Craig Barrett, Intel

What it means: Barrett believes companies can't save their way out of a recession. Instead, they have to invest in innovative products and technologies. That's why the company plans to continue investing in R&D and manufacturing, designing tailored computing platforms and leading in networking and integrated communications. There are three key principles to the strategy: One, that the creation of great new products will lead the recovery; two, that strategic spending is even more important during a downturn; and three, that Intel has to improve its internal execution.

VARBusiness' View: Coming off one of the worst years financially for Intel and the semiconductor industry as a whole, Barrett has been hard-pressed to put a positive spin on things. Barrett has said he believes the convergence between computing and communications will ultimately lower the cost of operating in the telecom space and give operators and manufacturers new opportunities for profitability and growth. And he thinks "technology breakaways" will fuel much of that growth as companies bring completely new capabilities to the market. Although it looks like Intel's message is gaining traction in the channel, the economic downturn, the slow PC market, the glut in telecom and networking equipment and PCs,as well as increased competition from rival AMD,is turning Intel's plight into an increasingly uphill battle.

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