HP backs new 32/64-bit Xeons

Hewlett Packard has given its support to Intel's plans to offer 64-bit extensions for its Xeon chips.

HP said the 64-bit extensions will benefit customers in areas such as mechanical computer-aided design, finance and digital content creation, whose software uses large amounts of memory.

Shane Robison, HP's chief strategy and technology officer, said in a statement issued at the Intel Developer Forum: "We will offer customers solutions utilising the Intel Itanium 2 processors as well as Intel Xeon processors with 64-bit extension technology to provide the best performance, availability and scalability in the market."

The move follows Intel's belated decision to add 64-bit extensions to its IA-32 architecture, with the first of these new Xeon chips scheduled to be released to market next month.

The HP range, including workstations, ProLiant and Integrity servers and the new NonStop servers, is powered by IA-32 and Itanium chips.