My failed attempt to save DEC Alpha. Two years later Intel and HP joined forces to create Itanium.

1. s an arttt ?4-JVL-L992 L5147: 02 - 30
io, I{EI{IT::PALMER,HUMAN::SUPNIK,USBCS::DEMMER,SAM,DON,SSVAX::CHRIST
CC: DILEEP
subj: A radical proposal to make Alpha ubiquitous
Subject: A radical proposal for making ALPHA ubiquitous
Alpha is a najor strategic architecture for pigltal. We are betting the
goir,pury," future on aipha. we want Alpha to be adopted as an. industry
st.andard RISC architectule. Inspite of our best efforts over the past
y".r, w€ have not been able to_iign up a semiconductor partner 9{ ggt a
fiigf, volume system vendor for.AJ,phi.- . semiconduetor Partners would have
to- compete iritfr us as chip iuppfiers, and they_don't see any-volume
users clmmitted to the architelturl. without an independent suppLier of
chips, system manufacturers are not like1y to commit to elnha. Even IBM
had-to s6t up lvlotorola as a supplier b9f-o1e App1e accepted th9 PowerPC.
irips and 'sparc chips a?i available dLrectly from traditional
semiconductor Lo*panies,-even though the design may be done by the uips
or Sun.
I would like to propose a radical approach to make Alpha -f!P . premier
64-bit architeclur6 for the computer industry. We need Alpha to be
adopted by a premier semiconductor Lompany. - rntel is the most eredible
mic?oproc-esso? manuf acturer.. I propose that we aggf essiyely _pursue a
iiiutigic alliance with Intel that ireites a win-win situation for both
"o*puri"".
Intel currently perceives Alpha as a threat. I wouLd
propose the following:
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ldlilgliltlalll+---+-*-+---+---+---+---+---+
To: Bob Palmer
cc: Charlie Christ
Sam FuIler
Don Gaubatz
Bob Supnik
BilI Demmer
Interof f ice Memorandum
Date z 24 July L992
From: Dileep Bhandarkar
Dept: RISC Systems
Ext: 223-32L3
Loc: YLLOS-?/G0L
ENET: WRKSYS : :BHANDARKAR
for executing 486 code for
1. We grant Intet a non-exclusive license to the Alpha
architecture and transfer the current EV-4 design to Intel.
2. we agree on a transition plan over the nqx! yeqr where we wind
down-the in-house production of EV-4, and buy from Intel.
3. Intel would sell EV-4 on the open market with some royalties
per chip back to us.
4. We design EV-5 etc to Intel's
manufactures and sells chiPs.
process technology and InteI
5. We encourage Intel to design and make other lower cost chips as
the market demand warrants.
O. Int.el makes AIpha thei r 64-bit architecture. With device
densities and -
speeds going up, we can even design a chip that
has hardware
compatibi I i ty.
dedi cated
**** ni ni {.rl Errrri nmanl. Cnrrt6rat i on TNTF:RNAT, IISE ONLY

2. Digital Equipment Corporation INTERNAL USE ONLY **** Page 2
rf we can pull t.his off , we can make Alpha the preferred -64-bitarchitectuie, and get many PC vendors to adopt it for NT. We need to do
this soon while NT is still in an early stage of acceptance, Without
such a bold move, ! would expect MIPS to establish itsel-f as the
preferred BISC architecture for wT. Obviously, if we proceed with such
a relationship with Inte1, it would drastically affect our semiconductor
plans. I presume that we do not have aspirations to be in the
iemiconductor business per s€r except to the extent needed to build
leadership systems. We may have to readjust our semiconductor plans in
order to-achieve our greater goal of making Alpha ubiquitous. Aligning
with rnteL would still give us access to world class semieonductor
technology.