Nathan Brookwood, Principal Analyst, Insight 64

“Since the dawn of the computer era, the need for binary compatibility with instruction set architectures and operating system interfaces has locked users into proprietary environments. The cost of adapting application software to run on incompatible hardware or operating systems almost always exceeds the cost of purchasing compatible systems that run the original software without change, even if those incompatible systems cost less to acquire or operate. The failed attempts of companies that have tried to break the chains of binary compatibility that bind users to obsolete platforms litter the industry landscape. None of these earlier approaches delivered the performance needed to make their solutions useful in practice. Transitive’s ability to deliver up to 80 percent of ‘native’ performance, when executing binary images targeted for one platform on incompatible hardware or software platforms, could be a game-changing event that restructures the computer industry.”