LISBON - Intel Corp., the world's biggest microchip producer,
expects no slowdown in global demand for personal computers despite economic
problems in the United States and in other countries, Intel chairman Craig
Barrett said.
He also told reporters in Lisbon, where he was to sign a
draft deal with the Portuguese government to make 500,000 cheap portable
computers for schools, that the company was upbeat on demand prospects for
low-cost computers and broadband wireless systems.
"We gave a relatively upbeat business forecast, saying that
despite the economic problems in the United States our business is so
international that we didn't see any slowdown in the PC market," he said.
Barrett said a range of economies have not been seriously
affected by the US slowdown, providing hope that the crisis will have limited
implications.
"We are seeing ... that the slowdown in the US hasn't spilled
everywhere else. The world's economy is not as robust as it could be, but it's
not a disaster."
Apart from broadband wireless, and the next generation of
low-cost computers, Intel also remains bullish about the introduction of more
digital capability in health care.
"There's a huge opportunity to use it not just in the
back-office but in remote diagnostics," he added.
Referring to the European Union's recent antitrust charges
against Intel, Barrett said price reductions for microprocessors and computers
have an "anti-inflationary nature" while prices are rising globally and also
said that was a testimony to high competition in the sector.
"It looks as the market is functioning as it should, because
every year consumers are getting more for less. We continue to say that, please
just look at the facts, don't just listen to a competitor complaint," he said.
Intel lawyers have previously said that that new charges
filed against the company by the European Commission could lead to higher prices
for consumers.
The Commission issued additional charges against Intel
earlier this month, saying the US company had paid a retailer to refrain from
selling computers with chips made by competitor Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
Last year, the Commission accused Intel of giving computer makers rebates to
limit their use of rival AMD's chips or avoid them altogether. - Reuters
