Intel Corporation, often referred to simply as Intel, is a multinational technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Founded in 1968, it is one of the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturers and is credited with pioneering the x86 architecture found in most personal computers. While initially focused on memory chips, Intel shifted its primary business to microprocessors, becoming a dominant force in the PC market for decades. Although facing increasing competition in recent years, Intel continues to be a major player in the design, manufacturing, and sale of computer components, including CPUs, GPUs, chipsets, and other related technologies, serving both business and consumer markets and expanding into new areas like AI, automotive, and IoT.