ATI, graphics business unit of Advanced Micro Devices, has announced the of the first software driver for desktop computing environments to support the WebGL industry standard, which is designed to bring plugin-free 3D graphics to the Internet. The AMD OpenGL ES 2.0 driver is intended to help developers easily create exciting 3D content for both desktops and ultra-portable devices.

"AMD is a steadfast supporter of industry standards, including those that unlock the power of GPU acceleration. At AMD, we see the future of computing as being intensely visual, requiring a variety of rich media 2D and 3D applications," said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president of AMD Fusion experience program.

In addition to enabling 3D and application-like experiences on the web, AMD's new driver empowers software developers to use desktop PCs and workstations powered by AMD graphics, as opposed to embedded systems, when creating applications based on OpenGL ES 2.0 for smartphones, tablets and other portable devices. And a common OpenGL ES programming environment makes it easier for developers to port software applications between PCs and handhelds, bringing a seamless computing experience, regardless of device, within our grasp.

The OpenGL ES 2.0 driver from AMD is generally available with ATI Catalyst 10.7 beta for OpenGL ES 2.0. The OpenGL ES 2.0 driver will be supported on all currently available AMD graphics products introduced since 2008, including ATI Radeon desktop graphics, ATI Mobility Radeon graphics, and ATI FirePro professional graphics cards.

Tags: ATI, AMD, Catalyst, OpenGL, OpenGL ES, WebGL, Radeon