JUNE 4, 2009 • Intel Corp. wants to get more of its processors into consumer electronics and mobile devices.   To this end, Intel acquired Alameda, Calif.-based Wind River for $884 million. Wind River manufactures embedded chips for customers such as Boeing and Sony Electronics. Intel expects such processors to generate billions of dollars annually in coming years.

Impact:  Intel is already a big player in the push to get OS-on-a-chip processors into internet-capable TVs. But the market for connected electronic devices of all kinds is potentially huge, and Intel seems intent on putting itself in a dominant position in market share similar to what  the company enjoys in PC processors. But as more devices get connected, the lackluster performance of U.S. broadband providers compared to other developed countries will only get more pronounced.