An ecosystem strategy for Intel Corporation to drive adoption of its embedded solutions

Abstract

With time, successful companies and businesses grow to create a network of partners and stakeholders that work very closely with them. The very survival and growth of these companies is dependent on this ecosystem network around them. The ecosystem thrives on stakeholders mutually benefiting from each other while contributing to growth of the ecosystem itself. Every now and then business growth of such big companies with powerful ecosystems of their own is disrupted by relatively small players when incumbents have to respond. Intel, world's largest semiconductor company, has seen tremendous growth in its business since its inception. While Intel focused on continuously innovating and delivering great products for the personal computer industry, it chose not to compete in low margin embedded computing markets. Advanced RISC Machines (ARM Holdings Ltd.), a small semiconductor company during early nineties developed architecture for low power embedded computing markets that with time became the dominant architecture for mobile computing. As demand in the personal computer industry and consumer interest shifted towards portable and mobile computers, Intel delivered products for these markets. In recent years Intel, the incumbent is being threatened by ARM, the disruptor because mobile embedded platforms based on ARM architecture have encroached Intel's territory. Intel at the same time has its sight at the high growth embedded markets dominated by ARM. Today, both these players with their mature ecosystems are facing each other as they try to enter each other's territories. This Thesis analyses this classic battle for ecosystem leadership for embedded markets by Intel and ARM. Software and platform leadership is analyzed in detail and an Ecosystem strategy for Intel to drive adoption of its embedded solutions is devised in later chapters.