Server Snapshots: Vendors in the Spotlight
This regularly updated feature looks at the latest offerings and trends from the server OEMs.
Cisco UCS Buyer's Guide
| Hreviews Article Published January 8, 2010
Cisco entered the server market in 2009 with its Unified Computing System, a series of blades and a chassis designed to simplify deployment, particularly for virtualized environments. See how its offerings compare to those of the more established players.
Dell Continues to Rise
| Hreviews Article Published December 18, 2009
Server Snapshot: Dell has pushed Sun out of the No. 3 server spot. Given the OEM's new array of products, will it be long before Dell's ascendancy places it at IBM's and HP's backs?
Penguin's HPC Waddle
| Hreviews Article Published October 16, 2009
Server Snapshot: Penguin Computing has always, as its name implies, focused on developing best practices for Linux-based systems, software and services, particularly in the HPC space.
Appro: Bringing HPC to the Mainstream Enterprise
| Hreviews Article Published September 25, 2009
Server Snapshot: Appro has always been about HPC. But HPC is not what it used to be, and Appro has changed to meet the needs of more mainstream enterprises with its revamped product lines built around a Scalable Unit architecture.
Verari Expands Its Blade Server Repertoire
| Hreviews Article Published August 28, 2009
Server Snapshot: Verari continues to feature x86 high-density blade configurations, but its offerings now include storage blades and a data-center-in-a-box for IT shops on the move.
Lenovo Server Stable Growing
| Hreviews Article Published July 30, 2009
Server Snapshot: In the past year, Lenovo launched its second generation of ThinkServers, equipped with more memory and storage capacity, the latest Intel processors, and virtualization capabilities. Yet the company remains in the "other" category in the various server measurement surveys.
System X Marks the Spot
| Hreviews Article Published July 24, 2009
Server Snapshot: IBM's innovation isn't limited to its POWER-based servers. A host of new System x and BladeCenter offerings are poised to bring Big Blue to the top volume spot.
Power and the Mainframe
| Hreviews Article Published July 17, 2009
Server Snapshots: Think x86 servers are the only ones worth looking at? IBM's mainframe (System z) and Power Systems (the combination of Systems p and i) may not be "standard," but they're powerful enough for pretty much any task thrown at them.
With Dell, Egenera Seeks to Generate More Than Buzz
| Hreviews Article Published April 17, 2009
Server Snapshot: If you thought Egenera was just a niche player in the blades market, it's time to take a closer look. Its BladeFrame line may be its primary hardware, but a partnership with Dell aims to bring the heart of its offering -- PAN Manager software -- to the masses.
Fujitsu, More Than Just the Status Quo
| Hreviews Article Published April 10, 2009
Server Snapshot: Everything may seem the same on the surface, but recent incremental changes and discontinued offerings reveal much activity under the hood from Fujitsu.
How NEC Beats IBM, HP
| Hreviews Article Published February 26, 2009
Server Snapshot: NEC may not have a big market presence in the United States, but for enterprises seeking high fault tolerance at a relatively low price, it's worthy of being a serious candidate.
Dell Hones in on Blade Market
| Hreviews Article Published February 5, 2009
Server Snapshot: For much of the past year, rather than attempting a winner-take-all strategy against IBM and HP, Dell has been targeting specific segments of the blade market with its M-series offerings.
HP Sharpens Server Offerings With a Focus on Blades
| Hreviews Article Published January 8, 2009
HP Server Snapshot: Out with old, in with new was a running theme for HP's server lines in 2008. The emphasis is now on blades, and a two-in-one 'twin blade' and a virtualization-optimized blades are among the highlights.
Lenovo Server Snapshot: Here's Looking at You, SMB
| Hreviews Article Published October 16, 2008
Hard-Core Hardware: Lenovo's new ThinkServer server line is aimed squarely at SMBs. With its single and dual-core offerings aimed at the lower end of the server marketplace, the jury is still out on whether the OEM will be a game changer or a niche player.
IBM BladeCenter Close Up
| Hreviews Article Published September 25, 2008
Hard-Core Hardware: IBM has sharpened its BladeCenter offerings in recent months. Drew Robb looks at whether these new blades will catapult Big Blue to the top spot.
IBM Server Snapshot: Big Changes at Big Blue
| Hreviews Article Published September 4, 2008
Hard-Core Hardware: A new mainframe offering, and the consolidation and launch of sever lines are but some of the big changes at Big Blue in the past six months.
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Stratus
| Hreviews Article Published June 26, 2008
The OEM may be best known for its fault-tolerant servers, but it's also putting much innovation into the software side of the business.
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Sun Microsystems
| Hreviews Article Published May 9, 2008
Sun is duking it out with Dell for the No. 3 slot. Will the architectural advances it is bringing to its systems win customers over?
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on HP
| Hreviews Article Published March 6, 2008
For HP, the x86 ProLiant line is where most of the action is, but don't count the Itanium-based Integrity line out just yet.
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Fujitsu
| Hreviews Article Published January 18, 2008
If Unix is on the way out, no one told Fujitsu. In 2007, the vendor launched a new line of Unix servers it co-developed with Sun, as well as made incremental updates across the board.
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Unisys
| Hreviews Article Published November 2, 2007
Move over ES7000 and ES3000. Unisys' focus for 2007 has been on its ClearPath mainframe line.
Server Snapshot: Spotlight on Dell
| Hreviews Article Published October 5, 2007
Dell is all about the future as it revamps its server lines to combine AMD and Intel quad-core processors. Will that be enough to makeover its somewhat tarnished image?
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Gateway
| Hreviews Article Published September 28, 2007
The Gateway brand may soon be no more, but its products will live on. What steps should server customers take before its acquisition is complete?
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Sun Microsystems
| Hreviews Article Published August 17, 2007
A new blade system, faster processors, and the first fruits of its alliance with Fujitsu Computer Systems has made for a busy year for the Santa Clara systems vendor.
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on IBM
| Hreviews Article Published July 20, 2007
IBM has exhibited much growth in both revenue and product offerings since its previous appearance in the Server Snapshot spotlight.
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on HP
| Hreviews Article Published June 22, 2007
Incremental upgrades are hardly dramatic, but they are key to keeping up with the feverish pace of technology. HP's addition of quad-core chips to its ProLiant line and dual-core chips to its Integrity line are prime examples of this.
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Appro International
| Hreviews Article Published May 21, 2007
High-performance computing is becoming increasingly mainstream. Appro International offers a variety of solutions aimed at this space. Does it have what it takes to compete against the better-known and established mainstays?
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Penguin Computing
| Hreviews Article Published April 23, 2007
Penguin Computing's initial focus was Linux on Opteron. Now, it meets a wide array of high-performance computing needs through its three server lines.
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Stratus
| Hreviews Article Published March 26, 2007
If high availability is critical to your enterprise, a fault-tolerant server is an investment to consider. Stratus is one OEM specialized in x86-based fault-tolerant systems.
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Fujitsu
| Hreviews Article Published January 29, 2007
Can the No. 5 server vendor rise in the ranks? Fujitsu aims to. It has refreshed all three of its server lines in recent months and incorporated dual-core and virtualization technology into many of its models.
Server Snapshots: Spotlight on Gateway
| Hreviews Article Published January 2, 2007
From a design overhaul to AMD and dual-core chips, it's been a year of relentless change for Gateway servers.
Hardware Today: Apple Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published December 4, 2006
Apple simplified its server line and made less equal more.
Hardware Today: Dell Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published November 6, 2006
Performance, price/performance and price per watt is the latest mantra out of Round Rock, Texas.
Hardware Today: IBM Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published July 24, 2006
What's in, what's out? From name changes to new processors, the changes
throughout IBM's server portfolio have been plentiful in the past year.
Hardware Today: SGI Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published June 5, 2006
Is standardization the solution for SGI? The product line has shifted from proprietary Unix to Linux on Itanium 2.
Hardware Today: Fujitsu Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published May 8, 2006
Fujitsu is getting ready to bid adieu to PrimePower and make the volume market its prime number. Will Primergy and PrimeQuest fit the bill?
Hardware Today: Unisys Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published April 10, 2006
Streamlined server lines, 64-bit support, and Linux compatibility have enabled this server pioneer to keep pace with the times.
Hardware Today: Gateway Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published March 13, 2006
In the seven months since Hardware Today last looked at Gateway, the OEM released a new server, added a dual-core Xeon option to various products, and upgraded its storage offerings.
Hardware Today: Apple Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published February 6, 2006
Apple adds new software and storage capabilities to today's Xserve line. Tomorrow will bring a move from the G5 to the Intel Core Duo processor.
Hardware Today: Dell Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published January 9, 2006
Dell continues to gain ground while holding fast to its Intel ties.
Hardware Today: Sun Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published December 12, 2005
New chips and servers have made for a busy few months for Sun.
Hardware Today: HP Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published November 21, 2005
Much of HP's efforts the past six months have been spent rolling out dual-core servers and streamlining server platforms, specifically its NonStop line from PA-RISC to Itanium 2 on Integrity.
Hardware Today: SGI Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published October 24, 2005
Despite a smattering of entry-level offerings, SGI remains focused on meeting the needs of high-end users. Nowhere is this more clear than in its growing Altix line.
Hardware Today: IBM Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published September 27, 2005
IBM may be No. 1, but it's not content to rest on its laurels. From blades to its mainframes, big changes are afoot.
Hardware Today: Gateway Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published August 15, 2005
Gateway may be leaving the large-scale enterprise market to the Big Four and concentrating on the lower end, but its latest offerings are state-of-the-art enough to warrant a closer look.
Hardware Today: Fujitsu Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published July 18, 2005
Fujitsu continues to refresh its Primepower and Primergy lines, but the big news is its Powerquest servers. Built for Linux and Windows environments, the new products are designed to scale database and high-performance computing applications.
Hardware Today: Unisys Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published June 13, 2005
Last week, Unisys unveiled its Real Time Capacity server series. What has else has the vendor been up to since its last Server Snapshot?
Hardware Today: Sun Microsystems Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published May 9, 2005
The No. 3 server vendor is working hard to keep its server lines fresh as it surfs the crest of the server technology wave.
Hardware Today: HP Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published March 8, 2005
HP continues to streamline its server lines, consigning the HP 9000 and AlphaServers to history in favor of a future filled with ProLiant, Integrity, and NonStop servers.
Hardware Today: IBM Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published February 8, 2005
In an effort to meet desired utilization rates and consolidation concerns, IBM's latest additions to its eServer product family are POWER5-based offerings sporting Virtualization Engine technology.
Hardware Today: Apple Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published December 6, 2004
Is Apple's Xserve taking a bite out of the Wintel market?
Hardware Today: SGI Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published November 9, 2004
A high performance, low footprint Linux-Itanium 2 combo gives SGI an edge in the high performance technical computing marketplace.
Hardware Today: Fujitsu Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published October 11, 2004
Between souping up its x86 and Sparc lines and adding a new cooling system with the latest Xeon processors to its rack and tower servers, 2004 has been busy year for Fujitsu Computer Systems. Will 2005 be the year it leaps from the Other category into the Top Five?
Hardware Today: Unisys Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published September 13, 2004
Although Unisys is one of the longest-standing players in the server market, its hardware revenue has largely given way to that of services. We examine the vendor's latest server changes and consider its place in the server market as a whole.
Hardware Today — Dell Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published August 16, 2004
We once thought Dell might be too low-end for its own good as well as fuzzy on its blade strategy, but the company continues to add value to its entry-level servers while it sharpens its blade focus. However, we do wonder if it will ever give AMD a chance.
Hardware Today — Sun Microsystems Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published July 20, 2004
Will 2004 be the decisive year for Sun? We look at what the vendor's been up to since we last profiled it to determine whether the future merits sun screen or a slicker.
Hardware Today — HP Server Snapshot
| Hreviews Article Published June 14, 2004
In the past six months, HP has shifted its processor strategy, introduced a variety of new products, and is now weathering rumors of a split. Our latest Server Snapshot examines what the vendor's been up to and what's in the cards.
