Intel has finally unveiled Centrino 2, the latest version of its laptop platform. The new hardware includes more power-efficient dual-core processors and faster draft 802.11n Wi-Fi support. However, improved management features in Intel's embedded Active Management Technology (AMT) are likely to be the key selling point for enterprises.

Available immediately, Centrino 2 brings further advances in performance and battery life, enough for a user to watch an entire Blu-Ray movie on battery power for the first time, according to Intel.

"The Centrino 2 value proposition is a balance between performance and power consumption," said Intel European mobile marketing manager Kris Rodolf.

New Core 2 Duo processors feature clock speeds of 2.8GHz to 2.26GHz. These have a faster 1066MHz front side bus and up to 6MB of L2 cache, with Deep Power Down technology to turn off parts of the chip when not needed. Three of the chips have a thermal envelope of 25W, down from the previous 35W standard.

As well as a new mobile chipset, Centrino 2 includes Intel's Wi-Fi Link 5000 adapter with support for draft 802.11n, delivering up to five times the speed and twice the range of 802.11a/g hardware, according to Intel.

Laptops based on the platform will be branded as plain Centrino 2 for consumers, while Centrino 2 with vPro technology is the flavour aimed at business buyers. This adds important manageability features, including remote configuration and improved wireless management support, according to Rodolf.

"We've added the ability to roll-out laptops to workers without IT staff having to touch them," he said.

AMT version 4.0 provides IT departments with the ability to manage laptops wirelessly, even while they are in a sleep state or powered off, Rodolf claimed.

"The management console can contact a laptop, wake it up and do remediation, or perform management tasks, so long as it is connected to a power source," Rodolf said. The laptop will not wake up if disconnected from the mains, as this could drain the batteries, he added.

Centrino 2 with vPro also includes the capability for roaming workers to get support while outside the office. According to Rodolf, a user experiencing problems should be able to initiate a call to the central IT console, either from the system Bios or from a dedicated hot button on the keyboard.

Intel is merely providing the hardware foundation for this, Rodolf said, but added that "the usual suspects" including Symantec's Altiris, Microsoft and Landesk would support this in future versions of their management suites.

Finally, Centrino 2 with vPro is also compliant with the WS-MAN and Dash 1.0 management standards.

A number of vendors have announced new laptops to ship within the next few weeks. Acer has 5 new TravelMate models including the 6493 and 6593 with 14in and 15in screens, up to 4GB memory and 320GB hard drives, set to ship in August.

Sony has announced new Vaio models specifically for business, consisting of the A4-format BZ series, the mainstream SR series, and the ultraportable Z series with a 13.1in screen and compact footprint. These models have business-friendly features such as a chassis designed for easy maintenance, Sony said.

Fujitsu-Siemens has new Esprimo Mobile and LifeBook models, while HP has already announced but yet to ship its Centrino 2 models such as the HP Compaq 6730b. Lenovo unveiled six new ThinkPad models, which it claimed support built-in 3G broadband capability at no price premium over standard laptop models.