Phoenix Technologies Ltd., the global leader in UEFI firmware technology, products and tools, announced today the release of its flagship UEFI BIOS product, Phoenix SecureCore Technology 3.0. The third generation of Phoenix SecureCore Technology UEFI BIOS features cross-device, cross-codebase compatibility with native EDK II and EDK 1117 support for both x86 and ARM based systems, saving customization and maintenance efforts while reducing time to market for PC and mobile device builders.

"We have redefined Phoenix SecureCore Technology to maximize BIOS reusability and portability," said Steve Chan, Phoenix's Chief Technical Officer. "Phoenix SecureCore Technology 3.0 inherits its popular clean code tree with fully modularized design from previous generations; in addition, we re-architected the core for a universal build system which will help firmware developers in transitioning to EDK II, the next generation foundation for the latest UEFI and PI specifications."

Seamless Transition to EDK II
Starting with the Intel Z2760 Atom processor (codenamed Clover Trail), EDK II is the new standard for UEFI firmware development on Intel based platforms. The core of Phoenix SecureCore Technology 3 is based on native EDK II foundation support as well as extending the driver package inherited from EDK1117. With SecureCore Technology 3, Phoenix has created a genuine dual-build system UEFI BIOS that fulfills the needs of all developers.

Ultimately, a full transition to EDK II is necessary, and prioritizing engineering efficiency during the transition period remains vital. In 2013, support for platforms with EDK 1117 based drivers and OEM Identity Library (OIL) assets must continue alongside development of native EDK II based platforms. Doing so without any significant increase of BIOS engineering resources is a critical challenge. Phoenix's answer to this challenge is SecureCore Technology 3.0, a hybrid solution built with an EDK II core and EDK 1117 backward compatibility.

"Phoenix SecureCore Technology 3.0 enters the market at a time when it's needed most, a time of booming platforms and diversified devices," said David Everett, Senior VP of Field Operations at Phoenix Technologies. "Multi-platform and multi-OS firmware development with the same engineering resource has proved to be a real challenge for our OEM/ODM partners. With the universal build system of Phoenix SecureCore Technology 3.0 and our experienced customer engineering teams, we can help our clients transition to the new UEFI specification efficiently."

Windows 8 Touch Support Ready
With Windows 8 comes a new category of touch-enabled hardware. Bringing together the best of the PC and the tablet, new designs are available for touch-enabled desktops, AIO PCs, Ultrabooks, and embedded systems.

Phoenix SecureCore Technology 3.0 is optimized for touch-enabled devices. The new Windows 8 style GUI BIOS Setup not only provides a seamless user experience that bridges Windows 8 and Phoenix BIOS, it also comes with a customizable GUI core engine, Phoenix Desktop Manager (PDM). PDM is a graphic framework for the BIOS menu in Visual Forms Representation (VFR) that is ideal for OEM branding.

"Available with a full feature set designed for touch-enabled devices, such as programmable touch hot zone and BitLocker unlock by virtual keyboard, Phoenix SecureCore Technology 3.0 offers OEM/ODM partners the best UEFI firmware solution to accelerate product launches and produce differentiated products," said Terry Chen, Phoenix VP of Development Engineering.

Phoenix will host a series of launch events and training sessions for Phoenix SecureCore Technology 3.0 starting Tuesday, November 27, 2012 in Taipei, Taiwan. Contact Phoenix's regional offices for more information about Phoenix SecureCore Technology 3.0.