Santa Clara, California, 15 October 2024: Intel and AMD have announced the formation of the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group in a landmark move to accelerate innovation in computing. This new initiative brings together industry leaders to collaborate on enhancing the x86 architecture, which has powered modern computing for over four decades. The advisory group aims to create a unified approach to x86 platform development, simplify software interoperability, and drive innovation for developers and customers alike.
The advisory group features a distinguished list of founding members, including tech luminaries Linus Torvalds and Tim Sweeney, alongside major industry players such as Broadcom, Dell, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HP Inc., Lenovo, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat. Together, these companies will help shape the future of x86.
As AI workloads, custom chiplets, and advancements in 3D packaging continue to grow, the x86 architecture is positioned to meet these challenges with a focus on customization, compatibility, and scalability. Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel, emphasized that this moment represents a significant shift in the architecture, stating, “We are on the cusp of one of the most significant shifts in the x86 ecosystem in decades- with new levels of customization, compatibility and scalability needed to meet current and future customer needs. We proudly stand together with AMD and the founding members of this advisory group, as we ignite the future of compute, and we deeply appreciate the support of so many industry leaders.”
Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, highlighted the importance of collaboration, “Establishing the x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group will ensure that the x86 architecture continues evolving as the compute platform of choice for both developers and customers. We are excited to bring the industry together to provide direction on future architectural enhancements and extend the incredible success of x86 for decades to come.”
x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group
The group’s mission is to enhance the x86 ecosystem by:
- Improving compatibility across hardware and software to benefit customers with seamless integration and cutting-edge features.
- Simplifying architectural guidelines to foster software consistency and ensure smooth interoperability across x86 platforms.
- Encouraging the development of new capabilities for operating systems, frameworks, and applications, helping developers create innovative solutions.
The collaboration will allow the group to solicit input from the x86 hardware and software communities, ensuring that future developments reflect the needs of developers and users across sectors, including data centers, cloud services, client devices, edge computing, and embedded systems.
Intel and AMD, despite being competitors, have a long history of collaborating on platform-level advancements, including PCI, PCIe, and USB standards. The x86 Ecosystem Advisory Group builds on this legacy, furthering industry-wide cooperation to accelerate technological breakthroughs that will benefit the entire computing ecosystem.
Leaders from the founding companies expressed their enthusiasm for this new initiative:
- Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies, remarked on the company’s long history with x86 and its commitment to continued innovation.
- Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, emphasized the importance of consistent implementations across the industry to unlock performance and efficiency.
- Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, acknowledged the foundational role of x86 in modern computing and expressed excitement for its evolution through the advisory board.
The collaboration marks a pivotal moment for x86 architecture, ensuring it remains at the forefront of computing advancements for decades to come. As the advisory group works together to refine the architecture, customers, and developers can expect greater compatibility, enhanced performance, and more innovations in the near future.
