Intel buys into XML hardware - now what?

Intel has been tight-lipped about how its acquisition of XML routing start-up Sarvega, announced Wednesday, fits into its bigger strategy. Still, the move is intriguing to those that watch the XML and integration software area.

Cisco's AON initiative is an effort to embed XML processing into hardware, a job that's until now been typically done in software. Does Intel's acquisition of Sarvega, albeit a small one for a company Intel's size, indicate a similar opinion of where XML processing belongs?

Phil Wainewright of Loosely Coupled does some digging and analysis of the Sarvega deal.

The choice of whether to use hardware or software to process XML (message transfer, acceleration, security) will depend on the application. But now Intel has full control (it had already had a stake in Sarvega) of an XML hardware expert: "Intel's Sarvega buy is designed to put it into a position to fully exploit those opportunities," Wainewright concludes.

The market for XML-specific hardware is still relatively new but now with Cisco and Intel committed, it stands to gain more steam. And with a number of XML hardware specialists (Data Power, Solace Systems and others) still plying their trade as independent companies, one has to ask will there be more acquisitions?