room table and connects to the Web to provide some basic data, such as weather, news and stock prices. Startup OpenPeak, whose investors include Intel, makes such a device, the OpenTablet. It uses Atom chips.

Davis: This is a broad class of devices deployed by broadband service providers that have VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) capability, but with a small display, four to seven inches across.

The thing that's interesting about that number is

The thing that's interesting about that number is, of those total customers we have shipped to, 40% of them are new customers to Intel. These are customers we have never done business with in the past.