New I/O technologies seek to end bottlenecks

New processors, hard drives, memory chips, networking standards and other technologies are pushing the limits of computer capabilities. However, the improved performance these developments promise for PCs, servers, and even embedded systems is being choked at a bottleneck caused by input/output (I/O) technology, which has failed to keep pace. To cope with this problem, vendor groups are releasing new I/O platforms. The new technologies promise faster performance, reduced latency, reduced CPU computational load, and more efficient and reliable systems. However, as is the case with many new technologies, there are concerns. For example, industry observers speculate that the new I/O technologies could become so popular that companies may use them inappropriately, thereby reducing their effectiveness. In addition, some users are worried that the different technologies are incompatible or that bridges between technologies could add programming complexity.