💾 Archived View for gmi.noulin.net › mobileNews › 987.gmi captured on 2021-12-05 at 23:47:19. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Chipmaker Intel is closing five plants in the US and Asia, with the loss of
between 5,000 and 6,000 jobs, as it responds to falling computer sales.
The facilities to close are its factory in Santa Clara, California - its last
in Silicon Valley - and sister sites in Oregon, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Intel said the two US factories were based on older microchip technology.
The announcement comes a week after Intel reported a 90% fall in profits for
the last three months of 2008.
Intel's profit for the quarter totalled $234m ( 160m), down from $2.3bn a year
earlier.
In addition to falling computer sales, the firm said it was being affected by
the growth in popularity of super-small laptops, known as "netbooks", as they
use lower profit margin smaller and slower chips.
'Good step'
Intel said the decision to close the five plants - including two sites in
Malaysia - would not affect continuing investment in its more modern
manufacturing facilities.
"The market will welcome these actions - this is absolutely a good step," said
Doug Freedman, a computer analyst with Broadpoint Amtech.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, one of Intel's smaller rivals, also
announced on Thursday that it was being hit by the global fall in demand for
computer products.
It reported a 64% fall in quarterly profits.