Intel chips to power servers for cloud computing

World's largest chip maker Intel Corporation has developed microprocessors to power modular and scalable servers for cloud computing - that enables use of multiple servers as a single platform - by data centers and infrastructure management service providers, a senior official said Friday.

"As part of our second generation multi-core Xeon processors, we have designed and developed chips that can be used for servers by cloud computing providers and builders to offer high performance and energy efficient solutions to end-customers with security, scalable storage capacity," Intel marketing program manager Nick Knupffer told reporters here.

As the next wave of technology revolution, cloud computing enables use of multiple servers as a single platform through a digital network (website) under secured environment with access to a range of applications and tools for reducing the cost of IT operations.

"Our Xeon processor-based servers can be deployed by data centres and enterprises offering infrastructure management services to end-customers across verticals, especially small and medium businesses (SMBs) which cannot afford to invest in capital intensive IT infrastructure and hire personnel to run it," Intel South Asia director R. Ravichandran said.

According to global market research and analysis firm IDC (International Data Corporation), an estimated 2.5 billion people with over 15 billion devices will access the internet by 2015. The same year, the internet traffic is expected to reach a zettabyte or one million, million billion bytes.

"Under our multi-year vision for cloud computing (Cloud 2015), cloud data centers will be seamlessly and securely connected and fully automated. The centers will also provide secure access and optimal experience across a range of devices from smartphones to powerful notebooks," Knupffer pointed out.

With about 70 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) concerned about cloud security, Intel is working on providing trusted execution technology (TXT) to enhance security at the processor level by ensuring a server is not tampered with at the hypervisor level.

The $44-billion Intel acquired global security solutions provider McAfee in August 2010 for $7.7 billion to enhance security of its processors by embedding the features in the chips.