Intel said today that it plans to release the “Foundation code” of its next-generation firmware technology — a successor to the PC BIOS — under the Common Public License (CPL), an open source license, later this year. More than 20 years old, the BIOS (Basic Input-Output System) is the oldest software technology in PC platforms.

Intel says its firmware Foundation code, a result of a project codenamed Tiano, “provides that the successor to the BIOS will be based on up-to-date software technology.” The Foundation code is designed to be extended with new features and services, such as improved platform manageability, serviceability, and administrative interfaces which are too complex to implement in the old BIOS environment, according to Intel.

Next-generation firmware products based on this technology are already available from participating BIOS vendors American Megatrends and Insyde Software, Intel says.

Intel says it will release core Foundation code from its next-generation firmware technology, along with a firmware driver development kit. The Foundation code helps ensure that modern, modular firmware drivers written in the C programming language to support silicon from multiple vendors can be integrated together, according to Intel. Under the CPL, an open source license, any change in the Foundation code itself and the development kit made by one company will be visible and available to all.

Intel's next-generation firmware project is an implementation of the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI). The EFI specification details an interface to help hand off control of the system from the pre-boot environment to next-generation operating systems. EFI is supported by the most popular 64-bit OS implementations and platforms, and is an emerging interface for 32-bit operating systems, according to Intel.

The project represents more than 200 person years of development by Intel's China Software Center in Shanghai, and Intel software labs in Oregon and Washington, Intel says.

Intel has selected CollabNet as the location where the Tiano project code will be shared.

“Because pre-boot firmware is a vital ingredient in all modern platforms, silicon vendors and system manufacturers require stability in the Foundation code to protect their investment in innovation,” noted Will Swope, vice president and general manager of Intel's Software and Solutions Group. “They expect unfettered access and collaborative control of changes so that interoperability can be maintained.”

“We're very excited to be working with Intel on the Tiano project,” said CollabNet founder and CTO Brian Behlendorf. “Establishing a collaborative approach to this next-generation technology will drive adoption by the marketplace and support amongst the developers, and open the doors to co-innovation with developers and companies beyond Intel. CollabNet has a great deal of experience in providing an enterprise-level collaborative software development environment for projects of this scale, as well as the consulting and training needed to produce a vibrant, large and productive community.”

“Microsoft is continuing its commitment to open industry standards by adding EFI boot support to all versions of the Longhorn generation of Windows products,” said Tony Pierce, Technical Evangelist of Microsoft's Windows Hardware Innovation Group. “Participation in the collaborative community effort around the Foundation code that Intel is announcing today will help systems manufacturers and firmware companies deliver new and exciting platform innovations to their customers.”

CPL is an approved Open Source Initiative license, allowing for a collaborative industry development while preserving participants' ability to create commercial products. Additional information on CPL is available here.

 
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