Recently, word leaked out that Intel (INTC) is evaluating whether to launch a new online television service that competes
with cable. It will be a bold move for the chipmaker, which has developed a strong brand in the minds of the consumer, thanks to the long-running Intel Inside campaign.
Such a radical shift into the world of Internet television requires Intel to develop a completely new business model, in which it creates a service it sells directly to consumers. Developing a new business model inside a large company is the triple flip with a half-twist of management challenges. Intel has never successfully designed or sold anything directly to the consumer. In fact, it’s bombed on several occasions. Remember Intel Online Services, the company’s failed attempt to shift into the Web-hosting business?
The television business is ripe for reinvention. Despite the emergence of Netflix (NFLX), Tivo (TIVO), Hulu, and numerous other small startups, over half of Americans still put up with big cable (a number that exceeds 70% if you include satellite television) despite cable’s 1990s-era user experience and 1980s-era customer service. None of the newer digital companies has nailed the mass market consumer experience.
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Alasdair Trotter is a Principal with Innosight.