Lenovo debuts small-business servers worldwide
Lenovo is to enter the global server market for the first time, with the launch of its ThinkServer range of servers.
Aimed at small to medium-sized businesses, the range will become available on 30 September, sold through Lenovo's established network of business partners. Pitched as an "out-of-the-box solution", the ThinkServer machines will come with management software — the EasyStartup configuration tool, the EasyUpdate utility and the EasyManage performance monitor — and a 90-day trial of ThinkPlus Priority Support.
The ThinkServer line includes three towers (the TS100, TD100 and TD100x) and two rack x86 servers (the RS110 and RD120). All machines will come with the option of Microsoft Windows Server or Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Server operating system.
The TS100 and RS110, targeting small offices, come with a choice of Intel Core 2 Duo, or Xeon 3000 or 3200 processors. The TD100, TD100x and RD120 servers are for medium-sized businesses, and come with Xeon 3000 or 5000 processors. The range starts at $749 (£419), according to Lenovo, although UK prices have not yet become available.
According to Lenovo's website, the servers can use one or two Xeons with up to 12 dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs), so the maximum memory in the machines will be 48GB. Up to eight hard drives can be installed for a maximum 6TB (terabytes) of storage. Also included are advanced error-correcting code (ECC), LED diagnostics, redundant power and cooling, and integrated RAID options.
Lenovo already sells servers in China under the SureServer brand, but the ThinkServer range is the manufacturer's first foray into the global server market. Its main competitors in this market will be Dell, with its PowerEdge range, and HP, with its ProLiant range.
At the start of the month, Lenovo's global chief executive, Bill Amelio, told ZDNet.co.uk's sister site, ZDNet Australia, that servers were "an important product category for all of [Lenovo's] large accounts".
"It's important for us to demonstrate to the mid-market and below that we're a one-stop shop for our client base," Amelio said.
On Tuesday, Marc Godin, Lenovo's vice president and general manager of enterprise business, said the company now offered "a full suite of [products] for small and medium businesses, from desktops to notebooks to servers."