Intel must have high hopes for its burgeoning graphics department. CEO Pat Gelsinger is dedicating a newly-formed group, a subdivision of Intel's business, entirely to graphics and performance computing, led by none other than Xe-lead and architectural whizz Raja Koduri.
Koduri will take on responsibility for increasing "the company's focus in the key growth areas of high performance computing and graphics," which is boring corporate speak for develop technologies and chips for supercomputers and graphics cards. Intel has tasked the Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics Group, or AXG, with producing graphics chips for both integrated and discrete markets, and that includes client chips for the likes of you or me.
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Hopefully that means Intel Xe won't be a flash in the pan experiment. Perhaps even that Intel is taking graphics a little more seriously than it has in the past—it at least it looks that way.
Koduri's previous position had been chief architect and GM of Architecture, Graphics, and Software, which was a rather vague and all-encompassing title, it must be said.
Koduri's new role and the creation of the AXG are not the only major changes, however. Like I say, Gelsinger has engineers in new spots across the company.
Sandra Rivera will become senior VP and GM of the new Datacenter and AI Group, spun out of the defunct Data Platform Group (DPG), and Nick McKeown will join Intel to fill the same role over at the newly-formed Network and Edge Group.
Greg Lavender will take over as chief technology officer (CTO) and senior VP and GM of the new Software and Advanced Technology Group. Not only will Lavender be in charge of all things software, his role as CTO will see him take charge of Intel Labs. So here's hoping there's some interesting new stuff out of there for us enthusiast lot under the new leadership.
"Since rejoining Intel, I have been impressed with the depth of talent and incredible innovation throughout the company," Gelsinger says in a press release, "but we must move faster to fulfill our ambitions. By putting Sandra, Raja, Nick and Greg—with their decades of technology expertise—at the forefront of some of our most essential work, we will sharpen our focus and execution, accelerate innovation, and unleash the deep well of talent across the company."
The shake-up will sadly see Navin Shenoy, GM of the DPG, depart the company after 26 years.
We had expected sweeping changes with Gelsinger's appointment, so news of changes to the company's structure don't come as a huge surprise. An Intel veteran and coveted engineer, Gelsinger could well be the person to kick Intel back into shape. That all starts with changes to the structure of the company, though, and it seems Intel is doubling down on graphics, AI, and software to get where it needs to be: competing with AMD, Nvidia, Arm, and more.
