Intel yesterday announced the worldwide availability of its vPro technology platform. Launched by the chipmaker in April, vPro technology is a package of hardware and software that includes security and manageability functions, built-in at the silicon level.
The company simultaneously announced the release of eight new Dual-Core Intel Xeon 7100 series processors, designed for multi-processor servers - previously codenamed Tulsa.
The chipmaker, which announced 10 500 job cuts on Tuesday, says it is accelerating its development and product road map, and will pull forward roll-out dates.
Intel marketing director for the digital enterprise group Richard Curran says the company had been able to "dramatically bring in the launch date of Tulsa" and will "get incredibly aggressive in terms of design, development and getting product to market" going forward.
"Today`s introduction continues a historic `summer of servers` for Intel where we have now delivered a record 23 new processors in three market segments in less than 100 days," says Tom Kilroy, VP and GM of Intel`s Digital Enterprise Group.
Zero-day response
Gregory Bryant, GM for Intel`s Digital Office Platform Division, says vPro aims to address IT managers` need for `zero-day` response to exploits and provides the ability to remotely manage any number of desktops through Intel Active Management technology (AMT) built into the hardware. "We think it is a game changer," he says.
AMT allows IT managers to remotely manage any desktop, regardless of the state it is in. Barring serious hardware failure, IT staff can access a machine whether it is switched on or off, if the software has crashed, or it is infected by malware of any sort. This allows IT departments to reduce the number of desk-side visits to fix problems, remotely patch any number of machines in batches overnight, for example, or remotely isolate and heal an infected machine.
vPro also includes Intel`s virtualisation technology, which allows the chipmaker to embed appliances in the processor.
The company will release vPro for mobile computers, based on the Centrino processor, in the first half of next year, Bryant says. Code-named Santa Rosa, this is the next step for vPro, where after, Bryant says, Intel will extend the technology`s management and security capabilities, including more heuristics and intelligence "built-in".
Both Fujitsu Siemens and NEC yesterday announced business desktops based on Intel`s vPro - the Esprimo range and the NEC Powermate ML460 respectively. Both take advantage of the vPro`s energy efficiency and performance capabilities (Intel states a 40% increase in both).
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