End of an era?
Widespread reports point to Intel being fined what could be a record amount when the European Commission announces the action it's going to take as a result of its antitrust investigation into the chip giant.
The action is expected to be comprised of a big fine - possibly in excess of a billion dollars - and some kind of restriction on Intel's system of rebates to OEMs and the channel.
Intel, of course, doesn't think it's done anything wrong and is likely to appeal a decision against it. One of the factors that limit the effectiveness of big fines is that the interest on the sum alone is enough to employ an army of lawyers to drag the appeals process out almost indefinitely.
Incidentally, this month is historically significant to Intel as it marks the retirement of its chairman - Craig Barrett - who also served as its CEO between 1998 and 2005.
The combination of these two events may well represent the end of an era at Intel and we can expect to see a shift, however subtle, in its corporate culture in future.
