Hewlett-Packard Co. on Monday introduced a new eight-way server designed to shore up its position as the top seller of midrange Unix servers.
The HP Server rp7410, offered at a base price of $69,000, can handle up to eight 64-bit PA-8700 processors (running at speeds of 650MHz and 750MHz) and offers some of the same design technology as the companys beefier 16-way rp8400, which was introduced in September.
The rp7410, which can be upgraded to incorporate upcoming Itanium chips by Intel Corp., can be divided into eight virtual servers, offering customers the ability to consolidate multiple systems into a single system.
In announcing its newest server, HP touted its performance vs. offerings from rivals IBM and Sun Microsystems Inc. In handling Java applications, the rp7400 performed 35 percent better than a 12-way Sun 6800 and 17 percent faster than an eight-way IBM P660-6M1 system, based on the SPECjbb2000 benchmark.
For technical applications, the HP server posted scores 45 percent better than a Sun 3800 and 23 percent faster than an IBM P660-6M1 on SPECint-rate2000 results.
To further fuel sales, HP, of Palo Alto. Calif., is also offering zero percent financing for the first 12 months to qualified buyers, as well as extended warrantees.
Since 1997, HP has been the leading provider, based on dollar sales, of midrange Unix servers, according to market researcher International Data Corp., of Framingham, Mass.