Every so often a technology change sweeps through the industry and shakes the software world to its roots. Parallel computing, revitalized by newly introduced multi-core processors, is such a change. The shift to parallel computing is turning conventional linear programming paradigms upside down and producing a renaissance of development tools, fresh programming concepts, new models for multitasking, and a slate of opportunities for solution developers and system architects to break new ground and create trend-setting applications. Businesses can look to a future where energy-efficient performance and future-proofing of applications spur innovation, extend product life spans, and offer competitive advantages to those who embrace the technology now.

Amidst the turmoil and restructuring that accompanies any technology change, companies have an ideal opportunity to catch this wave as it crests, adapting applications to take full advantage of multithreading and the energy-efficient performance built into Intel® Core™ microarchitectures. Intel stands behind companies that make the leap with a vast array of enabling tools and technologies, ranging from university-level education and training to multi-threading building blocks to accelerate development. This article discusses the direction and potential of multi-threaded application development, emerging usage models, and the promise of future-proofing application design by aiming beyond dual-core and quad-core processors to the many-core processors that are in the planning stages today.

Innovative Uses Flourish

By the end of 2007, a substantial majority of the new computers sold will contain Intel® dual-core or quad-core technology. The widespread adoption of multi-core processing technology is inspiring a fresh look at computing possibilities and triggering a creative outburst of innovative solution designs. Developers creating client applications can explore new ways to employ multitasking that have been impractical or burdensome in the past. For example, useful tasks can be running all the time—the virus scanner operating continuously and proactively, an automatic backup utility ensuring no work files are ever lost, an intelligent workflow monitor anticipating user requirements and delivering real-time information on cue. The variety of practical applications that will be running in the background on an ongoing basis will continue to grow as multi-core processing becomes more prevalent on client computers.

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