PC blade pioneer ClearCube Technology Inc. is turning to partners to help extend the reach of its products.
The Austin, Texas, company last week unveiled the ClearCube Solutions Network, or CSN, a group of eight technology vendors that will give users other reasons to adopt ClearCubes PC blades, officials said.
Up to now, ClearCube, while it had partnered with various other vendors, had products that were somewhat proprietary; customers needed ClearCubes User Ports to access the blades, officials said. The new network will give customers other access points. For example, users could hook thin-client appliances from Neoware Systems Inc., a CSN partner, into the ClearCube PC blades, officials said. In addition, packing blades in a central area increases power and thermal concerns, which are issues that another CSN partner, American Power Conversion Corp., addresses with its infrastructure products.
ClearCube builds blade computers that sit in a chassis stored in a central location. The blades are connected to the desktop keyboard, mouse and monitor via User Ports that sit on the desk. Users get a full Windows environment, while administrators get a more manageable and secure computer infrastructure.
One ClearCube customer lauded the vendors creation of the network. “Its a good move,” said Guy Fuller, IT manager at Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, in Chicago. “Weve encouraged them to broaden their horizons. To get to the point where theyre pervasive, theyre going to have to truly partner with other vendors.”