_Intel chips enjoy a near monopoly in the data-center business, but financial-research firm Bernstein doesn't believe that it will last long.
In a note published on Monday, Bernstein's analyst, Stacy Rasgon, argued that "cracks" are forming around Intel's data-center business, which generated $15 billion in revenue and more than half of Intel's operating income last year. With the decline in the PC market, Intel has made growth in its data-center business a priority in recent years.
"The trends we are noting now, albeit early days, suggest that some cracks to Intel's monopoly position may be forming," Rasgon wrote.
Rasgon noted that it won't be until 2020 when Intel starts to see competitive threats materialize. But he stressed that Intel's data-center business will see real challenges within the next three to four years, suggesting that it would be difficult for the company to reach its projected 15% annual growth._
Going... Going... Gone! ;-)