Dive Brief:
- Intel has permanently cancelled Intel Developer Forum (IDF), the developer conference its held for the past 20 years, according to an announcement posted on Intel’s website. The cancellation includes this summer’s expected IDF17.
- "Intel has evolved its event portfolio and decided to retire the IDF program moving forward," according to the announcement.
- IDF had been Intel's yearly home to major product announcements. The company referred developers to online resources going forward.
Dive Insight:
The cancellation doesn’t come as a complete surprise. As the PC market cooled over the last few years, IDF attendance has dropped as well. Intel's product roadmap has also changed and lengthened, giving the company less reason to hold a yearly product announcement bonanza.
The cancellation also reflects Intel’s changing focus. Intel is shifting its focus to data centers and newer technologies such as the Internet of Things, automotive and high-performance computing. IDF was all about PCs, but today’s Intel is less about personal computing and more about data.
Meanwhile, the PC market Intel once relied on continues to erode. In recent years, PC shipments have continued to drop, remaining relatively flat across vendors. Vendors in the market that are not already competitive in the enterprise space may struggle to gain a foothold in the market.
