Ancheta Comisiei Europene a stabilit ca Intel este vinovata de doua tipuri de practici ilegale. Prima se refera la faptul ca Intel a acordat discounturi ascunse totale sau partiale catre producatorii de computere cu conditia ca acestia sa cumpere toate sau aproape toate cipurile x86, produse de Intel. Ancheta a mai stabilit ca Intel ar fi mituit un mare retailer pentru ca acesta sa vanda numai computere cu cipuri x86 ale Intel.
A doua practica sanctionata este aceea ca Intel ar fi mituit producatorii de computere pentru a stopa sau intarzia lansarea anumitor computere cu cipuri x86 apartinand concurentei si a limita canalele de vanzare pentru aceste produse.
Comisia Europeana a decis ca aceste practici reprezinta abuz de pozitie dominanta din partea Intel si a anuntat ca va monitoriza atent daca Intel se conformeaza masurilor anuntate. Piata mondiala de cipuri x86 valoreaza in prezent circa 22 miliarde euro (30 miliarde dolari) anual, Europa reprezentand aproximativ 30% din veniturile acestei industrii.
Producatorii de computere acuzati ca ar fi fost mituiti de Intel sunt: Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo si NEC, iar retailerul este holdingul Media Saturn, detinator al lantului de magazine MediaMarkt.
Aceasta este cea mai mare amenda aplicata pana in prezent de catre Comisia Europeana unei companii pentru abuz de pozitie dominanta, mai mult decat dubla decat amenda de 497 milioane euro aplicata Microsoft in 2004.
Veniturile Intel la nivel mondial au depasit 27,9 miliarde euro in 2007. Valoarea amenzii in astfel de cazuri este stabilita in functie de durata si gravitatea ilegalitatii comise. Conform normelor europene, amenda a fost calculata pe baza valorii vanzarilor de cipuri x86 ale Intel in zona economica europeana, durata incalcarii normelor concurentiale de catre Intel, potrivit deciziei Comisiei Europene, fiind de cinci ani si trei luni.
Investigatia Bruxelles-ului a pornit ca urmare a plangerilor facute de AMD in 2000, 2003 si 2006 (ultima plangere fiind trimisa catre autoritatea de reglementare in telecomunicatii din Germania si examinata ulterior de Comisia Europeana).
UPDATE: Reactia Intel: Verdictul este incorect, practicile noastre nu contravin legislatiei, Intel nu vinde niciodata produse la preturi necompetitive
“Consideram ca decizia luata nu e conforma cu realitatea. Suntem de parere ca verdictul este incorect si ignora realitatile unei piete extrem de competitive a microprocesoarelor - caracterizata prin inovatii continue, performante imbunatatite ale produselor si preturi mai mici. Consumatorii nu au fost afectati in absolut niciun fel. Intel va face recurs.”
„Nu suntem de parere ca practicile noastre au contravenit legislatiei europene. Rezultatul firesc al unei piete competitive cu doar doi furnizori majori este ca atunci cand unul vinde mai mult, celalalt vinde mai putin. Directoratul General pentru Competitie a ignorat sau a refuzat sa obtina dovezi semnificative, ce contrazic decizia luata. Consideram ca aceste dovezi arata ca atunci cand companiile au activitati bune, piata le recompenseaza, iar cand acest lucru nu se intampla, piata reactioneaza in consecinta.”
„Intel nu vinde niciodata produse la preturi necompetitive. In schimb, am investit consistent in inovatie, in modul de fabricare a produselor si in dezvoltarea tehnologiilor de top. Rezultatul este ca putem sa facem discount produselor noastre pentru a fi competitivi pe o piata foarte activa, transmitand consumatorilor din toata lumea care sunt beneficiile de a fi numarul unu mondial in ceea ce priveste volumul microprocesoarelor produse.”
„In pofida faptului ca ne sustinem puternic punctul de vedere, pe toata durata recursului planuim sa colaboram cu Comisia pentru a ne asigura ca suntem in conformitate cu decizia ei. Insa in cele din urma, nu trebuie sa existe niciun dubiu: Intel va continua sa investeasca in produse si tehnologii care ofera Europei si restului lumii cele mai performante procesoare din industrie la preturi mai mici.”
The EU had invested in AMD quite a bit and they lost. In the 1960-1980 they were after IBM. Basically they have never lead this kind of business.
Now they want to use their crooked laws to expropriate American wealth. The US government needs to protect our interests. Anything that Intel is supposed to have done pales what the European gun peddlers do with bribes. Not to mention Siemens who did outright bribes via secret bank accounts in Switzerland.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/404568ba-3fa1-11de-9ced-00144feabdc0.html
It is one of the biggest fines to be levied by Brussels, and tops the penalties given to Microsoft, which in total exceeded €1bn, and the €896m fine last year against glass maker Saint-Gobain for price-fixing.
However, it is short of the maximum fine the European Commission could have levied. Fines can be set at up to 10 per cent of a company’s annual global turnover. Given that Intel made $37.6bn in 2008, the penalty could have been close to $4bn.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 13, 2009 – Paul Otellini, Intel Corporation president and CEO today issued the following statement regarding the European Commission decision on Intel's business practices:
"Intel takes strong exception to this decision. We believe the decision is wrong and ignores the reality of a highly competitive microprocessor marketplace – characterized by constant innovation, improved product performance and lower prices. There has been absolutely zero harm to consumers. Intel will appeal."
"We do not believe our practices violated European law. The natural result of a competitive market with only two major suppliers is that when one company wins sales, the other does not. The Directorate General for Competition of the Commission ignored or refused to obtain significant evidence that contradicts the assertions in this decision. We believe this evidence shows that when companies perform well the market rewards them, when they don't perform the market acts accordingly."
"Intel never sells products below cost. We have however, consistently invested in innovation, in manufacturing and in developing leadership technology. The result is that we can discount our products to compete in a highly competitive marketplace, passing along to consumers everywhere the efficiencies of being the world's leading volume manufacturer of microprocessors."
"Despite our strongly held views, as we go through the appeals process we plan to work with the Commission to ensure we're in compliance with their decision. Finally, there should be no doubt whatsoever that Intel will continue to invest in the products and technologies that provide Europe and the rest of the world the industry's best performing processors at lower prices."
More information about Intel and "Competition in the Innovation Economy" is available at www.intel.com/pressroom/legal.
The EU should have ordered them to mark any product containing Intel chips with a yellow ribbon and the slogan:
Guilty Inside!
However, it is short of the maximum fine the European Commission could have levied. Fines can be set at up to 10 per cent of a company’s annual global turnover. Given that Intel made $37.6bn in 2008, the penalty could have been close to $4bn.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/404568ba-3fa1-11de-9ced-00144feabdc0.html
Ooooo ce mai scuturare de scame de pe umerii Intelului... ca nici branza n-a mancat nici gura nu-i miroase. Si ce abureala penibila... de unde ai luat tampeniile astea?? Aproape tot ce ai scris e fals. Macar daca Intel vrea sa isi repareze onoarea sa vina cu scuze nu cu povesti de adormit copiii.
AMD e tot o firma americana, EU nu a "investit" in AMD, Intel nu ar fi facut mare lucru daca nu licentia catre AMD tehnologia x86, IBM a fost cercetat pt practici monopoliste de statul american, si e normal ca AMD sa investeasca mai putin in fabrici si cercetare cand Intel a avut intotdeuna 70-80% din piata. Iar Siemens a platit destul de scump pentru ce a facut.
Si sa nu uit: mie mi se rupe fix in cot de interesele meschine ale americanilor. Mi se pare un tupeu nemasurat ca in momentul de fata americanii sa isi aroge in vreun fel vreo forma de superioritate morala (sa nu uitam ca si-au "aparat interesele" inclusiv prin oficializarea torturii).
Mai lasa-ne. Daca Intelul a facut magarii trebuie sa plateasca. Bine le-au facut!
It's because of dumb Americans that EU is now taking the lead on antitrust, something Teddy had popularized.
"Price protection" as it is called isn't available if you sell AMD.
That IMHO is called market abuse... it has F* all to do with the nationality of the company...
But if you weren't allowed the option to chose Intel over AMD because AMD bribed the retailers, would that be ok? I don't imply that AMD is better then Intel anyway, but why not give the option for a cheaper, much more accessible alternative?
Hope this will make them more competitive.
Go AMD go!
The end result will be that the EU will spend this money on some lame social program and EU customers will have to pay more for computer technology.
Intel did nothing wrong by offering volume discounts, all companies do this. Its not Intel's job to keep AMD up and running, if AMD doesn't have a product that can compete then they should fail.
I'm sure the German Abu Dabi fabbed AMD chips are better than the American fabbed ones because of this....NOT!
AMD motto...fatter, slower and hotter... *rolls eyes*
As for the future, Intel is currently in the lead again. The new Nehalem chips are ramping up nicely and AMD's new platform under performs compared to it.
Do I want Intel to be the only one around? Nope, sure don't. Without at least two good companies struggling for market share, the CPU sector would start to stagnate. However, once one company feels it has a comfortable advantage it will begin delaying its new tech. This serves two purposes...you can continue charging a premium for your better products while build cost continue to fall. Second, once your competitor releases their new tech...you already have something better waiting in the wings and are off to the next thing.
I guess where Intel needs to be careful is to not kill AMD.
Buna idee, poate ma duc acasa si fac un robot web anti basescu :))))))))))
caut pe google toate posturile cu basescu si bag texte prestabilite pe baza unei analize minimale a textului postat.
PSD si PNL cat platiti pe asa un program? Astept oferte de pret :)))))))
Am niste colegi tantalai care vorbesc cu mine in engleza chiar daca suntem amandoi romani si discutia se poarta in particular...
Eu tot la Microsoft lucrez...
Mare e gradina Romaniei iar unii au sarit oceanul :)))))))