Thunderbolt was first announced on Feb. 24 and is currently being offered only by Apple in its new MacBook Pro laptops, which were launched on the same day. Intel collaborated with Apple in developing the interconnect.

The developer kits could help device makers accelerate the release of products to market, an Intel spokesman said.

Thunderbolt is a dual-channel, high-speed interconnect that can transfer data between host devices and external devices at speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second. The technology enables a full-length, high-definition movie to be transferred in less than 30 seconds, and synchronization of high-bandwidth audio and video between computers and other devices in real time.

Intel is already working with some partners to develop products as it tries to build out an ecosystem around the interconnect. LaCie and Western Digital have already demonstrated portable storage products, but are not yet selling devices. Companies including Canon have announced support for Thunderbolt, and products from AJA, BlackMagic, Matrox and Sonnet are being shown at the NAB trade show, which is going on in Las Vegas through April 14.

Sony is also one of the backers of Thunderbolt, but has not yet talked about plans to implement the technology in its laptops. A number of companies that have not yet implemented Thunderbolt have also expressed interest in the technology. Hewlett-Packard, which offers USB 3.0 ports in high-end laptops for high-speed data transfers to external devices, will evaluate Thunderbolt for implementation in laptops, a company spokesman said.