100% CPU Usage - Is it a problem?

We've got an application that uses all available CPU resources when in idle mode (it's in the systray, polling the serial port to look for a portable device being plugged in).

It quite happily gives up the resources when required by other apps, so there's no noticeable performance impact on them.

My question - could this process cause unneccessary stress on the CPU/system? I know the 'System Idle Process' normally soaks up all available CPU time - so to my mind it looks like this process is just doing the same.

It's running on NT4 Workstation, and I didn't write the application!

 

I do not see why it would hurt it....if anything you may be shorting the life a little since the CPU will be generating more heat then normal more often. I would just make sure there is proper cooling