Technology firms like Cisco and GE have created a special division to focus on the internet of things and Intel is following in their footsteps. The new IoT Solutions Group combines the Intelligent Systems Group and Wind River acquisition, and will be headed up by Doug Davis.

The Intelligent Systems Group (embedded) previously reported to Diane Bryant in the Data Center Group while the Wind River group that previously reported into Doug Fisher in the Software and Services Group. However, now the internet of things group will be elevated to the same level as the data center and software and services groups. Intel has been in the embedded market for three decades, but clearly it’s signaling that it now expects a lot more from this type of computing.

It even launched a new series of chips aimed at the market dubbed Quark. After the launch of Quark and an IoT platform in October, I spoke with Ton Steenman, who is the VP and GM of Intel’s Intelligent Systems Group, about the company’s plans.

In that interview Steenman explained that Intel is a big believer in openness and working with partners, and it’s well aware that most people will be trying at first to connect their existing products and analyze data from them. Steenman told me that 85 percent of the information companies want to use is already coming in via a legacy infrastructure. You can listen that podcast here:

Via Gigaom