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Protect IP? From whom?

Embedded Software Engineer
Former Employee
Worked at Intel for 4 years
February 17, 2016
Folsom, California
2.0
Doesn't RecommendNeutral Outlook
Pros

Job security, if you can join the team dealing with IP. A good company for retirement.

Cons

IP protection - This is the root of all other problems. Competitors are not interested in Intel's IP. They already have what Intel has, and even more. IP protection in Intel, now, is used as job security and is the main reason for lagging all projects. Although people dealing with IP cannot support all ongoing projects (begging support from them), they don't open information enough for other people who can handle issues by themselves. They keep saying, "This is Intel IP, it should be protected" (to other Intel employees). Intel should be able to distinguish things that have to be protected and things that have to be shared.

Politics - The long history of the company created too many chopped tasks, and each task has its owner. Now, even a small request for a tiny thing is not easy. IP protection adds even more political activities here. You can easily find people dealing with their phones all day.

Cannot fix the problem - The problems above were created for a long time by people who worked for Intel. They are now the owners of IP or management.

Not good for NCG - It is difficult to get the big picture because you will work on small things, and there is not enough information sharing.

Advice to Management

There are some parts that Intel is still leading in, and they should be handled as TOP secret.

Intel has too many IPs protected, even from employees. However, competitors are not interested since they have their own good solutions.

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