Intel and AMD are collaborating to establish a group that ensures software compatibility across their chips, countering the growing influence of Arm Holdings.
Intel is the creator of the x86 computing architecture, which has been the backbone of the world’s laptops, PCs, and data center servers for four decades. AMD, which licenses this technology from Intel, also produces x86 chips, competing with Intel under a longstanding legal agreement, according to Reuters.
However, Arm’s market presence, which licenses an alternative computing architecture to companies like Apple, Qualcomm, and even Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet (Google) for data center usage, has been chipping away at Intel and AMD’s dominance.
Arm’s growth is partly due to its contractual requirement that all Arm chips must support all Arm software, irrespective of the manufacturer.
Unlike Arm, Intel and AMD, while sharing the x86 technology base, often require software adjustments for cross-compatibility.
To address this, the chip giants are forming an “advisory group” with Broadcom, Dell, Lenovo, and Oracle among the initial members.
This group aims to unify hardware and software companies to provide technical feedback on “essential functions and features” for Intel and AMD chips, ensuring consistency and compatibility for various applications, as stated in the group’s announcement.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has expressed confidence in the adaptability of x86 technology for emerging applications like AI-enhanced laptops.
“Rumors of my death are severely exaggerated. We are alive and well,” Gelsinger said. “We see that the x86 architecture, this foundation of computing for decades, is about to go through a period of customization, expansion, scalability (with) the opportunities that AI will present, and our ecosystem is robust and growing.”