IBM to launch Linux-only Power servers

No_Style · Sep 10, 2004, 02:46 PM

In an effort to vault its Power processors into more widespread use, IBM plans to announce Monday a new, inexpensive server line called OpenPower that can run just the Linux operating system, CNET News.com has learned.

The products, which use the new Power5 processor, run the open-source software but not AIX or i5/OS, the IBM operating systems that more commonly run on the Power machines, according to sources familiar with the plan.

IBM is expected to price the line aggressively, sources said. The low cost would position the OpenPower products not only against lower-end Unix servers from Sun Microsystems based on the UltraSparc processor but also against servers from a number of companies using x86 chips such as Intel's Xeon and Advanced Micro Devices' Opteron.

That's a change from Power servers in the past, which have been aimed chiefly at higher-end servers using Sun's UltraSparc or Intel's Itanium.

"Clearly IBM still has a vision that their Power architecture can become an industry standard and displace all those crummy x86s and Itaniums and Opterons," Insight64 analyst Nathan Brookwood said. "They clearly see that Linux is the vehicle that makes it easier for customers to move to the Power platform."

Big Blue has a long way to go to reach x86 popularity, however. According to market researcher IDC, 4.7 million x86 servers were shipped last year, vastly more than the 118,000 Power servers.
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Read More/Source: C|Net Tech News

Sep 10, 2004, 02:46 PM	#1
No_Style Styleless Wonder Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ottawa, Ontario Posts: 6,034 Rep Power: 0	IBM to launch Linux-only Power servers In an effort to vault its Power processors into more widespread use, IBM plans to announce Monday a new, inexpensive server line called OpenPower that can run just the Linux operating system, CNET News.com has learned. The products, which use the new Power5 processor, run the open-source software but not AIX or i5/OS, the IBM operating systems that more commonly run on the Power machines, according to sources familiar with the plan. IBM is expected to price the line aggressively, sources said. The low cost would position the OpenPower products not only against lower-end Unix servers from Sun Microsystems based on the UltraSparc processor but also against servers from a number of companies using x86 chips such as Intel's Xeon and Advanced Micro Devices' Opteron. That's a change from Power servers in the past, which have been aimed chiefly at higher-end servers using Sun's UltraSparc or Intel's Itanium. "Clearly IBM still has a vision that their Power architecture can become an industry standard and displace all those crummy x86s and Itaniums and Opterons," Insight64 analyst Nathan Brookwood said. "They clearly see that Linux is the vehicle that makes it easier for customers to move to the Power platform." Big Blue has a long way to go to reach x86 popularity, however. According to market researcher IDC, 4.7 million x86 servers were shipped last year, vastly more than the 118,000 Power servers. _______________ Read More/Source: C\|Net Tech News __________________ "The Best Style Is No Style" Specifications Here