According to multiple reports, Intel is exiting its desktop motherboards business after about two decades of making them. According to PCWorld, who spoke with the company, Intel will pull out as soon as its next-generation Haswell CPU ships, and will dissolve the business over the course of the next three years.
Forbes, who received an email from Intel, reports:
It’s an announcement with layers of ramifications, but it’s certainly not a death bell. The tried-and-true tower PC is a fixture among business and home users alike. While companies like Dell and HP have traditionally relied on Intel for motherboards in their low-to-mid-range desktops, there are several other companies happy to carry the torch. Just ask any power user or gaming enthusiast if they think ASUS or MSI will be elated to hear this news.
This is a forward-thinking move for Intel, who also said “The internal talent and experience of twenty years in the boards business…is being redistributed to address emerging new form factors.” Those form factors are springing up from all corners, inspired by Windows 8 and consumers shifting their needs to devices that serve multiple purposes in multiple environments. Microsoft‘s Surface Pro and the TAICHI from ASUS are perfect examples of where the post-PC market is heading.
In other news, Intel has declared d a 22.5 cents-per-share (90 cents-per-share on an annual basis) quarterly dividend on the company’s common stock. It will be payable on March 1 to stockholders of record on February 7.
CEO Paul Otellini said, “With the payout of this quarterly dividend, Intel’s dividend and stock buyback program will have returned approximately $119 billion to stockholders since the program’s inception. This is a testament to our commitment to return cash to our stockholders as we continue to generate strong cash flow driven by the combination of new products and design wins from the lowest power portable devices to the most powerful data center servers.”