Intel Platforms, Technologies To Drive Enterprise Advances

INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, SAN FRANCISCO, March 1, 2005 - The future of the enterprise will include innovative computing and communications platforms and key silicon and software technologies, according to Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president and general manager of Intel's recently formed Digital Enterprise Group. This approach is designed to enable businesses to use computing platforms in new, more efficient ways while helping them to reduce costs, mitigate risks and achieve growth.

"Businesses currently face ever-greater challenges managing worldwide mobile workforces, malicious software intrusions, mind-boggling volumes of complex information and expansive networks of communications and computing devices," said Gelsinger. "New platforms and technologies will enable real-time business anytime and anywhere and will improve the way businesses manage and protect enterprise infrastructure, make decisions and collaborate."

Intel continues to work with key companies across the industry to enable end users to take advantage of new technologies and platforms.

Microsoft's Jim Allchin, group vice president, Microsoft Platforms Group, joined Gelsinger on stage and discussed how the two companies collaborate to deliver new capabilities. "Microsoft and Intel together paved the way to bring 64-bit computing to the broad IT markets," said Allchin. "With Intel® Itanium®-based systems running Windows* Server 2003 and SQL Server* 2000, Microsoft and Intel offer the leading platform for replacing expensive, proprietary RISC systems that run computing-intensive database and line of business applications. When we release Windows x64 Editions in just a few months, customers and partners will get better performance on volume 64-bit platforms without sacrificing their existing 32-bit investments."

Gelsinger outlined how Moore's Law continues to drive the development of powerful enterprise capabilities and help Intel integrate innovations into silicon ranging from manageability and lower power consumption to greater performance and security. These capabilities include evolving toward multi-core platforms and adding benefits to Intel silicon ranging from virtualization and faster server networking approaches to 64-bit memory addressability and support for forthcoming memory technologies.

Intel's premier family of technologies will enable new computing benefits for business users and IT managers beyond just improvements in processor speed. Gelsinger unveiled Intel® I/O Acceleration Technology, which speeds up data-flow between server applications and the network, and discussed additional details on Intel® Active Management Technology, which allows IT managers to use management and security applications to remotely discover and repair a variety of issues.

He also discussed the growing industry support for Intel® Virtualization Technology (formerly codenamed "Vanderpool") from Hitachi, Novell, Red Hat, VMware and XenSource. Intel Virtualization Technology allows a system to better run multiple operating systems and applications in independent partitions, or "containers." In 2005, it will be offered in Intel-based desktops and also in Intel Itanium-based servers codenamed "Montecito," a powerful product that will include two cores per processor and multi-threading, delivering the performance of up to four threads (or instructions) simultaneously. Intel Virtualization Technology is scheduled to arrive in Intel® Xeon™ processors, Intel Xeon processors MP and Intel-based mobile platforms in 2006.

Multiple Multi-core Enterprise Projects Underway
Future Intel architecture-based PCs and servers will deliver dual and multi-core processors and support for innovative technologies including faster I/O, virtualization, security and advanced memory technology. The platform codenamed "Richford" will include two Intel Itanium processors codenamed "Tukwila," due in 2007, followed by a future-generation Intel Itanium processor codenamed "Poulson."

The first dual core Intel Xeon processor MP, codenamed "Paxville," is due in the first quarter of 2006, with broad seeding programs to businesses and software developers beginning by the end of 2005. The platform codenamed "Reidland" will include the Intel Xeon processor MP with more than two cores, codenamed "Whitefield," due in 2007. Intel Xeon processors MP are used in servers with four or more processors per server.

Designed for high-volume dual processor servers, the platform codenamed "Bensley" will arrive in the first quarter of 2006 and will be based on the dual core Intel Xeon processor, codenamed "Dempsey." Dempsey will also be used in the platform codenamed "Glidewell" for high-end workstations.

For the digital office, the platform codenamed "Lyndon" will debut later in 2005 and will be based on the Intel® 945/955 Chipset family and the Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 5xx/6xx as well as the dual core Intel Pentium D Processor, codenamed "Smithfield." The Lyndon platform will support both Intel Active Management Technology and Intel Virtualization Technology.

Telecommunications Plays Critical Role
"Innovations on the client and server are only part of the story," said Gelsinger. "As the telecommunications industry moves away from expensive, proprietary systems, we see the network evolving into one network architecture based on cost-effective, standard building blocks, protocols and application frameworks."

In 2004 many companies supported the move to standards-based modular communications platforms. Leading network equipment manufacturers and service providers endorsed the AdvancedTCA* specification, including Alcatel, Alcatel Shanghai Bell, Fujitsu, Fujitsu Siemens Corporation, Korea Telecom, HP, Huawei Technologies, NEC, Nortel, Siemens and UT Starcom.

Many of Intel's premier technologies and multi-core processors are ideal for communications infrastructure as well. Modular platforms are often specified to a fixed power level per blade. Multi-core processors allow for significant improvement in performance at the system level without increases in power consumption.

About IDF
Intel Developer Forum is the technology industry's premier event for hardware and software developers. Held worldwide throughout the year, IDF brings together key industry players to discuss cutting-edge technology and products for PCs, servers, communications equipment, and handheld clients. For more information on IDF and Intel technology, visit http://developer.intel.com.

Intel, Itanium, Pentium and Xeon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

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