The latest buzz of the big companies' attention to the Romanian market is completed by the today's news of Intel being interested in exploring the local market potential. Intel says it will not make a greenfield investment, they're rather interested in spotting new technologies or smart start-ups. Actually they have a clear strategy, they are aware of the potential and consequently they screen the market through their venture-capital arm, Intel Capital, which is increasingly being used to seed outfits that help create a cottage industry around a new Intel product.

You can also read in Business Week more about Intel's future plans and strategies, in the context of Craig Barrett (one of the two founders) handing over his CEO position to Paul Otellini in 2005. Short reminder, Craig Barrett and Andy Grove are Intel's founders and the same persons who decided back in 1984 to quit the then-profitable RAM production facing the Japanese cost efficiency threat and venturing into the chip industry. That move is a case study in any strategy class. Also, Andy Grove is the one deciding on segmenting the chip market after being said to have called prof. Clayton Christensen from HBS in the middle of the night for more comments from his book (The Innovator's Dilemma). And this is how Celeron was given birth. Presently Andy Grove is Intel's chairman.