Paul and John, >"Intel Corporation today announced a host of new server products to be offered through its worldwide channel program"
Hmm, Intel skating very near being a server OEM again? Picking terms from the article, the packaging level goes from:
An "Intel Server Board STL2 "...OK, an OEM or system integrator will build that into their own server box. To:
"Intel Server Platforms SPKA4 and SRKA4 "...OK, later these are called building blocks, so it sounds like they, too, would be bought by an OEM and then integrated into their own box. But then, one of them is described as "pedestal server platform, and can be converted to a 7U rack-mountable configuration." The last part sounds very close to a finished product to me.
Then there is this one: "The new SRPM8 system features the Profusion* chipset supporting up to eight Pentium III Xeon processors, 32GB of ECC SDRAM memory, 64-bit/66MHz PCI slots, PCI Hot-Plug functionality and advanced system management. The SRPM8 delivers balanced performance, offering both processor scalability and high I/O throughput. The processing power is packaged in a space-efficient 7U rack mount chassis to meet the needs of the enterprise computing market segment."
Definitely sounds like a finished product.
Oh, I see, this part explains it:
Among the products being introduced for channel availability are the Intel® Server Board STL2, the Intel Server Board SBT2, the Intel Server Platforms SPKA4 and SRKA4, and, to qualified system integrators, the Intel SRPM8 High-End 8-Way Intel Pentium® III Xeon(TM) Rack Mount Server.
So they sell some out to "the channel" and others to "qualified system integrators". I understand former, but who are the latter?
So, the end customers for these might be:
- Web hosters like Digex or PSI Net (don't dare to say Exodus). If so, Intel would be competing directly with Compaq, IBM, HP and Dell. Who does the maintenance on the resulting racks?
- OEMs, like Dell who don't do much of their own R&D
- Other?
Maybe I go around and around on this stuff too much, i.e., about Intel competing with its own best customers on server products. Maybe John Hull could lend some "straightening out" if he's reading.
Great looking products though! Sound like Compaq or IBM quality. And, as a stockholder, I don't mind Intel making oodles of money in the white hot server market DIRECTLY (as long as the their OEM customers "understand"). Also, from my own experience with Intel server "building blocks" they are excellent quality.
Tony |
