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William Maher07 September 2006, 9:20 AM
Making it harder isn't usually the key selling point of a new technology. But that's exactly what Intel is promising with its new vPro business PC platform.
Remote PC management is nothing new, Intel admits, but it is hoping to earn the respect of IT admins by making it harder for users to turn these features off.
It made the comment at the launch of its new vPro corporate PC platform today in Sydney.
By pushing security and management features onto firmware, the theory is to make routine IT help desk jobs less OS-dependent.
Security also being pushed into firmware, with vPro machines running a virtual firewall.
If you work in IT, and are exposed to corporate desktop rollouts, you'll soon see new PCs sprouting Intel vPro logos all over the place.
Partly, it's a move by Intel to head off the growing success AMD is seeing in the business space. The company is making a statement that it can offer businesses more than a stable CPU.
Like Centrino, vPro is a major Intel platform and will be seen on systems being pushed by everyone from HP, to Lenovo.
But what is it on a technical level?
You can read all the waffle about the management and security benefits from vPro machines here http://www.intel.com/vpro/, but here are the nuts and bolts.
To receive vPro certification, PCs must include the following hardware:
- Intel Core 2 Duo processor
- Intel Q965 Express chipset
- Intel 82566DM Gigabit Network Connection
- Latest Intel Integrated graphics
Intel is at great pains to stress that Core 2 Duo is only part of the equation here. The other significant component is remote management - it is possible to remotely poll vPro equipped PCs for hardware spec and software versions, and issue remote updates, when the PC is initially turned off.
Obviously, this relies on a PC's "standby" voltage and systems must be plugged into power for the remote wake function to work. But employees who go on holidays and leave their PC switched off for weeks will no longer miss out on important security updates, Intel said.