Lenovo enters value server market, targets cash-strapped IT

Lenovo entered the value server market today, introducing three new dual processor ThinkServers targeted at cash-strapped businesses.

In its announcement, the company highlighted specific features that, for most competitors, are add-on options but that come standard on the Lenovo products, including built in advanced RAID, Web-enabled remote management tools and hot swappable hard drive storage.

The servers are priced at $999 and $1,399.

A third model, a tower server, comes in either direct connect or hot swap configurations and optimized for energy savings, designed to run "whisper quiet." The server is priced at $829.

In a statement, Lenovo exec Tom Ribble said:

These new ThinkServers are changing the model in the value server market. Instead of offering customers expensive add-ons, we built in manageability and performance features, like remote management and hot swappable drives, that growing businesses need.

Here's a brief rundown of each server.

Lenovo ThinkServer RD230 (pictured, above):

• Form factor: 2P1U rack optimized
• CPU: Intel Xeon 5500 or 5600
• OS: Windows Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise R2, Novell SUSE 11, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, VMWare vSphere 4.0
• Memory: 8 slots of 1333Mhz DDR3 Registered RDIMMs (ECC), 64GB max
• Slots: 1 x PCIe (x16) (half length/full height)
• Storage: Up to 4 x 3.5" SAS/SATA hot swap
• Optical: DVD-RW
• Ports: 7 x USB 2.0 (2 front, 4 rear and 1 internal), 1 x Serial port (rear), 1 x VGA connector (rear)
• Power: 600W Fixed

Lenovo ThinkServer TD230:

• Form factor: 2P tower
• CPU: Intel Xeon 5500 or 5600
• OS: Windows Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise R2, Novell SUSE 11, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, VMWare vSphere 4.0
• Memory: 8 slots of 1333Mhz DDR3 Registered RDIMMs (ECC), 32GB max
• Slots: 2 x PCIe x8, 1 x PCIe x8 (x4 electric), 1 x PCIe x4, 1 x PCI 32-bit / 33MHz
• Storage: 4 x 3.5” SAS/SATA hot swap, 5 x 3.5” SAS/SATA Direct Connect
• Optical: DVD-RW, DVD ROM
• Ports: 6 x USB 2.0 (2 front and 4 rear), 1 x Serial port (rear), 1 x VGA connector (rear)
• Power: 625W Fixed

Lenovo ThinkServer RD240:
• Form factor: 2P2U
• CPU: Intel Xeon 5500 or 5600
• OS: Windows Server 2008 Standard or Enterprise R2, Novell SUSE 11, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, VMWare vSphere 4.0
• Memory: 8 slots of 1333Mhz DDR3 Registered RDIMMs (ECC), 64GB max
• Slots: 1 x PCIe x8, 2 x PCIe x8 (x4 electric)
• Storage: 8 x 3.5" SAS/SATA hot swap
• Optical: DVD-RW
• Ports: 7 x USB 2.0 (2 front, 4 rear and 1 internal), 1 x Serial port (rear), 1 x VGA connector (rear)
• Power: 750W Redundant capable