Intel Works To Provide Atom-Centric Applications To The World

Intel has already struck gold in the netbook market, thanks to its Atom line of low powered chips. Now at the face of on coming competition from almost all possible quarters (read AMD, ARM and VIA), Intel is making sure that its hold on the market stays through means other than making the best netbook-oriented chips in the world.

It recently launched the Intel Atom Developer program that aims to bring developers and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to the Atom fold in a whole new manner. This program is geared towards making the Atom platform the center of a third-party application eco-system. Just like what Apple has done with the iPhone. Let’s face it, if the iPhone did not have over 75,000 apps backing it up, it wouldn’t be half as popular as it is now even with the advanced hardware and OS features in place.

So Intel is looking to maintain its almost-monopolistic hold on the netbook market by fuelling an initiative to develop Atom-centric applications that will run smoothly and seamlessly on all Atom powered device.

What Intel is essentially trying to do with the program is to initiate the development of cross-platform, cross-browser applications that are designed to work well on the small screens and with the limited resources that plague normal application performance on the usual netbooks.

Intel corporate vice president Renee James spoke on the initiative and said that while netbooks are getting exceedingly popular amongst the consumers, there’s a dearth of applications that are designed to work within the typical Atom powered netbook environment. This is apparently stopping everyone from taking the full advantage of the potential that netbooks possess.

It is also probably stopping Intel from making even more money from the netbook sales, not to mention the fact that other, better chips might take it over. Even though ARM has declared that they will be moving in to compete directly with Intel, there is no apparent threat right now.

For developers, the Intel Atom Developer Program is an integrated way to support developers on multiple platforms and run-time environments. The program will also allow newer applicants to license in developmental tools and application modules from other existing developers and ISVs so that they can lower their overhead costs.