IBM also announced the new IBM eServer xSeries 366, the first in a planned IBM family of dual-core-capable Intel-based server offerings “IBM today delivers the most advanced technology ever available on an Intel server platform,” said Susan Whitney, general manager for eServer xSeries, IBM Systems and Technology Group. “The new xSeries product family based on X3 draws from our mainframe expertise and provides unprecedented benefits for customers seeking the most sophisticated capabilities and performance from their software applications.”
The third generation of IBM’s Enterprise X-Architecture design, X3 is optimized for superior server consolidation and enterprise application software, and uses IBM’s high-end Virtualization Engine technology to enhance virtualization capabilities. IBM’s X3 architecture offers investment protection for IBM customers with its family of pay-as-you-growIntel-based servers by supporting both 32-bit and 64-bit applications on the same platform so clients can migrate to 64-bit as needed.
Formerly known as “Summit” prior to its 2001 introduction, Enterprise X-Architecture has been well received by customers and has helped IBM capture market leadership for the eight-way and above Intel server market segment. In fact, IBM went from 18 percent worldwide market share to nearly60 percent in the eight-way space. Additionally, IBM has consistently been the fastest-growing Intel-server vendor in the world since 2001, and grewrevenue in the Intel server market segment by 26 percent year-to-year for3Q04.*
The eServer xSeries 366 is built with 64-bit Intel Xeon processors MP and platform capabilities including support for DDR2-based Active Memory and Active PCI-X 2.0, the new standard for high performance server I/O. This platform, combined with IBM’s chipset technology expertise, can improveoverall system performance compared to the previous generation by up to 38percent when 64GB of memory is used. (1)
The x366 will offer a significant price/performance improvement over priorgenerations, eliminating the price discontinuity between two-way and four-way commercial platforms. The x366 is optimized for server consolidation and enterprise applications, including business software such as IBM DB2 Universal Database, SAP, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle.
IBM Hurricane chipset technology leadership
Hurricane, the third-generation Enterprise X-Architecture chipset, is the heart of X3, providing the x366 with an integrated processor and memory controller that significantly reduces memory latency, improving response times and overall system performance for customers. The XA-64e chipset was specifically designed for xSeries by a cross-platform architectural team who has expertise from IBM’s mainframe heritage.
About IBM
IBM is the world’s largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key IBM Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of e-business. For more information about IBM, visit www.ibm.com.