Cisco, IBM Announce New Partnership, Network Device

karthik_r085 writes "According to Washington Technology, Integrators considering server blade technology to simplify data center architectures stand to benefit from today's partnering announcement by Cisco Systems Inc. and IBM Corp. The companies introduced a combined solution that integrates Cisco switches and IBM blade servers into one unit to help speed deployment and manage data center costs."

Comments

this seems like a good deal

[ErichTheWebGuy]

In huge server rooms (well, at least in mine :-), you generally have 3 areas: a section of racks for servers, a section of racks for switches/routers/patch panels etc, and a section for electrical panels, inline surge protectors, etc.

So, if I can combine my networking and server areas into one, well hell, I can fit more servers into the same space without shelling out for data center expansion.

It's almost a no-brainer.

GPL

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe IBM can beat some sense into Linksys/Cisco's head regarding observing the terms of the GPL?

TV video combo anyone ?

[choas]

Hmmmm I don`t know, but this reminds me a little bit too much of those TV-Video combos that were quite popular in the mid 90's...

I mean if one of the two fails you can still use the other, but you are stuck with the broken secundary unit being attached, forever and always...

pcimg 2.16

[rmolehusband]

The PCIMG have had the 2.16 OPEN standard around for a while and it's supported by a goodly number of manufacturers offering a wide range of cards, not just blades. 2.16 defines a cPCI chassis where cards (blades) use twin ethernet, initally over the backplance, to communicate with each other and the outside world via a pair of switches, one at each end of the rack. mmmm....., redundancy.

I'm not sure how much overlap there is in the target markets, but the concept seems more or less identical to this 'new breakthrough'. The artcicle's/IBM's statement that to date, no standard exists to pull together blades and switches, making the Cisco-IBM solution "a de factor (sic) standard," according to an IBM spokesperson seem like blinkered wishful thinking from their marketing departement.