Monday, 6 August 2007

Intel To Open Source Project to Boost Multicore Apps

Intel, the world’s top computer chip maker has decided to open source a product that was designed to ease C++ programme—to boost its multi-core processors.

The company has released its Threading Building Blocks (TBB)— templates for developers who create applications that execute computing instructions in parallel, rather than in a sequence. Intel has opted for the GNU General Public Licence Version 2 for TBB, though it said it would continue to support a commercial version of the product.

James Reinders, a director with Intel’s software division said, “Even if we promised to do every port, as long as it was a product from Intel or not something available through other means, there was this fear you might code to this new standard and Intel would quit supporting the product, and people would be stranded,” said.

Reinders said Intel is the official “maintainer” of the TBB open source project for now, but that could change once more developers get involved.