How do I know this? Let’s look at the PC and server industries as examples: Before 1980, the computer industry was highly proprietary, serving primarily researchers, big companies and hobbyists. This changed a few years later when IBM built the first personal computer using mostly off-the-shelf parts and an outsourced operating system. These early PCs were the base for a standardized approach to computer design that led to faster evolution of technology and 150x growth in two decades.
The data center is similar. After mainframes came microcomputers that enabled some flexibility and cost-effectiveness. But it was the adaptation of PC technology that allowed data centers to evolve quickly to handle the data that came with the internet. IDC reported there were 1.8 zettabytes of data generated in 2011, and the agency estimates we will generate over 40 zettabytes by 2020. Only through standardized solutions have we been able to grow the industry fast enough to keep up.
Which brings me back to autonomous cars. There are plenty of naysayers who think Intel’s experience in enabling rapid scaling cannot be replicated in autonomous driving. At the same time, there are plenty in the automotive industry who don’t understand how open collaboration can enable differentiation and innovation. I understand the skepticism, but from years of experience, I know that technology solves problems best when it’s organized around common platforms and predictable interfaces. Without a doubt, that’s the fastest way forward on our autonomous journey.
As a society, I don’t think we can afford to continue down a proprietary path. The cost in time, money and human lives is too great. The faster we can deliver autonomous driving technology and take humans out of the driver’s seat, the faster we can save lives. It’s that simple – and that important. And I am confident Intel will not only succeed in helping our partners put self-driving cars on the roads, we will do so in the fastest, smartest way possible.
Doug Davis is senior vice president and general manager of the Automated Driving Group (ADG) at Intel Corporation.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170503005982/en/
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