IBM, Google and others rival Intel with OpenCAPI development

IBM logo on a brown background

Nine tech giants are launching new open specifications in a bid to boost the speed of data transfers considerably.

Advanced Micro Devices, Dell EMC, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Mellanox Technologies, Micron, NVIDIA and Xilinx are all involved in the project to produce a new server standard, called OpenCAPI (Open Coherent Accelerator Processor Interface).

This will benefit high performance computing, cloud data storage, security, machine learning and analytics by allowing for high performance accelerators that can support the higher speed of most recent technologies.

IBM was the first developer of CAPI, and the OpenPower Consortium is already using it at the moment. The nine tech giants will now make it available to the public before the end of 2016.

Products that match the new speed standards should start appearing on the market shortly after that, around mid 2017.

Many technology companies are now investing in accelerators, as they are key to providing the speed of processing required for the best functioning of arising technological advancements.

Intel recently purchased two accelerator systems, called Altera and Nervana Systems. By joining forces, the firms appear to be challenging Intel and other companies who recently invested in accelerators.

Doug Balog, general manager at IBM Power, told Reuters that: "As artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced analytics become the price of doing business in today's digital era, huge volumes of data are now the norm. It's clear that today's datacenters can no longer rely on one company alone to drive innovation."