By the second half of this year, Intel plans to launch "Weybridge", its new vPro platform, a business desktop platform which officially launched in April and began to ship to OEMs in September. This updated platform will still be based on Intel"s Core 2 Duo processor (with slightly different models) but it will include Intel"s latest chip set, the Q35 Express, along with the company"s 82566DM gigabit network interface connector and updated security and management features. The world"s largest maker of processors will also include what the company calls its TXT (Trusted Execution Technology) – the final realization of the company"s "LaGrande Technology". The TXT tool works with TPMs (Trusted Platform Module 1.2) and basically performs three functions: it allows new software to be booted into a trusted state, it can isolate applications within a memory partition and isolate the application with the hardware and once an application is removed and finally it ensures that all data and information is purged from the system.
With the original vPro platform, Intel officials said the technology would allow easier remote management of desktops, promote closer ties to the manufacturers of management software and increase security. These features revolved around the company"s AMT (Active Management Technology) and its use of virtualization which provided a hardware and software management engine that allows a number of "on-board" capabilities. Intel will roll out the third generation of AMT which embeds basic filtering technology into the firmware of the silicon itself. Although vPro technology allows for third-party software, this layer of security will now be included within the platform itself. Ferron-Jones said this filter technology will help protect the PC from common security concerns and also alerts the IT administration of the problems and can isolate a single machine from the network.