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Intel plans to sprinkle its Atom chip everywhere

Intel's Atom chip, which has primarily been used in netbooks, will increasingly be deployed in new areas---including embedded applications, home monitoring, smartphones and automobiles to name a few.
Written by Larry Dignan, Contributor

Intel's Atom chip, which has primarily been used in netbooks, will increasingly be deployed in new areas---including embedded applications, home monitoring, smartphones and automobiles to name a few.

The news comes on the heels of Intel’s stellar first quarter results. On the conference call, CEO Paul Otellini mentioned plans for dual core Atom chips. The plan is to develop "derivatives of our new Atom processor for many new market segments," said Otellini.

Here's a look at the other Atom money quotes from Otellini:

There is Atom in netbooks and then there is Atom going into other products. Atom going into other products is design cycle and you will see other kinds of products with Atom in it over the course of this year.

The next innovation coming out on Atom is Dual Core which comes out in the second quarter. So that will ramp for the holiday season this year and I think that will be a very attractive product. Then in early Q1 we have another integration at much lower power product coming out that is a derivative of it for SanDisk netbook business. You will see us use technology to make the platform a bit better each time or to integrate more features and make it cheaper.

So where will these Atom derivatives appear? If the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing is any indication Atom will be everywhere.

Intel executives outlined the following at IDF:

  • The chip giant is planning a lineup of system-on-chip products that will be used in the home to manage energy (see keynote). Atom will be at the center of these system on a chip efforts.
  • Intel said HawTai, a Chinese automaker, is using Atom processors and MeeGo software for in-car infotainment systems (see keynote).
  • On Monday, Intel outlined how the Atom chip will show up on Smart TV systems and work its way into smartphones and tablets.

Add it up the presence of Intel's Atom chip is about to proliferate. If that's the case, Atom revenue---$355 million in the first quarter---is about to go much higher in the years ahead.

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