VentureBeat

It’s weird for me to go to a Web 2.0 conference to write about hardware. But you have to follow the news. IBM is announcing today that it has created an Internet server that is ideal for Web 2.0 companies.

Big Blue says the iDataPlex has been designed based on the feedback of hundreds of Web 2.0 companies from social networks to online gaming sites. It uses 40 percent less energy than a typical white box rack system and fits twice as many boxes in the same space. IBM says that data centers that use these liquid-cooled servers will be able to operate without air conditioning. And the performance of these machines is about five times as much as what a typical white-box rack system could do.

Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Sun Microsystems compete in the same space, but Drew Clark, director of strategy at the IBM’s venture capital group, says that IBM’s system is customized for this space. Pricing is to be determined. The systems will be available in June in the U.S.

“We’re trying to remove bottlenecks that stand in the way of operating a web site that can scale for the masses,” Clark said.

Work began on the project 18 months ago, starting with interviews with hundreds of Web 2.0 companies. The servers use standard hardware and software, including Intel processors. Expected customers include Forterra, a maker of virtual worlds for enterprises and national security applications.

Look for a lot of Web 2.0 Expo coverage from VentureBeat in the next few days.

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