Gartner: iDataPlex is the Future of Servers - Data Center Knowledge

Gartner: iDataPlex is the Future of Servers - Data Center Knowledge: "Gartner released a research note Tuesday on the shift in the server market towards Web 2.0 and high performance computing, exemplified in IBM's launch of the iDataPlex server last week. Gartner analysts John Enck, Andrew Butler and Carl Claunch believe that 'innovation in packaging will continue to drive data center density.' An excerpt:

Sales of servers in the Web 2.0 and high-performance computing (HPC) niches are outpacing those in the general server market. These two segments currently have unique requirements: Purchasers want the lowest-cost, lowest-overhead server, but with the most efficient power management and cooling. IBM's iDataPlex is explicitly targeted at these market segments and provides IBM with an architectural framework for addressing the emerging interest in cloud computing. ... Although iDataPlex is not appropriate for most enterprises today, it points to where server hardware is heading. Servers have evolved from tower servers to blade servers mounted in a chassis — and now the rack itself is becoming an integral part of the server.

Gartner said it expects similar offerings from a number of mainstream vendors within the next two years."