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The Intel Communications Fund (ICF) is a $500M equity investment fund that invests in technology companies developing innovative networking and communications solutions. The fund supports development of technologies and companies that are complementary to the Intel® Internet Exchange Architecture, CT Media" software, Intel® Personal Internet Client Architecture and Intel® XScale" Microarchitecture.
The Fund invests in companies developing a broad range of hardware and software building blocks for the Internet economy. The fund will target companies developing basic communications semiconductor components and boards, real-time operation systems, software tools and utilities, protocol stacks, compatible communications applications and advanced hardware systems and building blocks.
In September 1999, Intel announced the Intel Communications Fund and Internet Exchange Architecture (IXA) at the Intel Developers Forum. Intel� IXA provides developers with a comprehensive, flexible framework of interoperable silicon and software building blocks and board-level products that developers can easily program to meet quickly changing requirements and fulfill the demands of the expanding network infrastructure. Intel IXA framework is based on the software programmable Intel® IXP1200 network processor and corresponding APIs along with other key IXA components that help simplify and expedite the product development cycle for next-generation networking and communications products and services.
Also in September 1999 at CT Expo, Intel announced that the fund would make investments in companies developing solutions based on CT Media. Applications based on CT Media give system integrators an opportunity to reach broader markets quickly, by helping them seamlessly combine applications and technologies into robust solution sets, without spending time on writing software to make configurations work.
In December 2000, Intel expanded the charter of the fund to support the company's efforts in the wireless communications and computing markets with an increase in the size of the fund and the addition of new areas of focus: The Intel Personal Internet Client Architecture that creates a framework for development of next-generation Internet applications for wireless devices, and Intel's Xscale" Microarchitecture that represents the high-performance, low power processor architecture developed by Intel for use in a variety of communications and networking systems.
The fund's source of capital is Intel Capital, and the fund is managed entirely by Intel.
Each company that receives an investment from the fund will be eligible for several value-added benefits that may include¹:
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Early access to specifications and product roadmaps |
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Early access to specifications and product roadmaps |
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Ability to discuss new technologies and opportunities supporting the Internet economy with other ICF members |
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Press release identification of investment and membership |
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Web site pointer to portfolio company's homepage |
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Membership and participation in Developer's Forum |
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Access to reference platforms and developer's toolkits |
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Early access to emerging market segment opportunities |
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Compatibility testing of the company's products (where feasible) |
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Possible joint collaboration on future specifications and products |
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Reference selling, where appropriate, of company's products |
1These are examples only, terms and conditions of any investment and related agreements will be specifically governed by the agreements themselves.
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