HP Adds Opteron-Based Servers To Its Lineup

Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s Opteron chip gained momentum last week when Hewlett-Packard became the third top-tier server vendor to offer systems featuring the 32-bit chip with 64-bit capabilities, providing increased options for customers and complicating life for processor rival Intel.

Only two weeks ago at the Intel Developer Forum, HP pledged to offer servers based on Intel's 32-bit Xeon processor with 64-bit extensions. The HP Opteron systems, however, will beat the Xeon systems to market.

"The customer is basically in the catbird seat," says Jean Bozman, an analyst with research firm IDC. "IT spending is increasing, and [server] customers can talk to all these vendors and entertain various bids and proposals."

Townsend Analytics Ltd. is moving to 64-bit computing in order to improve overall system speed and increase available memory addressability. The provider of real-time trading and investment software runs a server farm of about 700 HP ProLiant servers and plans to add Opteron-based servers in the near future, says Jon Akeson, procurement evaluator for the company.

COVERING ITS BASES HP is expanding its server line to include 64-bit chips from Intel competitor AMD Product line Processor and availability ProLiant Intel Xeon; 32-bit is available; 64-bit extensions in 2Q AMD Opteron: In March ProLiant Blade Servers Intel Xeon: 32-bit currently available; 64-bit extensions in second half 2004 AMD Opteron: Second half 2004 Integrity Intel Itanium; available now Data: Hewlett-Packard