SAN FRANCISCO: Intel Corp believes its manufacturing strength is its key to succeeding in mobile computing, even if it takes a while for that strategy to pay off. JMP analyst Alex Gauna said Intel’s future CEO should stick to that strategy, although it would be good for that person to have better ties to the mobile world as well as software companies seen as vital for tablets and smartphones. 

For example, Intel-based smartphones running the Android platform debuted just this year but could have been launched sooner had outgoing Chief Executive Paul Otellini, been more aggressive, Gauna said. 

“How they weave in the software strategy and the partnerships within the software and (manufacturing customer) marketplace - that’s where it gets really interesting,” Gauna said. “If I could paint a picture of what it needs to look like I’d put my hat in the ring myself.”

Visionary CEO to help world-class chipmaker expand beyond struggling personal computer market into tablets and smartphones. Experience with cutting-edge manufacturing plants and $10 billion annual capital expenditures a plus.

Intel Corp raised eyebrows on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley this week when it said it will consider an outsider to take over from outgoing Chief Executive Paul Otellini, potentially ending a four-decade tradition of internal succession. Some analysts took that as a sign the top global chipmaker might be considering a transformative hire.

Intel came under fire during Otellini’s tenure for missing out on the mobile revolution, insisting that emerging markets would prop up growth while underestimating the scale of the eventual drop-off in personal computer demand, and orchestrating a push on “Ultrabook” laptops that have so far failed to excite consumers.

Reuters