IBM Broadens Use of Opterons in System x Servers
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

As has been rumored for a number of weeks, IBM yesterday unveiled a System x server line based on the "Santa Rosa" Rev F Opteron processors from Advanced Micro Devices. The five new machines will give IBM the means of better competing with Opteron-based solutions from Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems, but IBM is by no means abandoning or even diminishing its use of X64 processors from Intel. READ MORE >

Microsoft Leans on SAM as Licensing Grows More Complex
by Alex Woodie

"You should pay for what you use, and use what you pay for," were the words Microsoft server chief Bob Muglia used during a keynote at the Microsoft Management Summit 2006 in San Diego in May. That statement sounds simple enough, but of course it's rife with complications. Microsoft is finding that out as it ramps up its Software Asset Management (SAM) program to bring customers in-line with the terms of their licenses, and possibly reaps more revenue along the way. READ MORE >

Inside Microsoft's New ERP Pricing Scheme
by Alex Woodie

Microsoft yesterday began charging for ERP software in a new way. Instead of forcing customers to pick from hundreds of modules, it is now selling a handful of bundles that include all the modules needed to accomplish a given business process, and charging customers on a per-user basis. The move, which was heralded by Microsoft's channel, should make Microsoft more competitive with tier-one ERP vendors SAP and Oracle, and should benefit the company's SMB sales strategy, too. READ MORE >

Who's Ahead in the X64 Server Wars?
by Dan Olds

According to recently released sales figures, server sales in the first quarter of 2006 were flat or declining. The only bright spot for vendors was the 32-bit X86 and 64-bit X64 server market, which saw industry leading unit and sales growth--albeit not at the same pace as last year. (You can see IT Jungle's analysis of the number from IDC and Gartner in this story from several weeks ago.) Slow growth in server sales means we are still in a buyer's market with most, if not all, of the leverage firmly on the side of the customer. READ MORE >