IBM Team with Intel for eServer BladeCenter

September 2, 2004 - (HostReview.com) - IBM (www.ibm.com), in collaboration with Intel Corporation, has made available the design specifications for the IBM eServer® BladeCenter(TM) platform. The specifications allow hardware vendors to more easily create BladeCenter-compatible products and participate in the rapidly growing blade server market segment.

"Customers have made it clear that they desire the ability to use best-of-breed products that are easily integrated and managed," said Jeff Benck, vice president, IBM eServer BladeCenter. "The opening of the BladeCenter specifications continues Intel's and IBM's commitment to industry collaboration and to delivering the value, flexibility and choice that customers expect from blade servers."

IBM and Intel will provide technical support to assist product development, including design guidelines and hands-on, fee-based support from IBM's Engineering & Technology Services organization. The specifications are available with royalty-free licenses to IBM or Intel technology.

"Third-party hardware vendors have been looking for ways to participate in the rapidly growing blade server market," said Jeff Richardson, general manager of Intel's enterprise products and services division. "The public availability of the design specifications provides hardware vendors access to the blades market serviced by the BladeCenter platform as well as supporting IBM's and Intel's effort to establish a broader portfolio of third-party value-add products."

Enterprise networking vendors can now develop products that are compliant with the BladeCenter architecture. This will help ensure that future BladeCenter-based deployments will seamlessly integrate into enterprise customer's IT infrastructure.