Intel reveals network computing chips
Published: 06 Sep 2002 10:49 BST
Intel this week unveiled new chips that enable more powerful and space-efficient computers to be created for telecommunications networks.
Faster chips are needed to handle the load imposed on next-wave data networks by applications such as 3G or voice recognition services, said Benjamin Naden, product marketing manager with the Intel Communications Group.
"The telecommunications market is hell right now," he said. New services are needed to generate much-needed revenue, but these will cause immense pressure to build on existing infrastructure, he said.
"By distributing the processing to the edge instead of the core, you take some of the load off," he noted.
The first new product, the IXC1100, is a "system-on-chip" designed for such "edge" computers, handling tasks such as voice recognition, complex switching, and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) processing for both wired and wireless networks.
The IXC1100 is Intel's first foray into the world of control plane processors, all-in-one devices which process and route data when built into "line cards". These cards are slotted into computers to add specific capabilities. The IXC1100 is built around Intel's XScale processor, a chip that is used in handhelds, smart phones and other mobile devices.
Despite an overall gloomy outlook for the telecommunications market in general, capital expenditure for communications and IT infrastructure in South Asia is expected to grow this year, according to analysts IDC.
From $14.6bn in 2001, the figure is expected to grow by 7.8 percent to $15.8bn by year end, led by the growing economies of India, Malaysia and Singapore.
The IXC1100 control planed processor will be available in the last quarter of 2002, in speeds of 266MHz, 400MHz and 533MHz. The 533MHz version begins at US$55 in thousand-unit quantities.
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