The Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface Work Group earlier this week released version 1.0 of a the NVM Express specification, which details the standards for solid-state drives that run directly off the internal PCI Express interface.

The use of the PCIe-based SSD has recently attracted attention, given how the latest generation of SSDs is now close to saturating the fastest 6.0Gbps SATA interface typically used for disk drives. In addition to supporting an optimized command and feature set, the NVM Express specifications also support enterprise environments with security and data encryption abilities, as well as error reporting and management features.

In a statement, Tom Macdonald, VP of the Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) architecture group noted: "The NVM Express interface is an essential enabler for future generations of non-volatile memory storage solutions." The NVMCI Work Group includes more than 70 companies and is led by Intel. For now, a standard driver implementation for the Linux OS is available for download, while the Windows version is under development with an alpha release expected later this year.

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