Chicago (IL) - Intel did not go into specifics at its traditional pre-IDF briefing, but at least confirmed that multi-core processors will be the main focus of its upcoming developer forum. Besides updates on Vanderpool, La Grande and AMT, the company will introduce an I/O acceleration tech named I/OAT.

With production of the dual-core desktop processor Smithfield already ramping up and a product introduction scheduled for the second quarter of this year, its little surprising that Intel will use its spring developer forum, held from March 1-3 in San Francisco, to provide more details on its multi-core processors.

Frank Spindler, vice president of Intel's Technology Programs unit said that the company will quench the thirst of developers on the new technology, and said he "wouldn't be too surprised", if IDF would carry a full display of dual-and multi-core processors, ranging from Smithfield, the mobile dual-core chip Yonah as well as updates on the Itanium dual-core Montecito. Keynotes and sessions offered would underline that Intel is moving aggressively in this space and support the effort to ship 70 percent of all performance desktop processors as dual-cores by the end of 2006.

Other topics of the IDF will include Intel's ideas how to build on Moore's Law, which celebrates its 40th birthday this year, as well as ongoing developments such as the virtualization technology Vanderpool, the security technology La Grande as well as Active Management. Updates would also include the 64-bit extensions EM64T, Spindler said. No news is planned on Hyperthreading.

During the IDF, Intel will also announce a new technology that is designed to increase the performance between networked clients and servers. I/O Acceleration Technology, short I/OAT, will improve application performance through TCP/IP optimization especially on transaction servers by up to 30 percent, according to Intel. The solution consists out of silicon and software and will be available in the 2006 time frame.

Source : Tom's Hardware US