Intel Names New Capital Investment Head

Intel named a new president to lead Intel Capital, its
investment division. The move is part of an executive shuffle at the
company.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based firm said Arvind Sodhani, senior vice
president and currently treasurer at Intel, will become president of
Intel Capital. His replacement as treasurer will be named later.

Sodhani replaces John Miner, vice president and president of Intel
Capital, who is leaving the company on June 1 “to pursue other
interests.”

As the company’s strategic investment arm, Intel Capital has quite a
reach. The Intel Communications Fund supports development of
technologies complementary to Intel’s Internet Exchange Architecture, CT
Media software, Intel Personal Internet Client Architecture and Intel
XScale Microarchitecture. Its scope has been expanded to include
wireless and wireless LANs. In October 2002, the Communications Fund
earmarked $150 million for investment in companies working on Wi-Fi. The
idea was to create a market for the Centrino wireless-enabled laptop
chip, introduced in March 2003.

Last year, Intel started its $200 million Intel Digital Home Fund to
invest in companies developing hardware and software for consumer
entertainment. The fund has invested in companies like BridgeCo, which
designs low-cost chips for digital media adapters that link home
devices; Entropic, which designs chips for home networking over coaxial
cabling; and MusicMatch, which sells software for recording, organizing
and playing music.

The company also supported an Intel 64 Fund to invest in companies
developing products using the company’s Itanium-based servers and
workstations.

Earlier this week, Intel Capital invested an undisclosed sum in E Ink
Corp., which makes electronic paper display technology. The company’s
products are used in electronic book devices, information kiosks and
advertising signage. Future uses for E Ink’s technology include
smartcards, watches, clocks, medical devices, consumer electronics and
mobile phones.

Also leaving Intel is Pam Pollace, vice president and director of
Intel’s corporate communications group. Pollace joined Intel in 1987 as
corporate spokesperson and later directed all of Intel’s worldwide
press relations. The company said she will leave Intel on May 1.

“John Miner and Pam Pollace have been key contributors to Intel’s
success for many years,” Intel CEO Craig Barrett said in a statement.
“John successfully developed key new growth areas for Intel in PC
building blocks, the enterprise back office, and later in communications
products. More recently he has managed our very successful strategic
venture investing program. Pam oversaw our press communications through
major Intel eras and later led corporate marketing in the successful
worldwide launch of Intel Centrino mobile technology.”

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