No Double Microsoft Pricing For Dual-Core Chips

Dual-core microprocessors won't mean doubled software license fees, according to an announcement by Microsoft and Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

Server software won't be licensed according to the number of processor cores.

"AMD is committed to help businesses transition to multicore technology in the least disruptive way possible, and Microsoft's licensing decision is a major component to enable that migration," said Marty Seyer, VP and general manager for AMD's Microprocessor Business unit, in a statement.

"I haven't spoken with a single IT manager who wants to swap out their current servers just to upgrade to multicore technology," he said. With the Microsoft licensing policy, the "IT community will be able to reap the rewards of multicore technology without the pain of upheaval."

The strategy "will help facilitate the broad adoption of multicore server technology," Brent Callinicos, corporate VP of worldwide licensing and pricing at Microsoft, said in a statement.

Dual- and multicore processors place two or more processing engines on a single integrated circuit, allowing for greater performance, often at lower clock speeds and lower power dissipation.

Dual-core AMD Opteron processors are scheduled to be available in mid-2005. Intel has also revealed plans to move all of its processor lines to multicore implementations, with dual-core Xeons expected in 2006.