Industry-wide Power Management Specification Released

APM is backed by Microsoft, Intel, NCR, and others

Recognizing that efficient power management is fundamental to the success of all portable computers, Microsoft and Intel recently teamed up to release the “Advanced Power Management” (APM) specification, announcing at the same time that it had been endorsed by nearly 40 other companies involved in portable computing.

Under APM, the operating system communicates precise information to the firmware so that the firmware can make better and faster choices in the real-time task of saving power. The result, the participants claim, is superior battery conservation, enabling users to use their portable systems longer between recharge.

APM, which can be implemented only on 80×86 architectures although the participants oddly claim that it is “platform-independent,” complements existing power management schemes in the CPU and eliminates the need for PC manufacturers to write complex operating system-specific drivers. Applications can also be written to be APM-aware for additional savings.

Companies supporting the specification include AST, Dell, IBM, Mitac, Mitsubishi, NEC, NCR, Tandy, Toshiba, Zenith, Phoenix, Award, and many others.

Contact Microsoft’s Independent Hardware Vendor Relations Group at 206-882-8080.