IBM Launches eServer X3 architecture

IBM (www.ibm.com) today introduced the eServer X3 architecture, the culmination of a three year, one hundred-million-dollar development effort, to bring mainframe-inspired capabilities and sophisticated high-end technology to the company's next-generation 64-bit Intel Xeon processor-based xSeries servers.

"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 X3 architecture provides up to 38 percent higher four-way performance than the previous generation of Intel Xeon processor-based systems, enabling businesses to simultaneously run 32-bit and 64-bit applications and more rapidly process massive amounts of data.
IBM also announced the new IBM eServer xSeries 366, the first in a planned IBM family of dual-core-capable Intel-based server offerings.

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-grow Intel-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 nearly 60 percent in the eight-way space.

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.

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 IBM eServer xSeries 366 server is planned to be available in volume within 90 days. Pricing for the x366 will start at $6,999 in the United States. IBM's eServer X3 systems will arrive concurrently with new scalable 64-bit x86 operating system software from major technology vendors including Microsoft, Red Hat and Novell.