Intel announced last week three new channel-focused products, aimed at helping system builders and VARs attack a range of market segments.
The three products, two of which will ship later this month, are targeting the high-end desktop space, a variety of vertical sectors and the low-end desktop space.
The DX38BT desktop board, code-named Bonetrail, is based on Intel's X38 Express chip set and provides native support for both current processors and upcoming Intel 45nm microprocessors, which Intel will roll out at the same time the board becomes available at the end of November, said Todd Garrigues, manager of North American channels. The board will also feature DDR3 and eSATA support, Garrigues said, and is geared for high-end enthusiasts, system builders and resellers targeting the high-end workstation market.
The D201GLY2, code-named Little Valley 2, caters to the opposite end of the desktop spectrum, Garrigues said. The board is a low-cost CPU and motherboard assembly solution for the low-price segment of the PC desktop market, Garrigues said, aiming for emerging markets and some verticals such as education and single-use applications such as retail kiosks. The new integrated desktop board is based on the Intel Celeron 220 processor, a PCI connector, integrated 10/100M-bps LAN, single-channel DDR2 memory, and up to six USB 2.0 ports, Intel said.
Although the first-generation Little Valley board was developed in response to low-cost PC initiatives such as One Laptop per Child, Garrigues said, resellers quickly found new ways to use the technology. "Our customers found that in the U.S. and Canada, the education market, the retail and internet kiosk market, and, surprisingly, the embedded marketplace are huge fans," he said.
For resellers looking to penetrate the SMB (small and midsize business) market, the Intel System Defense Utility for vPro offers a limited integrated remote management capability, Garrigues said, letting even SMBs with limited IT staff remotely manage vPro solutions. The SDU, which lets solution providers manage up to 20 seats, is bundled with the vPro solution and includes hardware-based, proactive security and management capabilities, according to Intel. The SDU lets resellers offer customers the ability to craft network policies, update anti-spoofing policies, and allow or block certain services, Garrigues said, without having to partner with larger third-party remote management providers.
The Intel Desktop Board DX38BT and the Intel Desktop Board D201GLY2 will be available by the end of November, and the Intel System Defense Utility for vPro is available now, the company said.
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