Intel Corp. announced the opening of an Enterprise Technology Center and a cooperative Merced chipset development effort for future IA-64 based servers.

Located in DuPont, Wash., the center will provide a place for Intel and its enterprise partners to develop and implement specifications for future IA-based server platforms.

Initially, the center will focus on platform power and cooling, reliability, availability, scalability, and I/O technologies.

Bull, Data General, Fujitsu, Hitachi, ICL, NEC, Siemens, Sequent and Unisys have signed memorandums of understanding with Intel regarding participation in the Enterprise Technology Center.

Intel also revealed it has also been working with Hitachi, NEC and Siemens for more than two years on the implementation of a 4-way server chipset to support Intel's future Merced processor. The goal is to develop a robust, high-volume chipset solution that will be made available to the industry when the Merced processor ships.

Additional information is posted at www.intel.com/pressroom .