Phoenix Technologies releases DMI BIOS Specification

Business Wire, Nov 14, 1994

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 14, 1994--Phoenix Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:PTEC), Monday announced the availability of the Desktop Management Interface (DMI) BIOS specification.

The DMI BIOS specification provides a common standard which allows key information about the computer system's components to be made available to management application programs. This information will be located within the system BIOS through a series of structures identified by the "$DMI" signature. Using DMI, a system administrator can obtain CPU types, capabilities, operational status, low level statistics on system's behavior, and other information about the system's components. It allows PCs, hardware, software and peripherals to make their resource needs known and to co-exist in a manageable system. The DMI BIOS specification has been submitted to the Desktop Management Task Force (DMTF) for review and approval. A final DMI BIOS specification will be released by the DMTF later this quarter.

"We are very pleased with Phoenix Technologies' initiative in developing the DMI BIOS specification. A DMI BIOS will provide a hardware abstraction layer by being operating system independent and platform specific," said Shannon Gray-Voigt, DMTF chairperson and Architecture Standards Marketing Manager at Intel Corp. " A DMI BIOS will further our efforts to ensure DMI is a key ingredient of all future desktops. We look forward to working with Phoenix in releasing a final DMI BIOS specification later this year."

"Over the past two years, DMTF has gained momentum towards its goal of bringing manageability to the desktop, and once again Phoenix Technologies is leading the system software (BIOS) market by providing the industry with the DMI BIOS specifications," said Jack Kay, president and chief operating officer at Phoenix Technologies Ltd. "The DMI BIOS enables system vendors to provide ease-of-use and system management through hardware, software and peripheral interoperability."

The Desktop Management Interface (DMI) framework provides a flexible way to manage the growing diversity of PC and server products throughout the PC marketplace. The DMI BIOS will provide information and access to real time attributes of key system components to various management applications and operating systems. This information is used by MIS managers for tracking and managing corporate computing assets, remote support and service, troubleshooting user problems; as well as by Small Office Home Office (SOHO) users for easy access during system installation and configuration.

"The current DMI BIOS specification defines the method for storing static system-board information as well as variable memory information," said Albert Saraie, senior marketing manager at Phoenix Technologies Ltd. "Static Information includes ports, vendor ID, model name, version, release date, etc. Variable Information like system memory and cache may change from time to time. If memory is installed or removed the DMI data structures are automatically updated and will show the current configuration. Dynamic Information is information that may change at runtime. The current specification does not address this but there are reserved instrumentation entry points so that this can be supported in the future."

Phoenix Technologies will be demonstrating DMI BIOS at Fall '94 COMDEX, booth No. L4816 North Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center. Phoenix has developed a DMI BIOS browser providing management information that may be accessed by launching a Phoenix developed Windows application. This application obtains key system attributes from the DMI BIOS and presents it to the user in an easy to understand form.

In a related announcement (Nov. 11, 1994) Phoenix unveiled the CD-ROM boot specification co-developed jointly with IBM Corp. Phoenix Technologies is the system BIOS technology leader and co-developer of the Plug and Play BIOS specification, now an industry-wide standard for system software.

Phoenix Technologies Ltd. is the leading supplier of system-level software to PC manufacturers worldwide and an emerging supplier of Phoenix-brand software to PC users. Its system-level software products, such as BIOS, power management, PCMCIA, and Plug and Play technology, allow PC manufacturers to increase product differentiation, and reduce product development time and internal engineering costs. Capitalizing on its unique industry position and resources, Phoenix is creating an expanding family of software products for end users that will make their PCs easier to use. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: Phoenix is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies Ltd. All other trademarks are registered trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Phoenix Technologies Ltd.

              Albert Saraie, 714/440-8335
                 or
              The Benjamin Group
              Elizabeth Deans, 714/753-0755