Intel keeps Java at boiling point

Java Chip giant insists its audio and video Java programme will not create competition with software houses.

Intel has confirmed that it has an extensive Java programme in place,reate competition with software houses. with the primary goal of faster audio and video throughput on its platforms, but it has dismissed speculation that the strategy will put it into competition with software specialists.

The chip manufacturer said the company has a number of initiatives in place to capitalise on the Java platform. They include the Media Framework for Java, which encompasses Intel Simple Video Bean, Spatial Audio for Java and animation. The technologies are all designed to use multimedia components such as Java Beans to boost the performance of audio and video applications.

A representative at Intel said: 'We do work on software operating system platforms where it makes sense for us to do so. We have been working on the Java platform in the same way as we work on Microsoft operating systems.'

But the chip giant distanced itself from being seen as a software house.

Intel said it was treating Java as an 'enabling technology' which it tweaks for its own platforms, in the same way as it creates highly optimised language compilers for its x86 processors.

Intel has a licence for Java from Sun and is working with a number of other players to enable fast throughput of audio and video. 'We are interested in getting audio and video into Java,' a representative for the chip vendor claimed.

The chip maker is also preparing a software method called Soft DVD, designed to speed up its drive into the consumer market. Soft DVD is a method of audio and video delivery through software and has little or nothing to do with DVD drives, said a representative.