Intel scraps Intel Developer Forum as it looks beyond PCs for growth

Intel decides that PCs are so 1990s

Semiconductor giant Intel has scrapped its Intel Developer Forum and cancelled the event planned for August this year as a result of the continuing slowdown in the PC market and a decline in attendees to the event.

Starting up in 1997 as a modest event in Palm Springs, California, it later shifted to move accessible San Francisco and grew in popularity as the PC market continued to expand.

However, after almost a decade of declining PC sales and the centre of development gravity shifting to mobile, on the one hand, and to the cloud, on the other, Intel has decided to shift focus.

The company's eclipse in mobile has frequently been reflected by the greater attention paid to Apple iPhone launches that have often coincided with the Intel Developer Forum. To avoid the embarrassment, Intel has shifted the event to August in recent years, a move that probably also affected its popularity.

In recent years, veteran attendees complained that the event had been watered down in terms of its technology edge, focusing more and more on devices and ‘cool' gadgets rather than hardcore engineering and PC-based technology.

Instead, Intel will host a series of smaller, but more focused developer events. It will also continue attending the various major events worldwide, such as Mobile World Congress and CES.

"Intel has evolved its event portfolio and decided to retire the IDF programme moving forward," claimed an Intel spokesperson.

They continued: "Intel has a number of resources available on Intel.com, including a resource and design centre with documentation, software, and tools for designers, engineers, and developers. As always, our customers, partners, and developers should reach out to their Intel representative with questions."

In particular, the new events Intel will focus on include the Internet of Things, where it has a growing range of low-power products, 5G communications, and virtual reality.

In addition, recent acquisitions, such as its $15.3bn purchase of Mobileye and its purchase last year of vision specialist Movidius, there will also, no doubt, be events centred on self-driving systems and vehicles, and similar technologies.