Intel Corp. on Tuesday said its new tools for software developers to help build threaded applications and extract the best performance from applications on multi-core platforms. The Intel Compilers version 9.0 for C++ and Fortran programming languages also help improve security protection in Linux and Windows applications.

“As demand increases for multi-core platforms, there is an opportunity for software vendors to add performance, features and innovations to their products concurrent with this major architecture shift,” said Bill Savage, general manager of Intel’s Software Products Division.

Intel Compilers version 9.0 are the latest additions to a suite of Intel Software Development Products that produce optimized binaries for multi-core processors, making multi-core applications even more effective and extending the company's support for multi-core development.

Innovations in the compilers allow software developers to debug even the optimized code generated by these new compilers, an advancement which eases the final steps in deploying an application. Traditionally, the use of an optimizer made debugging difficult or impossible.

“As one of the most technically advanced compilers in the world, the Intel Compilers version 9.0 enable C++ and Fortran developers to accelerate the development of their applications for multi-core and threaded environments,” Mr. Savage added.

Intel compilers help developers produce multi-threaded applications and take greater advantage of Intel’s multi-core and Hyper-Threading technologies. Intel Compilers version 9.0 include an auto-parallelization option that automatically seeks opportunities in applications to create multiple execution threads, and fully supports OpenMP 2.5 plus some additional support for proposed future extensions. OpenMP is an industry standard that simplifies the creation and management of multi-threaded application software.

The tools also offer application-level security support options for Linux environments, matching the security features for Windows environments by reducing buffer overflow vulnerabilities. The security options are a significant advancement for security in C and C++ applications and produce very little overhead to the compiled application.

Software developers use compilers to translate a programming language, such as C++, into a language the processor understands. Intel’s compilers are designed to help software developers deliver improved performance for their applications running on platforms from handheld devices to desktops, laptops, servers and super computers.

Version 9.0 of the Intel C++ Compiler is available now, starting at $399 for either Windows or Linux versions. Version 9.0 of the Intel Fortran Compiler is available now starting at $499 for Windows or Linux versions. The compilers are available via download and on CDs directly from Intel and through resellers worldwide.