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 Half the size, 72 per cent cooler, 54 per cent more energy efficient, and as much as 70 per cent lighter — the statistics show that Sun servers running Intel pay off.
First announced in January 2007, the Sun-Intel alliance has rapidly delivered measurable value to customers. So far, four world-class Sun systems designed around quad-core Intel processors have been released.
It's one reason Sun's server revenue market share increased 11.5 per cent in Australia in 2007, while HP, Dell, IBM, and others declined, according to IDC.
Sun Fire X4450 and X4150 servers and Sun Blade X8540 and X6250 systems enable customers to cope with today's demanding issues of power, cost, space, and heating. The latest is the Sun Fire X4450 server — the world's smallest, four-socket, x86 quad-core server.
Compare It to its Competitors
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Sun Fire X4450 |
Dell PowerEdge R900 |
IBM System X3850 M2 |
HP ProLiant DL580 Generation 5 |
| Rack Size |
2U |
Twice the size |
Twice the size |
Twice the size |
| Weight |
25.54 kg |
20% heavier |
70% heavier |
63% heavier |
| Max BTU/hr |
3221 |
66% hotter |
72% hotter |
53% hotter |
| Max power consumption |
1050W |
50% less efficient |
54% less efficient |
37% less efficient |
Sun's innovation, combined with Intel's design and manufacturing, has spawned some of the market's best volume servers to tackle the challenges of energy consumption and space. What sparked the companies to collaborate? Customer demand.
Why Sun and Intel?
Customers wanted to buy Sun and Intel products secure in the knowledge they were optimised to perform well together.
If you are about to port the Solaris 10 OS to an Intel-based system, you want to know that the system can take advantage of all the capabilities in both the hardware and software.
Intel and Sun at first glance seem strange bedfellows, which may be why hundreds of Australian and New Zealanders attended recent joint ANZ road shows to see the results of the alliance and how these joint technologies deliver world-class performance.
| Sun Delivers |
Intel Delivers |
| Best-in-class operating system |
Highest volume computing platform and industry reach |
| Innovative, differentiated system designs |
Cutting-edge silicon design and manufacturing process |
| Full solution delivery: Systems, storage, software, services |
Innovation and outstanding roadmap |
Alliances Deliver Choice and Interoperability
Alliances broaden customer choice. For example, the Sun Fire X4450 allows organisations to combine the Solaris OS, Microsoft Windows, VMware, and Linux for the optimal solution.
As priority one, Sun invests in communities and strategic alliances to develop systems and software to enable customers to scale without lock in. Those characteristics are key in alliances that Sun has struck since 2007:
- Intel: Under our strategic alliance, Intel has endorsed the Solaris 10 OS and Sun has committed to deliver a comprehensive lineup of Xeon-based servers and workstations. The agreement also covers Java and NetBeans technology and includes joint engineering, design, and marketing.
- AMD: To support Sun's momentum in the x86 server market, Sun has designed unique systems based on AMD's much-anticipated quad-core Opteron processors.
- Microsoft: Sun has signed on as a Windows Server OEM. Sun and Microsoft also collaborate to enable deployment of Windows server on Sun x86 systems.
- IBM: IBM distributes the Solaris OS and Solaris subscriptions for select x86-based IBM System x servers and BladeCenter systems. IBM and Sun's support of interoperability via open standards also means that customers can extend infrastructure by easily connecting new platforms.
- Google: StarOffice, Sun's office productivity software, is available through the Google Pack software download service.
- Fujitsu: Expanded Sun and Fujitsu SPARC Enterprise server line with the introduction of the SPARC Enterprise T5120 and T5220 servers, based on the new UltraSPARC T2 processor.
Read more about Sun's strategic alliances.
If you are interested in further information on anything covered in this issue of Sun Inner Circle, please contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Duncan Bennet
VP and Managing Director
Sun Microsystems Australia / New Zealand Pty. Ltd.
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