Intel unveils mobile vPro platform

Intel has launched a mobile version of its vPro business computing platform under the Centrino Pro brand. 

The platform allows IT departments to manage and patch systems remotely.

 

advertisement

 

The new platform, in conjunction with the capabilities of Windows Vista, is expected to form the backbone of a new generation of remote management services that are likely to be of particular interest to small businesses who do not have dedicated IT staff.

First unveiled in April last year, vPro enabled desktops have been shipping since September.

Systems that qualify for the logo programme have to meet certain hardware and software requirements.

This ensures compliance with a company’s security policies, and enables remote management features such as the ability to boot up systems over a network to apply updates and patches at night.

Centrino Pro and vPro will be slightly different, however. “There will be a gap in the features between Centrino Pro and vPro,” said Intel spokeswoman Christine Dotts. 

The Centrino platform allows systems to be managed over a Wi-Fi connection, for instance, whereas vPro supports only Ethernet connections.

The two platforms will also have separate roadmaps. Intel plans to release an update to vPro codenamed ‘Weybridge’ in the second half of this year, but could not say when it plans to make the Weybridge features available to mobile systems.

Weybridge adds support for Intel’s Trusted Execution Technology (TXT).

Working with the industry standard Trusted Platform Module security chip, TXT allows applications and processes to operate in a shielded environment and prevents code tampering.

TXT verifies an application’s authenticity before it is executed by comparing a hash value for the current and past states. If attackers replace an application with infected code, TXT will prevent it from being executed.

The technology will not be part of the initial Centrino Pro systems, Dotts said. The Centrino Pro technology will be made available to PC manufacturers in the second quarter of this year as part of its mobile Santa Rosa platform.