Now Chip Giant Intel Joins China Investment Trend

Apple, Uber, Google – those are not the only tech giants looking to invest into China. Intel wants to join the party as well, announcing it may invest up to $5.5 billion (£3.56bn) in the coming years to expand its business there.

According to a report by Reuters, Intel wants to expand its manufacturing capacity for non-volatile memory at its Dalian facility in the country.

Non-volatile memory, which has the capability to retain data even if power is turned off. It is typically used for the task of secondary storage, or long-term persistent storage. The most widely used form of primary storage today is a volatile form of random access memory (RAM), meaning that when the computer is shut down, anything contained in RAM is lost.

It is also expected for the Dalian facility to start initial production of the 3D NAND technology. 3D NAND flash, a type of flash memory that stacks memory cells on top of each other, was developed by Intel and Micron Technology in the second half of 2016, the company said.

Intel has been counting on its data centre business to help offset declining demand for chips used in personal computers, its biggest revenue generator.

Recently, Microsoft has expanded its business in China by announcing seven new deals. Microsoft has finalised deals with its cloud partner in Beijing, 21Vianet, and IT company Unisplendour to provide custom hybrid cloud solutions and services to Chinese customers, particularly state-owned enterprises. It also teamed up with state-owned China Electronics Technology Group to support the configuration, deployment and maintenance of localized Windows 10. The localised OS is designed for government institutions and critical infrastructure state-owned enterprises.