June 2011, Press Backgrounder

The Four Eras of Computing and the Internet Since summer of 1969, when the University of California, LA, and the University of Stanford connected via packet switching technology for the first time, the evolution of the Internet and computing have been inextricably linked. Together, they have evolved through four different eras: The first era was defined by computers the size of rooms, otherwise known as mainframes. These vast computers were expensive, but by connecting to this network, researchers could share resources and access computers remotely. The second era was the democratisation of computers and the Internet. Desktop PCs, laptops and servers became much more affordable and Internet access improved significantly across the world. Together, this meant that the Internet was available to a much wider audience. The third era is marked by the ubiquity of mobile phones and smart computing devices notable for their powerful processing ability. The vision of mobile computing, with Internet access from anywhere, anytime starts to become a reality. Today were on the cusp of the fourth era that Intel calls the Compute Continuum, others refer to it as the Internet of Things. This era is characterised by billions of everyday objects becoming intelligent as computing power and Internet connectivity are embedded into them. People will barely see the all pervasive and seamless computing that surrounds them other than through the devices they use.

The Internet of Things

Since its humble beginnings in 1969 as a University network called ARPANET, the Internet has evolved and grown beyond our expectations. Today, more than two billion people are connectedi, and each day, we buy one million PCsii. Between us, we view 8.6 billion Facebook* pages, watch 2 billion videos on YouTube* and tweet 146 million times every dayiii. And, as of writing this, there are currently more than 5 billion devices connected to the Internetiv. Despite this phenomenal uptake, we believe that if the Internet was a movie, wed still be at the opening credits. In other words, while the Internet is huge, its going to get a lot bigger. By 2020, there will be 4 billion people online, and 31 billion Internet-connected devicesv. Were entering a new phase of Internet evolution. It is expanding much more rapidly than it has done in the last decade. Increasing numbers of everyday appliances are connecting to the Internet, their environment and to each other. Cars, fitness equipment, factory robots, retail signage and vending machines are becoming smart thanks to tiny embedded computer processors and sensors, just like those in your laptop or mobile phone. This smarter, connected world has the potential to completely change how we live. Imagine cars that warn each other about traffic congestion; interactive adverts in shopping malls that recognise your gender, age and even mood and tailor the advert accordingly; medicine containers that remind you when youve forgotten to take your pills; or wine glasses that tell you when youve had enough to drink. The possibilities are endless. Some call this new era the Internet of Things, at Intel we call it the Compute Continuum a world where computing happens on many of your devices or appliances, devices that are always-connected, pervasive and personal. Just as Intel is known the world over for being at the heart of computing, the Internet and the mobile revolution, so too Intel is leading the way with smart embedded devices. Thousands of developers are using Intel Core and Intel Atom processor-based platforms in intelligent embedded designs to transform cars, energy management, digital signage, and more. Additionally, high-performance Intel servers are powering the data centres that support the billions of Internet-connected devices and serve the content we so copiously demand. They are creating a huge amount of Internet traffic and it is growing fast. In 2010, about 245 exabytes of traffic crossed the Internet and that is expected to reach 1,000 exabytes by 2015vi.

Thats 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes or the equivalent of 250,000,000,000,000 digital photos!vii The Internet and intelligent devices are profoundly changing the way we live. At Intel, the compute continuum is our vision of delivering a smarter, more secure, and always-connected computing experience that spans a range of device segments including laptops, cars, smartphones and smart TVs and the Internet data centres to which they connect. Intel is helping to enrich and simplify the lives of people worldwide by putting our collective intelligence into billions of devices that are connecting to the Internet.
Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the worlds computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com. Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. * Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, January 2011 iii IDC: stats quoted by Otellini in Intel Investor meeting, May 2011 iv http://newsroom.intel.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/1186-28-2531/Day1_IDF_Keynote_Transcript_Otellini.pdf v IDC Directions 2010, ICT Outlook: Recovering Intel a New World, Doc# DR2010_GS2_JG, March 2010 vi Otellini, Q4 2010 call with press and analysts http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/intel-sees-benefits-challenges-in-tabletssmartphones-18123 vii rough guide based on 10 mega pixel camera)
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