The low-end server market includes all x86 based servers and comparable class PowerPC servers. This project addresses both hardware and software components and technologies for success in this market. Key hardware issues are delivering leadership performance to market in SMP servers, and in providing other market valued features to the product lines such as remote operation and trouble diagnosis. It is expected that this market will continue to be dominated by x86 based machines, even in strategic timeframes. The key software issue is how to provide market valued software and software features into this market as it continues to be dominated by non-IBM operating system (NT, Novell, SCO-Unix), database (Oracle), and applications software.
IBM's tactical solutions to the low-end server market need to be successful to maintain presence and relevance. But the critical need is for strategic solutions for this market, providing IBM leadership in the product arena, and forming a critical position as low-end servers become pervasive components of enterprise computing overall.
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