Xeon now even faster

Chipmaker Intel has launched a new, faster version of its Xeon processor MP chip for multiprocessor systems, code-named Gallatin.

PC World reports that with a 3GHz clock speed and 4MB of level three cache, the fastest version of Gallatin will have twice the cache of its 2.8GHz predecessor and deliver as much as 24% better performance compared with previous Xeon MP chips.

The new chip is a fairly significant improvement for the Xeon MP line, says Gordon Haff, an US analyst with Illuminata in Nashua, New Hampshire. He says the doubling of the on-chip cache works particularly well to increase the performance of multiprocessor servers running commercial applications such as transaction processing.

Via Licensing is forming a group devoted to making licensing of 802.11-related patents easier and to increasing the use of wireless networking in a broader array of products, reports ZDNet.

Via says the group is in the initial stages of creating a joint licensing programme and is made up of representatives from companies that hold patents essential to various 802.11 standards. The group is to meet again next month in Tokyo.

PC World says Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology has been added to the MP3 standard.

In a new version of the popular music encoding standard, French company Thomson has added the ability to limit how many times a song can be duplicated onto CDs and MP3 players, but PC World says Thomson is late to the game with technology that has already been incorporated into competing standards.

Apple Computers includes FairPlay DRM technology in music downloaded through its iTunes Music Store, which limits the number of times songs can be burned to CDs and the number of machines the songs can be played on. Competing services depend on DRM available through Microsoft`s Windows Media Player.

EPI-USE Systems has been appointed as the first accredited mySAP All-in-One HR business partner.

The EPI-USE mySAP All-in-One HR software suite was developed to address the challenges of the cost pressures facing the markets and focus on the importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

James Brits, EPI-USE Systems director, says integration with customers and suppliers has become an essential requirement for business. He says until now SMEs couldn`t afford state-of-the-art technology. "Having access to company-wide, accurate, real-time information has become critical to all businesses."