Intel, SWsoft in virtualization tech pact
Virtualization start-up SWsoft announced a partnership with Intel Monday to develop software support for technology built into Intel's newer processors.
SWsoft sells two broad categories of virtualization software, Virtuozzo and Parallels. Virtuozzo makes a single instance of Windows or Linux appear, from the perspective of higher-level software, to software to be subdivided into several independent partitions called containers, and it's chiefly used on servers. Parallels lets multiple operating systems run simultaneously on one PC, most notably letting Windows run on Mac OS X systems.
Through the Intel partnership, announced in conjunction with the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, SWsoft will support a host of Intel chip features. Those features include VT-d to improve input-output on virtual systems, Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) to make the boot process more secure.
The partnership also includes joint marketing work. It's not the first alliance between the companies: Intel invested in SWsoft in 2005.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
