Intel to target enterprise customers with Atom processor powered tablets

Intel Corp has teamed up with device makers such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Hewlett Packard Co to showcase tablets powered by its new Atom processor, the chip with which it hopes to break into the crowded market.

The company initially dismissed threats from tablets, including Apple Inc's iPad, but now hopes the combination of a low power consuming processor with touch friendly Microsoft Corp Windows 8 software would appeal to enterprise customers looking to deploy tablets, but keep PC-based software and hardware.

According to the world's largest chipmaker, the Atom Z2760 - formerly code named Clover Trail was tailored to work with the latest version of Microsoft's operating system, due in late October. Tablets that used both the Atom and Widows 8 would be able to run widely used software such as Word and Excel, while connecting to peripherals such as printers.

The chip is also expected to enhance battery life, enabling tablets to run 10-plus hours of streaming high- definition video, according to Intel applications processor division chief Eric Reid.

Targeting corporations and government agencies allow the first wave of Intel-powered tablets and tablet-laptop hybrids skirt the consumer war that Google Inc and Amazon.com Inc are now engaged in.

Dell Inc, Acer Inc, Asustek Computer Inc and ZTE Corp were also among the half-a-dozen PC makers that displayed their upcoming tablets, some of which sported a detachable keyboard or stylus designed for supporting free-form drawing and writing.