Intel teams with BEA
Intel Corp. and BEA Systems Inc. on Monday announced an alliance to optimize BEA's WebLogic software for both Intel's 64-bit Itanium processors, and future 32-bit chips like Intel's Xeon processors.
Tuning BEA's Java-based e-business infrastructure software to Intel chips means customers running the popular BEA products on non-Intel platforms, like Sun Microsystem Inc.'s UltraSPARC chips, can scale their networks with the less expensive Intel architecture.
"For BEA customers that are on Sun, I think this is certainly the beginning of a very long term migration towards more of an Intel, or commodity, market for application servers," said Nick Gall, the vice president and director of the Meta Group, based in Stamford, Conn.
Representatives from both BEA and Intel said they believe the alliance will significantly expand the market share for WebLogic deployments on Intel architecture.
The announcement represents another significant endorsement of Itanium, which is the first in a long road map of 64-bit processors expected from Intel. Last June, Compaq Computer Corp. embraced Itanium with news that it would begin the slow transition to an exclusively Intel-based product line.
However, with Itanium viewed by most experts as merely proof-of-concept for Intel's 64-bit architecture, users will likely wait for the second generation Itanium chip, called McKinley, before deploying any mission critical applications atop an Itanium chip.
"Everybody we've talked to so far -- people that would be buying into the Itanium family -- have indicated that the real product starts in the McKinley time frame," said Gall.
Until then, Gall said most companies will use Itanium-powered servers to migrate applications and prepare for the arrival of McKinley. McKinley is expected in early 2002, according to Intel.
WebLogic is already optimized for 32-bit Intel Xeon processors, Intel's marquee 32-bit server chip. Future 32-bit Intel chips will be optimized to BEA's software as well, according to Intel officials.
» posted by abennett
InfoWorld.com
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