The Itanium Way

Early adopters evaluate Intel's 64-Bit processor architecture

Intel designed its new Itanium 64-bit processor to enable "powerful servers and high-performance workstations," moving from PC market dominance to the challenge of powering large enterprises. Manufacturers introduced the new Intel Itanium-based servers and workstations in June, and Intel expects about 25 computer manufacturers to offer more than 35 models in 2001 on Windows, Unix, and Linux platforms.

Intel has positioned the Itanium processors for applications such as computer-aided design and scientific modeling, faster protected online purchases and transactions, and high-volume e-business data mining. Intel said that Itanium's Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC) design will perform 12 times better than 32-bit processors for online security applications.

In "Who Benefits From Early Adoption?" the Aberdeen Group commented, "EPIC changes how the microprocessor interacts with the software by allowing compilers to specify precisely the manner in which instructions are executed on a processor. This design philosophy is intended to address issues that other architectures - most of them originally designed 10 to 20 years ago - have not yet fully overcome."

In 2002 and 2003, Intel will issue 64-bit processors currently named McKinley, Madison, and Deerfield. Many companies are asking themselves if they should adopt this early product from the Itanium family or wait for later versions. According to a white paper from the Meta Group called "Intel Itanium Processor Adoption: Sweet Spots for Early Adopters," adoption of Itanium processors will occur as companies assess the risks and benefits of Intel's new architecture.

The Meta Group also concluded that early adopters will be "users who have identified a specific application or process that will show quantifiable benefit from hosting on an Itanium-based system," as well as users planning to go with the McKinley processor who want to get a head start developing in-house skills and optimized code by adopting Itanium on a limited basis.

— Jeanette Perez

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