Reinventing the Millennium - Chapter 1411
c1408 Wave
Fang Zhuo and Brian fully exchanged opinions on the 23rd floor of Yike, enhancing mutual understanding, but each of them reserved their own attitudes.
When he put the plan from Intel on the general office meeting, the online and offline meetings suddenly exploded, the office immediately became noisy, and the executives in Europe and the United States also exploded in the speakers.
Yu Hong was quick to ban the speaking rights on Online first, and then asked everyone to calm down and finally express their own views.
“This is not an equal transaction. We can’t give up the initiative.”
Fang Zhuo looked at Yu Hong with appreciation and nodded: “Indeed, Intel’s wafer manufacturing has a good meaning for stabilizing our industrial chain, but even if we reach a cooperation with Intel, we still can’t solve our biggest problem.”
Yike’s biggest problem is the uncertainty of the global market, not the competitiveness of its products.
At least in the next two years, the competitiveness of Yike’s products is not a problem, but the uncertainty of the global market in these two years will rise.
Even if Yike and Intel reach a cooperation, BIS will not disobey the order.
Yike is indeed different from Bingxin in terms of sensitivity in the industry. It is just a technology company that mainly deals in consumer electronics. However, it is easy to find administrative reasons. Any “user data risk” or “communication data security” can promote relevant measures.
In particular, the next two years also include the factor that Aozi will end his term.
Considering all aspects, even if Intel breaks the convention, its cooperation is not cost-effective.
Of course, this is Fang Zhuo’s perspective, and for the general office members attending the meeting, Intel’s request for WLS and Yike Optoelectronics is even more nakedly taking advantage of the situation.
WLS’s baseband chips and Yike Optoelectronics’ image sensors are both Yike’s extremely high-quality businesses. The company has been considering merging these two subsidiaries in the past two years, or, with Morningstar Semiconductor, the three-in-one can launch a competitive “small Qualcomm”.
In fact, because of Yike Optoelectronics, such a “small Qualcomm” is healthier.
Leading baseband, good mobile phone chips, excellent image sensors, such a future is very imaginative, and if a medicine called “Zhu Rong” is added, its upper limit will be raised.
Qi He previously proposed the external release of the “Zhurong” chip at the general office meeting, and the external form does not exclude the possibility of placing it in a subsidiary in a disguised way that everyone knows.
In this way, Yike not only retains Zhurong, but also has products that test the high-end mobile phone chip market.
There are many discussions and debates within the company, but there is no idea of selling them.
Having said that, Intel’s vision is also very accurate. This time, it wants to buy very promising businesses.
“Intel is still wary of Bingxin’s 16nm, especially AMD announced the cooperation and obtained a temporary license. Our business cannot be sold, but if we can get Intel’s foundry, it will indeed be a good supplement for us in the medium and short term.” Yike’s US President Schroeder spoke on the microphone and expressed his meaning in a tactful way.
Not only a supplement, Yike’s stock price has already reflected everyone’s expectations.
Yike’s internal judgment on the global market is now pessimistic, but most investors still expect Yike to solve the problem of Bingxin and complete a clean cut and turn.
At this moment, Intel, the only company in the world with better process technology, released real news, and Yike’s stock price rebounded immediately.
Liu Qiangdong observed his boss’s expression and saw that he was not unhappy, so he also said: “The cooperation between Bingxin and AMD has just begun. The term of the temporary license is only 90 days, and it may not last long.”
Logically, it should be like this.
So, after knowing the news, he felt it was strange that AMD still applied for a temporary license. AMD was a bit against the trend.
Qi He also agreed: “As long as the communication with Intel can reduce the conditions to only this one, oh, and add new models equipped with its chips, this will be a more appropriate cooperation. Intel acquired Broadcom and adjusted its mobile strategy. It also needs to continue to open up the mobile market.”
Fang Zhuo nodded and said concisely: “AMD is Bingxin’s partner, I can’t do anything to abandon it.”
Everyone in the conference room was stunned. Liu Qiangdong, who had just spoken, and Qi He looked at each other unconsciously. Good, good, good, good, good, Mr. Fang is really… a good person!
The boss’s reason is really impressive.
The meeting room was quiet for a while. After all, this was Bingxin’s business. Mr. Fang refused so straightforwardly. Who knows what was going on here?
“I will talk to Brian again. In fact, I am looking forward to the impact that AMD will have on Intel after using Bingxin’s process.” Fang Zhuo said, “Intel’s IDM has been very successful in the past, but it also has a vicious cycle. Once there is a problem with the research and development of advanced processes, it will hinder design innovation, and backward design will make the market and benefits lag behind, continue to drag down the company’s investment, and finally make it more difficult to achieve advanced processes.”
Yu Hong suddenly said: “Intel’s return to the mobile strategy is indeed a good opportunity for AMD. The gap between the process levels of the two companies is too large. If AMD can continue to obtain licenses and truly launch a product with a good reputation, Intel is likely to be attacked from both sides.”
Since Qualcomm acquired Avago, Intel, which acquired Broadcom, has been a heavy opponent that has made it frown. On the contrary, Intel’s mobile strategy also needs to face the new Qualcomm.
Neither of these two companies can be easily suppressed.
If AMD can launch an effective attack at this time, Intel will be in a lot of trouble.
Perhaps realizing this, or perhaps out of habit of suppressing his opponents, Brian came with conditions related to AMD this time.
As Mr. Fang and Mr. Yu chatted about Intel’s model and current situation, the discussion in the general office conference room also deviated from the topic. Everyone was interested in analyzing the competition in different markets.
When they had lunch the next day, Fang Zhuo communicated with Brian again and mentioned the views that were almost unanimous at the meeting.
“Intel needs bigger changes. The subsequent process research and development is costing more and more. You need to adjust your strategy appropriately. Since you want to sell mobile phone chips, the design and manufacturing departments must at least be divested to a certain extent. The latter must be done. A more flexible foundry model.”
“Instead of what you are telling me now, you think Yike can only accept Intel’s proud foundry conditions.”
Fang Zhuo’s words were a little rude.
Brian was not angry, only laughed a little: “Mr. Fang, Mr. Fang, from your tone, Intel looks like the company in trouble. Is Intel arrogant, or is Mr. Fang arrogant?”
“In today’s mobile phone chip market, who do you think can provide a large number of orders to Intel?” Fang Zhuo said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Intel. Otherwise, I would never have been able to take out Yike’s order from Bingxin.”
Brian smiled, obviously out of necessity.
“AMD has given up its entanglement with GlobalFoundries. Even if it does not cooperate with Ice Core, it will look for more advanced processes. Whether Samsung or Taichi, they may be able to help it.” Fang Zhuo pointed out this point and gave an example. He persuaded, “What is now before Intel is a choice, a choice that you have made wrong.”
Brian listened to the rest of the story indifferently.
“As far as I know, Intel was originally approached by Intel for mobile phone chips for the iPhone, and it was Steve Jobs who went to Otellini himself, hoping that Intel could manufacture chips for Apple, but you rejected this uneconomical deal because of the low order price and limited quantity. Fang Zhuo shook his head slightly, “The opportunity that Otellini once missed is now in front of you. Brian, you have to cherish it.”
Otellini is the former head of Intel. Brian took over his position and worked with him for a long time, so he knew about this incident.
As head of the company from 2005 to 2012, one of the things that was often mentioned during Otellini’s tenure was Intel’s inability to cope with the mobile era.
Looking back now, if Intel had taken the iPhone order at that time, the situation might have been completely different.
However, Otellini’s decision is like a microcosm of his entire mobile strategy.
Fang Zhuo poured Brian a glass of red wine with his own hands and said seriously: “Otellini said no to Jobs back then. I hope you can think carefully about it. This is not Yike begging Intel, nor is Intel begging Yike. These are just two companies.” The best opportunity for companies to meet challenges together.”
Brian met Mr. Fang’s eyes and his mind was really shaken. It was really hard to say the word “no”.
After struggling for the past few days, I finally realized that my current energy is not enough to deal with the difficult completion of the book. I will take annual leave tomorrow until Sunday to work hard to achieve miracles and rebound.
I recommend this book again, if you are interested, you can read it.