Intel looks at how computers will transform the globe over the next 40 years with World Mural Project

To mark its 40th anniversary chipmaker Intel Corporation has unveiled the World Mural Project, a digital artwork that captures the vision of young people on how computers will transform the globe over the next 40 years, by looking back in to the past 40 years.

40 years ago today, Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore incorporated a small electronics firm in Mountain View, California. Brilliant men, Noyce and Moore could never have predicted what has happened, how chips have become pervasive in everything from automobiles to telephones to home appliances. And how the technology has opened up the opportunity for people around the world to connect, learn, work, and play.

Since its inception in 1968, Intel has introduced countless examples of technology innovation -- its crowning breakthrough being the introduction of the microprocessor. Commonly referred to as the "brain" of a computer, the microprocessor has led to unimagined advances in entertainment, education and business productivity.

"Intel has a 40-year history of serial technology breakthroughs and innovation," said Intel CEO and president Paul Otellini. "When we introduced the microprocessor no one could have predicted that the market for PCs would be greater than 350 million units a year. Over the next 40 years Intel technology will be at the heart of breakthroughs that solve the big problems of health and environment. For Intel this is just the beginning of its journey."

The World Mural Project, unveiling on the day of the anniversary, is a Web-based digital art piece that includes visual and written contents from the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network - a worldwide after-school community-based technology learning program that enables youth in underserved communities to acquire skills necessary for personal and professional success. Working closely with about 300 Intel volunteers at 70 Clubhouses around the world, more than 500 young people in 21 countries submitted graphic design "tiles" that were incorporated into an overall mural design. The project weaves together the individual submissions into one expansive and exciting digital mural that speaks to the youth's creativity and passion about technology.

The World Mural Project exemplifies how computers can provide youth in underserved communities with powerful tools to express themselves creatively and connect with other communities globally. The project is also one of the volunteer activities that support Otellini's commitment to giving back a million volunteer hours in 2008 in commemoration of Intel's 40th anniversary. Intel employees have a long history volunteering in local schools and communities through the Intel Involved Program and raising matching grants from the Intel Foundation for the organizations they volunteer.

Through this project, youth all around the globe are telling us that they expect computers will continue to change the world in positive ways for the next 40 years and beyond.

"As an industry, we have a responsibility to fulfill these expectations," said Bruce Sewell, senior vice president for corporate social responsibility at Intel. "By providing opportunities for young people in underserved communities to learn technology literacy and problem-solving skills, we hope to secure the next generation of innovators, thought leaders and role models."

Intel engaged renowned digital muralist Favianna Rodriguez to oversee the creative process and provide guidance to the project. Common themes represented in the mural include the trend toward smaller, more mobile computing, green technology that improves our environment, more responsive technology in health care and education, and virtual travel.

Intel researchers are already working on a number of technology areas that are similar with what some of the youth envisioned. The company will continue focusing in new areas where the company believes the application of highly integrated Intel architecture will create a better future for the world, including energy-efficient, affordable mobile Internet devices, high-performance visual computing solutions, and low-cost PCs designed to meet the needs of first-time computer users in emerging markets.

Intel's global presence now spans 60 countries and about 500 offices and facilities, with 80 percent of revenue coming from outside the United States. The Intel family includes approximately 85,000 employees globally who help earn the company top spots on lists such as Fortune's Most Admired Companies, CRO Magazine's 100 Best Corporate Citizens and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.