AMD, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft have jointly announced formation of a non-profit organization with the goal of developing specifications for security in computing platforms and devices. The new group, called the Trusted Computing Group (TCG), is chartered to “work to create open standards that can be adopted for use in products and solutions across the spectrum of computing, including PCs,… PDAs, servers, and digital phones, to enable secure and trusted computing that can protect data, privacy, and individual rights,” the group said. Other announced TCG participants include Atmel, Infineon, National Semiconductor, Nokia, Philips, Phoenix Technologies, Sony, ST Microelectronics, VeriSign, and Wave Systems.

TCG said its members have agreed to license necessary patents to other members under reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) terms, which are expected to promote active participation in standards development and enable broader use of open standards. Additionally, the group said it plans to serve as an industry resource for trusted computing, including such activities as the development of platform-specific implementation guidelines, and a logo program which will debut later this year to help enterprise and individual customers identify trusted computing products based on TCG specifications.

TCG has adopted existing trusted computing specifications from the Trusted Computing Platform Alliance (TCPA), and will extend and enhance these specifications. In future hardware and software interface specifications, TCG will work to ensure backward compatibility with products built on current TCPA specifications, ensuring interoperability with existing products, the group said. Additionally, the nearly 200 existing members of TCPA are being invited to join the new group, which will also invite membership from other companies and industry organizations involved in trusted computing.

 
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