Intel developing tool to run iPhone apps on its Atom-chips

Intel's move to primarily target iPhone apps is to leverage on the popularity of Apple apps, as the number and quality of apps are deciding the success of a device and OS. Intel is attempting to create an ecosystem of developers and devices around its microchip.

Doug Fisher, vice president of Intel's Software and Services group and general manager of its Systems Software division, in an interview with IDG said: "We'll get [applications on] AppUp, then Meego and I imagine Windows. It's basically taking the existing applications, finding the ones that are most relevant to end users, and ensuring they get pulled over."

Follow us

Intel is a late comer in the smartphone and tablet arena. It recently bought German microchip maker Infineon's wireless solution business for $1.4 billion to boost its presence in the smartphone segment. Infineon makes baseband chips for  iPhone.

Intel also launched its own app store AppUp Center and thus can use iPhone apps to add a stack of quality apps in its store. Intel is also mooting support for MeeGo OS that it has developed in partnership with Nokia.

Apple applies stringent measures to select an app for its store and thus only quality apps find their way to App Store. Thus App Store acts as a benchmark for other apps. Android is not able to garner such a quality because of a lack of oversight in the market. However, what goes unnoticed is the fact that Apple also provides a sleek revenue-model to developers and a platform for marketing their apps which is not availed by Android and other platforms.

Thus merely targeting Apple apps is not the key as much as creating a revenue-model and a platform for marketing the apps that developers are after. However, Intel is in the right direction as far as creating an ecosystem goes but whether it can provide a viable revenue-model to developers needs to be seen.