At the NAB 2014, Intel announced networking support for its Thunderbolt 2 that enables high speed transfers through a peer to peer connection between Macs running OS X Mavericks operating system.
The feature is expected to be rolled out for PCs soon, which will make establishing peer to peer networks – PCs to PCs, Macs to Macs and Macs to PCs a reality in the near future.
The slow adoption rate of Thunderbolt technology is also expected to improve as it promises speeds of up to 10Gbps.
“By offering simple and fast file sharing, Thunderbolt Networking enables backup or upgrade across two computers like never before, using existing cables and connectors,” read the blog post on Intel’s website.
The new functionality would create an environment similar to Ethernet and function as a port between devices which would transfer data packets at the speed of 10Gbps. When users establish a peer to peer connection, they can transfer files, upgrade the devices and create backups without using an external storage device or USB sticks.
Currently Thunderbolt 2 is mostly used to connect video cameras, storage devices and monitors. With this roll out, the number of users adapting to Thunderbolt technology is expected to see a significant increase.
External storage device manufacturers also revealed Thunderbolt 2 products at the NAB 2014, including offerings from AkiTio, ATTO, Cubix, G-Technology (HGST), HighPoint, Magma, mLogic, Maxx Digital, OWC, Sonnet, and others. An update for faster transfer at speeds of up to 50Gbps, is also expected in the future.
