Are you surprised? I start off most of my presentations/conferences with the following question:
How many of you know that Intel ‘does’ Software?
Very few hands usually go up, and that is exactly the challenge I have today in getting the word out about other exciting developments that people wouldn’t normally associate with this technology juggernaut. And while the Silicon Valley behemoth often conjures up images of powering a plethora of devices (including phones too!), it’s Application Security & Identity Products division (ASIP), my unit, that is quickly escaping the formidable shadow of the “mother ship” as it gains prominence in the world at large with Cloud, Application security, Identity and Tokenization software. Intel’s ASIP group is on the cutting edge of innovation in a myriad of ways with some very advanced technologies such as Cloud SSO, Cloud-based Identity services, Identity Manager, OTP (One Time Password), Big Data, Analytics, API Gateway, Cloud Service Broker, Security Gateway, Mobile middleware and Security as a Service.
Every Intel commercial you see on TV, or through other media channels, usually promotes Intel chips, as that is a core strength of ours. But I want you to be aware that we are far more than just chips. We are a leading edge technology company that constantly renews itself as well as its raison d’être. We hold more patents than almost anyone else in almost every field that we are in. And we employ an army of engineers in some of the largest research efforts in the world, with one of the largest research budgets.
There was a great article in Forbes not too long ago, about how Intel is one of the largest software companies in the world, that you’ve never heard about. Lead by our fearless leader, Renee James – SVP of Intel’s Software group, Intel recently announced Security as our third pillar. Our CEO Paul Otellini didn’t just stop there; he showed the world he meant it by acquiring McAfee soon after. However, we’ve also made some very key strategic acquisitions in software security and identity areas to strengthen our position. Those include, but are not limited to: McAfee, Nordic Edge, Sarvega, WindRiver… (a complete list can be seen on the Forbes link below or at Intel.com). This is consistent with our strategy. We continue to acquire and develop a lot more software/ security solutions with unwavering commitment.
You might be surprised to learn the following:
- Intel turbo-charges the Linux community by putting hundreds of full-time engineers to work on the free operating system.
- Intel’s tools helped Apple’s engineers move its Macintosh computers to Intel processors.
- Intel helped Google move into the Smartphone business.
- Maybe the company’s biggest software triumph has been its push into high-performance computing. Five of the ten fastest supercomputers in the world now run Intel’s chips.
- Intel has a solution that helps companies Tokenize their sensitive data.
- Intel’s Cloud Service Broker (CSB) and API Gateway solutions help companies seamlessly move their enterprise applications to the cloud.
Along these lines, Intel has been a pivotal partner on many projects that have helped to move the “proverbial needle” by developing tools, frameworks and enhancements – all of which often have gone unrecognized since the efforts are not branded with any kind of Intel logo.
With the acquisition of security software vendor McAfee last year, Intel became one of the world’s 10 largest software companies. – Forbes May 2012.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/briancaulfield/2012/05/09/intel-is-the-biggest-software-company-youve-never-heard-of/.
If you have time, I suggest you give our annual report a read. You’ll get a first-hand look at the contributions of the software division. They are impressive. Just from the numbers alone, we could easily be considered one of the largest software vendors in the world.
We, the software group of Intel, get access to information coming from the advanced security labs of McAfee and extreme performance labs from Intel. This allows our software unit to understand what is coming down the road and architect solutions for the future. That is why when you choose Intel for any of the aforementioned products, the performance comparison numbers against our direct competitors our numbers are truly outstanding. If you have any questions about this, please give me a shout and I will demonstrate to you how awesome we really are.
A very familiar AllState commercial states “Are you in good hands?”, With Intel I can guarantee you are.
Andy Thurai — Chief Architect & CTO, Application Security and Identity Products, Intel
Andy Thurai is Chief Architect and CTO of Application Security and Identity Products with Intel, where he is responsible for architecting SOA, Cloud, Governance, Security, and Identity solutions for their major corporate customers. In his role, he is responsible for helping Intel/McAfee field sales, technical teams and customer executives. Prior to this role, he has held technology architecture leadership and executive positions with L-1 Identity Solutions, IBM (Datapower), BMC, CSC, and Nortel. His interests and expertise include Cloud, SOA, identity management, security, governance, and SaaS. He holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics engineering and has over 20+ years of IT experience.
He blogs regularly at www.thurai.net/securityblog on Security, SOA, Identity, Governance and Cloud topics. You can find him on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/andythurai.
