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| Intel® Stable Image Platform Program (Intel® SIPP)
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| Introduction |
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In 2003, Intel introduced the industry-leading Intel® Stable Image Platform Program (Intel® SIPP) to the benefit of OEMs, system builders, and businesses worldwide. As a single source of stable image platform components, Intel has successfully supported four desktop Intel SIPP platform transitions and three mobile Intel SIPP platform transitions.
This year, Intel is introducing its sixth cycle of Intel SIPP-based platforms for business desktop PCs and its fourth cycle for business notebook PCs:
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- Business desktop PCs based on Intel® vPro™ processor technology with Intel® Core™2 Duo processors, Intel® Core™2 Quad processor, and business desktop PCs based on Intel® Q45 Express Chipset and Intel® Q43 Express Chipset.
- Business notebook PCs based on Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ technology, Intel® Centrino® 2 processor technology, Intel® Core™2 Duo processors, Intel® Core™2 Quad processor and Mobile Intel® GM or PM 4 Series Express Chipsets.
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| Q: What is the Intel® Stable Image Platform Program? | back to top |
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| A: Intel SIPP aligns and stabilizes key Intel platform components to enable a more predictable annual transition from one generation of technology to the next. Intel SIPP enhances software stability by ensuring no changes to key platform components or drivers for at least 15 months from introduction, reducing the potential for a forced change to the IT gold software image. This allows for a 3-month qualification period and a 12-month deployment cycle. |
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| Q: How does Intel SIPP benefit large and medium enterprises? | back to top |
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A: Intel SIPP benefits businesses in three distinct ways:
- Reduces total cost of ownership (TCO). By making select Intel desktop and notebook platforms available for at least 15 months, Intel SIPP enables IT organizations to minimize the number of platform configurations within their installed bases and reduce TCO.
- Increases IT responsiveness. Given fewer hardware-based variables to contend with, IT departments can spend less time validating and deploying software applications and security patches—and focus more on delivering responsive, efficient and effective service to enterprise users.
- Improves deployment success. With fewer hardware configurations in the PC fleet, IT departments can decrease the potential for software-based failures during deployment.
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| Q: OEMs have been offering stable image platforms for a number of years. What's different about Intel SIPP? | back to top |
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| A: As a leading provider of core PC technologies, Intel created Intel SIPP to provide a foundation for hardware manufactures to deliver stability to their end customers. These manufacturers may elect to add more components to Intel SIPP to meet their own stable image platform requirements. At the same time, manufacturers may align the release of their stable image platforms with the Intel SIPP schedule, and maximize hardware availability throughout their own stable image platform cycle. |
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| Q: Which PCs are supported by Intel SIPP in 2008? | back to top |
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| Q: When does the 2008 Intel SIPP cycle begin? | back to top |
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A: Intel recommends that IT organizations complete qualification and begin deploying platforms based on Intel SIPP components during the defined qualification window:
- Desktops: The qualification window runs from September through November. The actual deployment cycle starts in December.
- Notebooks: The qualification timeframe is July through September, with the actual deployment cycle beginning in October.
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| Q: What is meant by the term "qualification window?" | back to top |
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A: The qualification window is the first three months within the 15-month Intel SIPP cycle. It represents the period when IT organizations should complete qualification testing and begin deploying new platforms based on current Intel SIPP components. By completing qualification testing in the specified window, IT organizations can maximize the period of time that platforms based on the supported components will be available.
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| Q: When will PCs based on 2008 Intel SIPP components be available? | back to top |
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A: PCs built with Intel SIPP components are available at different times in the year:
- Desktop PCs based on 2008 Intel SIPP components will be available in the September–November desktop qualification window.
- Notebook PCs based on 2007 Intel SIPP components were widely available beginning in October 2008.
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| Q: Does Intel SIPP ensure that supported components won't change the BIOS? | back to top |
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A: No. Intel SIPP doesn't ensure that its qualified components won't change the BIOS. Intel SIPP components reduce the need for required driver changes or "new hardware found" events between annual technology transitions. Intel SIPP supports the IT department's ability to better maintain a standardized software image for the duration of an Intel SIPP cycle.
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| Q: Is the aim of Intel SIPP to change purchasing habits? | back to top |
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A: No. The purpose of Intel SIPP is to help IT organizations lower the TCO of the managed PC fleet. Intel SIPP enables IT organizations to annually qualify their desktop PCs using supported components. For desktops, this qualification should be performed in the September–November window. For notebooks, it should be done in the July–September timeframe. This gives IT groups the ability to procure stable image platforms for at least 12 months from the beginning of the actual Intel SIPP deployment cycle. Through the Intel Stable Image Platform Program, IT groups can plan for a more predictable annual transition from one generation of technology to the next.
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A: At platform launch, Intel will define reference drivers for Intel SIPP components and make them available to IT administrators. This driver set will be stable for at least 15 months from platform launch, and will be used for the duration of the Intel SIPP cycle to verify image compatibility of Intel SIPP components.
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| Q: Why would an additional set of reference drivers be defined post–qualification window? Doesn't that affect image stability? | back to top |
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A: An additional set of reference drivers might be defined after the qualification window to implement an important feature. Adding a set of reference drivers will not force an image change, as the originally defined reference drivers will continue to be valid for the duration of the Intel SIPP deployment cycle. However, IT will be able to choose whether to continue to deploy a stable image based on the original reference drivers or implement the new features supported in an additional set of reference drivers.
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