IBM launches eServer p670

MUMBAI: IBM has intensified its battle with Sun in the Unix-based server

market with the launch of its mid-range eServer p670. "eServer p670 with

Power4 microprocessor technology provides big system performance and reliability

features at up to 34 per cent less cost than comparable Sun Microsystems'

machines," said Jeffrey Dunn, Brand Executive, eServer pSeries, IBM ASEAN/South

Asia.






According to him, the system can be divided into more than a dozen
"virtual" servers, offering customers the opportunity to consolidate

workloads running on smaller systems.



The battle began last October when IBM introduced the first Power4-based eServer
p690 (Regatta). According to IDC the enterprise-class p690 outshipped the new

Sun Fire 15K by more than three to one in the fourth quarter of 2001.






"We sold 200 system on the very first day Regatta was announced. We sold
out our entire production capability in the first three weeks of December,"

said Jeff. "We were overwhelmed by the response that we received for

Regatta. Even in our very optimistic expectations we didn't realize that the

uptake would be so dramatic," he added.






Jeff did not disclose the numbers for India, but hinted that "the interest
generated for Regatta has been extraordinary." At the same time, he

revealed that IBM will forge a couple of strategic technology relationships

around Regatta in India within the first half of this year.






Meanwhile, Jeff has divulged that the next big thing coming from IBM in eServers
will be with regard to taking some of the mainframe technologies like dynamic

partitioning and sub-processor partitioning to the market through eServers.






"We are also creating something called as work load manager and intelligent
resource director inside the machine which can monitor the performance actively

in real time environment," he explains.



According to the company once these technologies are introduced, it will
probably be two years ahead of its competition.