Intel says IoT boss Doug Davis is retiring, while Bloomberg reports that mobile boss Aicha Evans has resigned.

Dan Jones, Mobile Editor

April 5, 2016

2 Min Read
Intel's IoT & 5G Bosses Leaving

The head of Intel's IoT unit is retiring, while the mobile phone boss is reportedly resigning after less than a year in the position, as shake-ups continue at the chipmaker.

Doug Davis, who leads Intel's Internet of Things group, is intending to retire at the end of 2016. Intel announced in a letter that Davis will stay on until a successor is found.

Becoming the chip provider to the millions of new networked devices -- from fridges to water sensors -- that make up the Internet of Things is a key piece of Intel's ongoing strategy. In fact, the company was playing up the concept that there would be 50 billion connected "Things" online by 2020 in a presentation at Mobile World Congress (MWC) this February.

Bloomberg is also reporting that the wireless group head, Aicha Evans, is leaving after less than a year of trying to improve Intel's fortunes in the mobile space. The news agency is citing sources familiar with the matter, who say the departure hasn't been made public yet. Evans's LinkedIn profile still currently shows her at Intel, a company she has worked at for ten years. (See IEEE to Host Women in Engineering Leadership Conference .)

Intel is facing a crucial inflection point in mobile, trying to get into popular smartphone builds while preparing for 5G as that begins to arrive in 2020. The company has cited its work in milimeter wave (mmWave) as a foundation for its 5G R&D. (See Cisco, Ericsson, Intel, Verizon Building 5G Router.)

Intel's new "Puma" chip has been rumored as a possible silicon contender for the Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) iPhone 7. Otherwise, the chipmaker has mostly been scoring tablet wins in the lower space, which shift a lot less volume than a popular smartphone. (See Is Intel Auditioning for the iPhone 7?)

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading

About the Author(s)

Dan Jones

Mobile Editor

Dan is to hats what Will.I.Am is to ridiculous eyewear. Fedora, trilby, tam-o-shanter -- all have graced the Jones pate during his career as the go-to purveyor of mobile essentials.

But hey, Dan is so much more than 4G maps and state-of-the-art headgear. Before joining the Light Reading team in 2002 he was an award-winning cult hit on Broadway (with four 'Toni' awards, two 'Emma' gongs and a 'Brian' to his name) with his one-man show, "Dan Sings the Show Tunes."

His perfectly crafted blogs, falling under the "Jonestown" banner, have been compared to the works of Chekhov. But only by Dan.

He lives in Brooklyn with cats.

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