HP Ushers In Blades, New Server Format

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 4, 2001--Hewlett-Packard Company todaylaunched the industry's first blade server product series based on openindustry standards. The series enables enterprises, telecommunicationscompanies and service providers to streamline Internet data centermanagement by adding flexible, efficient, easy-to-manage servercapacity and Internet functionality in a highly compact unit.

HP also announced a blade server alliance program to help acceleratethe delivery of compatible products that use the same CompactPCIindustry standard used in HP blade servers. The program helps bothhardware and software providers to develop, test and market theirblades products and give customers more computing options.

More than 20 companies have already endorsed the HP blade server andits open standards-based architecture, including Accton TechnologyCorporation, Agilent Technologies, AMD, Amphus, Brocade, DiversifiedTechnology, Inc., Ensim, F5 Networks, Force Computers, GDATechnologies, InfoValue, Inktomi, Intel Corporation, OracleCorporation, OSA Technologies, PolyServe, Radisys, RealNetworks,Savastra Systems, SBS Technologies, ServerWorks, SonicWall, Transmetaand TurboLinux.

HP's blade server products are essentially "computers on a board"operating in a compact chassis that reduces complex wiring issues. Theproducts include server, storage, appliance, network, switch andmanagement blades and are supported by HP OpenView servicemanageability tools which include comprehensive network, system,storage, application and service management solutions. HP blade serverproducts will initially run on the Linux operating system distributionsof Red Hat, Debian and SuSE. HP-UX and Microsoft Windows are expectedto be available on the blade server in the first half of 2002.

"We are pleased that HP has chosen Windows as a key element for itsserver appliance solution for the Internet, telecommunications andenterprises on its open standards-based blade architecture," said BrianValentine, senior vice president, Windows Division, Microsoft.

With this blade server product series, HP aims to seize theleadership position in the rapidly expanding blades market, which IDCestimates will reach $2.9 billion by 2005. IDC also estimates that by2005, the blade unit design will have captured approximately 23 percentof entry-level server unit sales and 10 percent of entry-level serverrevenue.

"We are excited to test HP's blade server technology to supportDirecWay Services. HP's blade server technology will reduce power,space and cabling requirements," said Emil Regard, vice president ofstrategic marketing, Hughes Network Systems. "The ability to easilymanage and support blade environments will help us reduce IT costs andHP's open standards product has the potential to help our businessoperate more efficiently."

The innovative unit design of the HP blade server products, combinedwith HP's end-to-end service offerings, allows organizations to operatemore efficiently by deploying Internet-edge computing solutions inhighly constrained environments. Designed for flexibility, theextensive variety of HP blade server products and services provide asmooth integration into existing IT environments, fast deployment, easeof management and ongoing investment protection.

"The blades market is poised for rapid growth and HP's approach toblades is leading the way for the expansion of that market," said JohnHumphreys, IDC. "HP's blade server offers customers a very open,flexible architecture that delivers higher levels of management, lowertotal cost of ownership, greater ease-of-use and higher performancethan current blade architectures or rack servers. HP appears to beahead of its competition in this space, with well-developed ecosystemsof partners that will drive real benefit for customers."

Information about HP and its products can be found on the World WideWeb at http://www.hp.com.