Chip shortage draws Microsoft, Intel, TSMC and co. to virtual White House meeting

Microsoft logo at Ignite
Microsoft logo at Ignite (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • The global chip shortage has strained many industries' technology supply chains for much of the past two years.
  • The Biden administration has expressed interest in not only staying on top of the situation, but helping alleviate problems where possible.
  • Microsoft, Intel, TSMC, and others were set to attend a virtual meeting today to update the Biden administration on the state of the shortages.

Though not every industry has felt the chip shortage with equal impact, if you've been brave enough to attempt buying one of the best graphics cards anytime in the past year or so, you know full well that many people in the PC world are being starved of the tech they want due to the ongoing semiconductor crisis.

That's one of the many reasons why major companies and countries are taking extensive measures to combat the shortages. Parties impacted by a lack of chips range from automobile manufacturers to PC part makers, hence why entities from those industries and many others have gathered at a virtual White House meeting today (via Reuters).

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is on the list of attendees, as are Microsoft, Apple, and Samsung personnel, as well as representatives for chipmaking behemoths such as TSMC. The meeting is set to address the coronavirus Delta variant's chip supply impact, as well as how producers and consumers can improve communication during the strained period.

Though the U.S. Senate passed a bill not too long ago greenlighting $52 billion to semiconductor funding, it'll be a while before that money, or today's meeting's consequences, trickle down to consumers in the way of heightened supplies. So until the global situation starts to get better, keep your fingers crossed and keep that shiny RTX 3060 Ti on your watch list.

Robert Carnevale

Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He's a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author of Cold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.