Force10 Networks Joins Blade.org

Force10 today announced that it has joined Blade.org, an industry organization created to develop and advance next generation technologies for the fast growing blade server market. Comprised of more than 40 leading technology companies, Blade.org will focus on accelerating the introduction and adoption of platform-based blade solutions, such as IBM's BladeCenter H, which increases server computing power while reducing management and hardware requirements. "High performance data centers that combine advanced blade servers, clustering architectures and high performance Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet are transforming enterprise computation, bringing supercomputer horsepower to the enterprise user at a fraction of the traditional cost," said Stephen Garrison, vice president of corporate marketing for Force10 Networks. "As a leader in high performance networking, Force10 is collaborating closely with our customers and partners on technologies such as blades servers that will form the foundation of the next generation data center." A blade server is a chassis that houses multiple server blades, which function as independent servers and are frequently dedicated to a single application. Within the data center, consolidation and increasing traffic on the network are driving the demand for high performance computing solutions like blade servers that allow more processing power in less rack space. Ideal for a cluster of servers that are dedicated to a single task, the compact, high performance power of blade servers simplify cabling and reduce power consumption. Blade servers are becoming increasingly popular with enterprises that require high performance, cost-effective computing but have limited data center space. Industry analyst firm IDC predicts that chassis-based blade devices will be more than 25 percent of the overall server market by 2009. Blade.org will examine specific issues including the compatibility, interoperability, bylaws and solution architectures of blade servers. The organization will also work to promote the adoption of blade servers beyond large enterprises and into small to mid-size businesses as well as specific vertical markets, including retail, banking and healthcare.