NGIO & FIO to be wed "in a few weeks." To be called NIO?
techweb.com
Cold war over I/O bus nears an end -- Icy discussions between opposing camps getting warmer
Kelley Damore & Edward F. Moltzen
New York - Warring factions skirmishing over the issue of new technology for a common server I/O bus are ready to sign a peace treaty-in the form of a single specification backed by Intel Corp. and OEMs.
An agreement on the new standard could become public as soon as a few
weeks from now, said a senior executive at a major PC company.
Until now, Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel had backed one technology,
dubbed NGIO, or Next Generation IO while a host of other vendors,
including such leaders as IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., Hewlett-Packard Co., Palo Alto, Calif., and Compaq Computer Corp., Houston, supported a different standard, Future IO (FIO).
Either standard would be expected to replace the current PCI bus
specification, but the FIO and NGIO camps have remained at odds since last year.
Several weeks ago, executives said the icy discussions between the factions had begun to thaw and the conversation veered toward the establishment of a common architecture (CRN, May 3).
"I can only speak for IBM," said Phil Hester, chief technology officer at IBM's Personal Systems Group, Raleigh, N.C. "From that perspective, IBM and Intel continue to have discussions about a common future I/O channel specification."
Both the FIO and NGIO names would be scrapped in favor of a new name
for the technology, since it uses ele-ments from each design specifications, said one source close to the discussions.
One remaining question centers on the issue of royalties to be paid to Intel, said another PC executive who requested anonymity. Some observers believe if the new specification is open, it would be unfair for one company to receive royalty payments.
The stalemate over the next I/O technology had caused some consternation.
While there is agreement over a bridge technology-PCIX, which is expected as early as this year-the next architecture is expected to have a shelf life of several years.
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