Intel Mobile and Communications Group exec Mike Bell believes failure is not an option for the company’s upcoming Medfield mobile chip.

Medfield is Intel’s first proper SoC and it is designed to take on ARM chips in the tablet and smartphone arena. Clearly it has a tough job ahead of it and Intel’s future mobile strategy depends on the success, or failure, of the new chip.

Although the first products based on Medfield are still months away, Bell reckons the new chip should be quite competitive successful. Intel CEO Paul Otellini recently announced that the first products should appear in the first half of 2012.

"Based on our own internal research, we think Medfield is going to be very competitive in the time frame that it ships against anything in the market," said Bell. "We already have the next three generations on the drawing board and in process.”

Intel is sticking with the tried and tested 32nm process for the first generation Medfield, but next gen chips, scheduled for late 2012, will be manufactured in 22nm.

It seems Intel is finally taking the mobile market seriously. A couple of weeks back the outfit thoroughly reshuffled its mobile business and Bell emerged as one of the leading lights. Otellini has reportedly given Bell and his team access to all resources and assets they could need to complete the Medfield project. Bell has quite a bit of experience in the field, as he homed his skills at Apple and Palm.

More here.