Intel's Flash Gambit Evolving Into 3-Pronged Strategy

LAHORE, Pakistan, May. 18, 2017 – After years of mostly covert development, Intel's investment in flash memory is finally showing signs of bearing fruit in 2017, a year that some observers are calling "the year of NAND flash."

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich claims that the company's non-volatile memory business will finally be profitable by 2018.

It's worth noting that Intel announced record revenue of $866 million in the first quarter of 2017. At the same time, however, the world's largest chipmaker has vowed to raise the capex for its memory business. Intel, for instance, has been expanding the NAND flash capacity at its Fab 68 in Dalian, China.

A closer look at Intel's non-volatile memory business reveals a three-pronged strategy.

First and foremost, Intel plans to focus on differentiated products with higher ASPs, said Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research. Intel is also investing heavily in much smaller 3D NAND flash chips while seeking opportunities in the planar-to-3D NAND transition.

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