HP refreshes Integrity line
Servers should appeal with their 'high-level performance at entry-level prices', vendor claims
Hewlett-Packard (HP) has claimed the overhaul to its Integrity server line will give its partners an extra margin opportunity by enabling customers to drive down the cost of business-critical computing.
The vendor has doubled the capacity of its Integrity rx6600 and rx3600 servers by installing Intel’s Itanium 2 Montecito processors. The servers work on multiple operating systems including HP-UX 11i, Microsoft Windows, Linux or HP’s OpenVMS.
Ken Surplice, business critical servers HP EMEA, told CRN: “HP’s mission is to simplify computing, and our Integrity servers have been growing over the years to be a range of management tools and hardware that work across multiple operating systems.
“Most servers spend two-thirds of their time idling,” he said. “But with this refresh we are able to deliver more flexibility and capacity to customers. We can help them to put the resource where they need it, but on a lower power consumption because of the dual-core processor.”
Surplice added that the products should appeal to VARs because they allow for “an easy transition” from existing servers and offer high-level performance at entry-level prices.
“The mid-market potential for partners is huge,” he claimed. “The HP installed base is a large mid-market opportunity for the channel and we have established a clear leadership over our rivals in terms of value. It is also an easy way for our channel partners to engage with new customers in that space.”
Surplice added that the virtualisation capability of the servers is also a crucial selling point.
“We can now match the services with all of the proven virtualisation previously available only on mid-range and Superdome servers,” he said.
Microsoft has chosen Integrity as a key component of its business strategy of Risc replacement with the Windows platform.
Bob Muglia, senior vice-president server and tools business at Microsoft, said: “Today, customers are using HP Integrity servers, the Windows platform and SQL Server 2005 for the highest-end, mission-critical business applications, that provide solutions never before available on the Windows platform.”
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