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  • IBM Tweaks Prices on BladeCenter H and Power Blade Networking Gear

    January 28, 2008 Timothy Prickett Morgan

    Support for the i5/OS V6R1 operating system on the JS22 Power6-based blade server is expected some time soon, and so is the general availability of the new BladeCenter S blade server chassis that is aimed at small and medium business customers–the kind who like the i5/OS platform but who also have Windows and sometimes Linux and AIX in their shops. To help spur a little business with its current product line, IBM last week rejiggered prices on networking components used in the Power blades and the BladeCenter H chassis. IBM did, however, increase some prices, too.

    Specifically, IBM raised the price it charges for a Gigabit Ethernet switch module for the BladeCenter H chassis from Nortel Networks by 14 percent to $2,399 and raised the price on Ethernet expansion cards for the JS21 PowerPC 970MP and JS22 Power6 blade servers by 20 percent to $299. IBM also raised the price on an InfiniBand 4x cable for the chassis by 86 percent to $499. (Man, I am in the wrong business. I mean, 500 smackeroonies for a cable?) The price on the QLogic 4 Gb Fibre Channel pass-thru module for the chassis was increased by 11 percent to $4,999.

    IBM also cut prices on Fibre Channel and Gigabit Ethernet mezzanine cards that plug into the JS21 and JS22 blade servers, with some very steep price cuts. Various switch modules also saw price decreases, which are outlined in the table below:

    Machine Feature Purchase Price Percent
    type number Description Old New Change
    7988 8248 QLogic
    4Gb CFF Fibre Channel Expansion Card
    $799 $749 -6%
    7988 8249 Ethernet Expansion
    Card
    $249 $299 20%
    7988 8252 QLogic
    Ethernet and 4 Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card
    $3,019 $999 -67%
    7988 8255 Emulex 4 Gb SFF Fibre Channel Expansion Card $799 $749 -6%
    7989 3202 QLogic
    4Gb 20-port Fibre Channel Switch Module
    $13,999 $12,499 -11%
    7989 3206 Brocade 4Gb
    20-port SAN Switch Module
    $14,999 $12,499 -17%
    7989 3207 Brocade 4Gb
    10-port SAN Switch Module
    $8,999 $7,499 -17%
    7989 3212 Nortel
    Networks L2/L3 Copper Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module
    $2,099 $2,399 14%
    7989 3234 InfiniBand
    3M 12X-(3) 4X Cable
    $269 $499 86%
    7989 3235 IBM
    BladeCenter H Serial Port Breakout Cable
    $269 $99 -63%
    7989 3241 Cisco Systems
    4Gb 10-port Fibre Channel Switch Module
    $8,999 $7,499 -17%
    7989 3242 Cisco Systems 4Gb 20-port Fibre Channel Switch Module $14,999 $12,499 -17%
    7989 3243 QLogic
    10-port 4 Gb SAN Switch Module
    $8,999 $7,499 -17%
    7989 3244 QLogic
    20-port 4 Gb SAN Switch Module
    $13,999 $12,499 -11%
    7989 3245 QLogic
    4 Gb Intelligent Pass-Thru Module
    $4,509 $4,999 11%
    7998 8248 QLogic
    4Gb 2 Port Fibre Channel Expansion Card
    $799 $749 -6%
    7998 8249 Ethernet Expansion
    Card
    $249 $299 20%
    7998 8252 QLogic Ethernet and 4 Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card $3,019 $999 -67%

    What is pretty obvious from this table is that while blade servers are great for packing more computing into a given space, and virtualization is great for pushing up server utilization, the investment in the switching and storage networking technologies that are used in blades and are a necessity for virtualized, efficient server environments sure are expensive. The benefits undoubtedly outweigh the costs, but cutting the check for this networking and storage area networking fabric must be annoying.

    RELATED STORIES

    The Rumor Mill on IBM’s Impending Platform Announcements

    Some Info on i5/OS V6R1 and V6R2 Support

    Bracing for i5/OS V6R1 and the Winding Down of V5

    Power6 Blades Finally Come to Market from IBM

    IBM Tweaks BladeCenter S for the Office, Preps Power6 Blades

    IBM Helps Users Migrate to Power6-Based System i Boxes

    i5/OS V6R1: The TIMI, It Is A-Changing

    IBM Previews i5/OS V6R1, Due in 2008

    IBM Upgrades High-End System i Server with Power6



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    Tags: Tags: mtfh_rc, Volume 17, Number 4 -- January 28, 2008

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    Admin Alert: Before You Buy That New System i, Part 2 i5/OS V6R1 Announced Today, Ships in March

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TFH Volume: 17 Issue: 4

This Issue Sponsored By

    Table of Contents

    • IBM to Buy AMD? Seems Unlikely, But an Interesting Idea
    • i5/OS V6R1: It Must Be Getting Close, Since People Are Talking
    • Microsoft Rains on IBM’s Lotusphere Parade
    • As I See It: Avatar Nation
    • Readers Pipe Up On the STG Reorg and System i Wish List
    • IBM Tweaks Prices on BladeCenter H and Power Blade Networking Gear
    • IBM Buys AptSoft, Bringing Yet Another Twist to the SOA Story
    • The Model 270: Of Course It Runs V5R4, But Now What?
    • System i Recruiter Nate Viall Does NBC Nightly News
    • Bytware Announces i5virus Winners

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