IBM Launches First 64-Bit Blade Server Based on POWER Architecture

IBM has announced the launch of the JS20, the first blade server based on POWER architecture. The eServer(tm) BladeCenter(tm) JS20 supports both SuSE Linux and Turbolinux and utilizes the POWERPC(r) 970 (PPC 970) processor. IBM is extending its blade technology to 64-bit computing, offering customers the choice of either POWER processor-based or Intel Xeon(tm) processor-based blade servers. The JS20 is the lowest priced POWER processor-based server available on the market with a starting price of $2,699 and is ideal for customers in financial services, research and life sciences. IBM also announced the eServer BladeCenter for Bioinformatics, a complete solution designed to deliver affordable, high-throughput computing and application performance in life science research environments.