Intel buys datacentre Ethernet switch specialist Fulcrum for Xeon marriage

Intel has acquired Fulcrum Microsystems for an undisclosed sum, and will integrate the company's Ethernet switch designs into the Xeon platform to build new products for storage and networking.

Fulcrum specialises in the design of Ethernet switches, particularly in the 10GbE and 40GbE ranges.

"Intel is transforming from a leading server technology company to a comprehensive datacentre provider that offers computing, storage and networking building blocks," said Kirk Skaugen, general manager of Intel's Datacentre Group.

"Fulcrum Microsystems' switch silicon, already recognised for high performance and low latency, complements Intel's leading processors and Ethernet controllers, and will deliver new levels of performance and energy efficiency while improving the economics of cloud service delivery."

Fulcrum has gained a strong reputation for building quick and power-efficient products that have proved highly popular in large-scale computing environments.

"I think that Intel sees the converged infrastructure as the next wave of innovation in the datacentre after virtualisation and cloud computing," Vernon Turner, senior vice president of IDC Research, told V3.co.uk.

"While Intel has several great network partners, it wants to make sure that it doesn't get marginalieed by its main competitors such as Broadcom or overseas vendors in this next big trend."