Microsoft has now entered the ongoing industry effort to accelerate the development of ARM-based servers. This will supposedly standardize the specifications of ARM-based server hardware. Logically, this hints that the software giant may use this technology for its Windows Server in the future.
Microsoft isn’t the only technology company which has joined this project, though. Other companies that are part of this initiative include, PC makers such as Dell and HP, Linux-based software firms like Red Hat and Canonical, and the popular chip makers AMD and AppliedMicro.
While ARM isn’t anything new to the Redmond giant, as Microsoft has used this technology in its Windows RT, an ARM-based Windows Server is something that hasn’t been much anticipated before. Speaking to ComputerWorld, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed this partnership.
“We can confirm Microsoft participates in an industry forum driven by ARM around the Server Base System Architecture, as a part of our continuous work with industry partners to deliver solutions our customers want”.
In order to tackle the fragmentation issue, ARM plans to provide its chips some flexibility, so that software makers can make use of the SOC to a greater extent.
“One of the balancing acts you have to play is around standardization versus innovation and choice”, said Lakshmi Mandyam, ARM’s director of server systems and ecosystems.
“It’s also important from a deployment perspective, because end users who deploy hundreds or thousands of ARM servers need to be able to apply new patch sets and software upgrades — all that stuff has to be simple, unified and manageable”.
