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Intel launches modular-server building tools…
'Naked' servers for SMEs?

By Vivian Yeo

Published: Tuesday 15 January 2008

Intel has launched a set of modular-server building blocks for OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and resellers to incorporate into servers designed for SMEs.

The worldwide offering provides the first set of building blocks based on blade server design specifications released last July by the Server Systems Infrastructure Forum group, which is spearheaded by the chipmaker.

William Wu, Intel's Asia-Pacific marketing manager for server platforms, said the set of modular-server building blocks is a "bare-bone system", with the finished server product branded by the channels, not Intel.

Intel's local OEM partners and channel resellers in the region include FPT in Vietnam, HCL and Wipro in India, MPP in Thailand and Teratec in Korea.

Referring to research from AMI-Partners, Intel said global SME-server spend this year will grow at a double-digit rate over 2007 to reach $19.8bn. The company added that the whitebox - or non-branded - server market is a promising segment for system builders.

Wu said: "This is a significant development for the channel, as whitebox server market represents one of the most rewarding and fast-growing business opportunities. Server systems provide a unique opportunity for the channel to get closer to the core IT infrastructure of their customers, making them a more trusted partner."

According to Intel, the server systems will offer integrated SAN, two Ethernet switch modules and a management module.

The server pricing will ultimately be decided by the local OEM or reseller offering the end-product to the customer, said Wu.

He added: "Typically we expect [such] products to be priced at a comparable rate to the dual-processor rack-mount servers of similar configurations available in the market."