CES 2014: Intel, AMD To Port Android Onto Windows Machines

Intel and Advanced Micro Devices have both revealed initiatives that officials say will meet a growing demand from business users and consumers alike.

The need is to be able to run both Microsoft’s Windows and Google’s Android operating systems on the same devices, without having to reboot.

No Rebooting

Systems already can run multiple OSes, but switching means having to shut one down and booting up the other, which can be time-consuming and place significant demands on processor power and storage capacity. At the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, the chip makers unveiled efforts that will enable users to avoid those issues when moving from one operating system to another.

During his keynote address at the show 6 January, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich introduced the company’s dual-OS strategy based its system-on-a-chip (SoC) products that will let users move from one OS to another simply by tapping on a button. For its part, AMD is partnering with BlueStacks, a software company backed by AMD that has been making technology that enables users to run Android in a Windows environment.

Officials with both companies said their initiatives are aimed at addressing demands coming from OEMs and end users.

“There are times you want Windows, there are times you want Android,” Krzanich said, demonstrating the technology on a new dual-OS Asus system, the Transformer Book Duet. “[Users] wanted more choice – Windows for some usage, Android for others. … Intel SoCs are the only ones that can offer that capability to seamlessly switch between OSes. You don’t have to make a choice moving forward.”

Intel officials have been enhancing the support in its processors – particularly the low-power Atom chips – of the Android operating system, which is the most popular OS on such mobile devices as tablets and smartphones. That support has been a key part of Intel’s larger strategy to gain traction in the highly competitive mobile market, where most devices now are powered by chips designed by ARM and built by the likes of Qualcomm, Samsung and Texas Instruments.

Enterprise Entry

Krzanich noted that these Android devices, which started off as primarily consumer offerings, increasingly are finding their way into the enterprise, thanks to such trends as bring-your-own-device (BYOD). The increasing numbers of employees using their Android devices at work have raised concerns in IT departments about security and compliance with enterprise policies, the CEO said.

To address those issues, Intel’s security unit this year will roll out Intel Device Protection technology, which will enable Android devices powered by Intel chips to meet most security standards both in the home and at work. With the technology, employees will be able to “use Android in detachables and tablets anywhere you are, and it will be available this year,” Krzanich said. “It’s full 64-bit and allows you to move seamlessly in and out of the office.”

AMD will leverage its partnership with BlueStacks to bring the Android operating environment to Windows-based tablets, two-in-one devices, notebooks and desktops. The technology will leverage optimizations in AMD’s fourth-generation accelerated processing units (APUs), including the upcoming “Kaveri” chip, which officials said will launch Jan. 14.