Chip firms won't sell trusted computing to integrators

A MAKER OF WHITE boxes - and let us not forget that lot vastly outsells the like of IBM, HP and Dell - has told the INQUIRER that trusted module maker Infineon and others refuse to flog [sell] him or other small dealers a Trusted Computing evaluation system of any kind.

The modules - Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) - are built into corporate boxes. Dell announced a few last week. But maybe security only goes so far. Trusted Computing is backed by a virtual cabal of chip makers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

The dealer has provided evidence of the denial of service too, and that evidence from resellers of TPMs is hard to gainsay, and may contravene many consumer laws, Europe wide.

Manuel Cornejo, a Spanish reseller and maker of white boxes, said he simply could not understand why Infineon distributors and others would not countenance the sale of a TPM, made only by a few semiconductor firms, to what is a burgeoning small and medium sized (SME) enterprise market which wants security too.

Cornejo said: "I give a lot of importance to security. For me, security is not a blind reliance on new technology, but instead a knowledge of as complete as possible of all the aspects of this new technology."

He continued: "TPMs are supposed to be the key of [to] this new security, and this [Infineon] kit would give me the knowledge I need."

He added that a Spanish lawyer had told him that as a principle of law in the country, manufacturers are supposed to provide consumers with the necessary information to make the best of possible use of goods they bought.

But, when Senor Cornejo attempted to buy a TPM from Infineon, he was blanked. He claims Infineon told him it would not sell him the unit.

He attempted to buy the Infineon TPM from other resellers, but said he met with the same blank refusal.

Cornejo claimed that Siemens Spain had invited him to write in to apply for a TPM Neon, but Siemens reserved the right to decide whether to sell him the module, as only qualified customers were allowed to evaluate the technology.

Now surely, this is taking security a bit too far. Resellers and customers have to test the TPMs to see if they work or not, no? µ

See Also
Trusted Computing: Still far more questions than answers
Trusted Computing Platform Alliance is a secret Cabal