Intel to open worldwide ebusiness service centers

NEWS Intel is to spend $100m and hire 1,000 new staff to open 15 one-stop shops around the world providing hardware, software, lab-testing and engineering services for web integrators. Rhett Livengood, worldwide marketing manager for Intel, said the Intel Server Applications Enabling Program (SAEP) and Intel Solution Centers will provide the means for OEMs and web integrators to work directly with Intel to develop, test, validate and market ebusiness programs. Intel will charge partners $50,000 for receiving its expertise. The program will begin with servers and expand to other Intel products. Intel expects to have at least seven of the centres open before the end of the year in European and the US locations. Future plans include centres in India and China. He said Microsoft, Oracle, Red Hat, LSI Logic, Emulex and Giganet have already signed up for the service.