Just as the battle to dominate the handset operating system realm intensifies, the contest for supremacy on the server side has taken a fresh dimension with a new product from Hewlett Packard Co.
HP has released a new line of servers known as HP Integrity, which challenges rivals Sun Microsystems Inc. and IBM Corp. to come up with their own technical responses. The servers are based on Intel’s next-generation Itanium chipsets.
The product line targets enterprise software vendors like PeopleSoft, Portal Software and Siebel Systems. With this new line of servers, companies will no longer be held hostage to the Unix operating system alone. HP’s solution will allow flexibility for companies to use not only Unix, but also Windows and Linux. It takes the competitive monopoly away from Unix.
HP’s server line also is an endorsement of industry trends toward open standards.
HP’s proprietary architecture is currently based on the HP-UX operating system, while Sun used the Solaris server running on SPARC architecture and IBM operates the AIX running on Power PC architecture. HP also has the Intel-based Microsoft system and the HP PA-RISC system.
“The Integrity servers offer the ability to run all three operating systems concurrently on the same systems,” said Carl DCosta, director of alliances at HP, explaining that the solution will enable information technology managers to manage cost and improve agility.
The parity that could result from this solution may not necessarily transfer into the handheld or client side, except for with high-end devices. Because the server is rich, only rich clients can benefit from this line of servers.
He said the servers handle a wide variety of applications covering infrastructure partners, business intelligence companies, enterprise resource planning and manufacturing companies. HP said major companies like Accenture, Bearing Point, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young and Deloitte Consulting will enhance HP’s Itanium-based system with their integrated solutions and services.
With the availability of the different operating systems in one architecture, companies can dedicate each to different services and activities, according to DCosta.
“Enterprise customers are demanding more in terms of the total ownership experience,” said Ram Gupta, executive vice president, product and technology at PeopleSoft. “Working with HP, we are able to deliver to our customers the price/performance advantages of Itanium and the pure Internet architecture of PeopleSoft applications.”
Portal Software, which has a seven-year partnership with HP, said the solution will lower the company’s total cost of ownership and time of deployment, said Bhaskar Gorti, senior vice president of marketing and alliances at Portal.
“With the new Itanium chipsets, companies don’t need different hardware configuration,” said Gorti.
With different operating systems, companies can spread their workloads. Gorti said Portal’s system is designed into four tiers, including data, object, business logic and client, and they all do not have to be dedicated to one operating system.
One of the advantages of the HP solution is in the field of billing, messaging and provisioning applications. HP said four independent software vendors, including ADC, Amdocs, Granite Systems and Intec Telecom Systems have committed to the Itanium-based solutions.
