Intel and Oracle come to blows over Itanium
Intel and Oracle are at odds over the future of Itanium processors.


Intel has reaffirmed its commitment to the Itanium architecture after Oracle announced it was to discontinue all software development on the microprocessor.
Larry Ellison's firm issued a statement on Tuesday, claiming it had spoken to Intel personnel, who indicated Itanium was on its way out.
"Intel management made it clear that their strategic focus is on their x86 microprocessor and that Itanium was nearing the end of its life," Oracle said, pointing out Microsoft and RedHat had also ditched the chip.
The following day, Intel chief executive (CEO) Paul Otellini said Intel still had big plans for the processor family.
"Intel's work on Intel Itanium processors and platforms continues unabated with multiple generations of chips currently in development and on schedule," Otellini said.
"We remain firmly committed to delivering a competitive, multi-generational roadmap for HP-UX and other operating system customers that run the Itanium architecture."
In Oracle's note, the firm claimed HP's chief executive Leo Apotheker "made no mention of Itanium in his long and detailed presentation on the future strategic direction of HP."
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
The Itanium architecture was born inside HP, which later went on to develop it with Intel.
Intel said it was developing two different Itanium products, including Poulson, which is set to more than double the performance of its predecessor.
Kittson, the product to follow Poulson, is in development too and it appears Intel has a clear roadmap laid out for Itanium, a processor aimed at very high-end servers and high-performance computing.
At the other end of the scale, earlier this month, Intel launched a new family of processors designed for low-powered servers.
The Xeon X3 family consists of seven new chips targeted at the ever growing micro server market.
Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.
He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.
-
The Race Is On for Higher Ed to Adapt: Equity in Hyflex Learning
By ITPro
-
Google faces 'first of its kind' class action for search ads overcharging in UK
News Google faces a "first of its kind" £5 billion lawsuit in the UK over accusations it has a monopoly in digital advertising that allows it to overcharge customers.
By Nicole Kobie
-
‘DIY’ agent platforms are big tech’s latest gambit to drive AI adoption
Analysis The rise of 'DIY' agentic AI development platforms could enable big tech providers to drive AI adoption rates.
By George Fitzmaurice
-
AI agent announcements are a dime a dozen right now – here’s what Oracle thinks it’s doing differently
News Oracle’s latest foray into the world of AI agents will leverage the firm’s strength in infrastructure and come at no additional cost to users.
By George Fitzmaurice
-
Gaining timely insights with AI inferencing at the edge
Whitepaper Business differentiation in an AI-everywhere era
By ITPro
-
Scaling AI from pilot to production: Maximize AI impact with HPE & Intel
Whitepaper Transform AI proof-of-concepts into full-scale implementations
By ITPro
-
Oracle bets on vector search capabilities to drive enterprise AI value
News Oracle claims its new tool will bring AI “to where the data is,” rather than the other way around
By George Fitzmaurice
-
NetSuite doubles down on localized AI with UK, EMEA product launches
News Regional product launches aim to address struggles with ESG reporting and surface more data insights for NetSuite’s EMEA customers
By Rory Bathgate
-
Oracle ditches the hype for a straight talking generative AI approach
Analysis Oracle knows it has to box clever in the generative AI race, and its ambitions rest on delivering tangible enterprise use-cases
By George Fitzmaurice
-
IDC MarketScape: Worldwide supply chain Oracle ecosystem services vendor assessment
Whitepaper In-depth assessment of IT consulting providers supporting supply chain management processes
By ITPro