Tuesday, June 6, 2017 - The UEFI Forum, a non-profit industry standards body that champions firmware advancement through industry collaboration and advocacy of firmware technology standards, announced today that ARM has been appointed to the UEFI Forum Board of Directors.

ARM’s appointment to the board will serve as a communication channel for ARM® partners and the wider ecosystem. This alignment is key to ARM’s continued business expansion into the enterprise sector, and will benefit community partners that wish to collaborate on and help shape future enhancements to UEFI firmware technology.

ARM has provided the ARM-binding for the UEFI specification and contributed significantly in enabling Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) to be supported on ARM systems. The UEFI and ACPI specifications lay the groundwork for the ARM Server Base Boot Requirements, while the UEFI Self-Certification Test (SCT) serves as an integral component to the ARM Server Compliance Test. UEFI and ACPI technologies ship in a wide range of devices and sectors on ARM today. Examples include ARM-based servers, network infrastructure, cell phones, and other consumer electronics such as laser printers and scanners.

Because of ARM’s commitment to advancing firmware technologies and helping shape future specifications, the UEFI Forum board appointed Dong Wei, senior director of lead architect platforms at ARM, as vice president, a role he previously held. “I have been watching ARM’s progress long before I joined the company,” Wei said. “Our growth in UEFI has been truly remarkable and I am proud to be a part of ARM and return as a chief executive to the Forum.”

“Both ARM and UEFI Forum understand the importance of interoperability. Collaboration and shared success are vital components as the industry designs next generation technologies,” Mark Doran, UEFI president, said. “We are pleased to have Mr. Wei back on the board. [The UEFI Forum] believes it’s in everyone’s interest to continue consolidating the technology ecosystem around a standards-based approach to firmware and our new partnership with ARM signals that mindset to the industry.”