Hewlett-Packard Co. last week introduced a line of x86 servers for companies that operate massive computing facilities, where shaving a few dollars off each system's energy or shipping costs can add up to significant savings.
Christine Martino, general manager of HP's Scalable Computing and Infrastructure group, said the new ProLiant SL servers consume about 28% less power and weigh almost a third less than a "standard" rack-mount server.
The servers have what HP calls a "skinless" design that does away with much of the exterior metal casing, making them look a bit like blade servers.
The first three SL models are due to ship next month, HP said. They're based on Intel Corp.'s Xeon 5500 processors, code-named Nehalem.
This version of the story originally appeared in Computerworld 's print edition.