Telecommunications networks are being asked to function more and more like traditional data center networks every day. The advent of fully-connected users (those who want to share video, voice, and data) continues to drive the need for integrating telecom networks with existing data networks and internet infrastructures.

Equipment manufacturers and service providers are starting to ask: Is it time to re-look at our special purpose silicon approach? What’s the right architecture for the future? And given the unpredictability of the future, might it be smart to think about a more flexible way to develop, deploy, and potentially redeploy systems?

According to Edwin Verplanke, Intel Platform Solutions Architect, “One solution would be to bring in general purpose processors. But hold on—doesn’t that mean a significant decrease in performance?”

Edwin and his team discovered a new way to combine the agility of general purpose processors with the fine-tuned performance of special purpose devices. By deploying multi-core processors in fast datapath applications across the network infrastructure, then integrating the packet-based application processes into the operating system, Intel short-cut the processing time for simpler tasks, and created a best-of-both-worlds solution.

“In other words, general purpose processors can perform specific tasks just as proficiently as special purpose processors—by baking the application right into the kernel, and tweaking it so it does the job very well,” says Verplanke.

And, because Edwin’s innovation allows multiple streams of data to travel along a single code base without complex layering, the possibility for standardized development tools and compilers is now a reality. That means more generalized training and less complex maintenance for telecom players.

The results of Verplanke’s clever idea are already apparent—one company saw a 600% performance increase versus single core deployments. And another is seeing a swing in the balance of technologies, predicting within two years a dramatic shift to an 80:20 general purpose to special purpose ratio.

General purpose, multi-core processors running optimized telecom applications. It’s a combination of ideas that could change telecom forever. That’s truly an Inspired Innovation.