Dell sets new level of affordability, performance with small business server

Dell SA has introduced a new server designed for small businesses, individual departments in larger organisations and branch offices, with prices starting at R6 990 excluding VAT.

The Dell PowerEdge 500SC is a single-processor server based on technology that offers customers the power of a server at the same price of many entry-level desktop computers. The new server features ServerWorks` ServerSet LE 3.0 chipset, which supports either a 1GHz Intel Pentium III processor or an 800MHz Celeron processor.

"By offering true server functionality at a desktop price, Dell gives customers a reliable and cost-effective solution for small businesses and low-end corporate applications," says Sean Wainer, enterprise product manager at Dell SA. "Our PowerEdge SC line of servers sets the server standard at the low end and continues Dell`s tradition of providing affordable and powerful solutions for the small business market."

The PowerEdge 500SC can expand to meet the growing data demands of small businesses, offering up to two gigabytes of RAM and 180 gigabytes of storage. With five PCI slots, including support for two 64-bit/66MHz PCI slots, small businesses have the flexibility to expand to future high-performance peripherals. The PowerEdge 500SC also features an embedded high-performance Intel 10/100 Ethernet network interface card to help reduce bottlenecks and improve availability. In addition, IDE and SCSI internal tape back-up drives are available.

Wainer comments that Dell has made the PowerEdge 500SC easy to deploy and manage. "Dell offers factory installation of Microsoft operating systems and Dell Server Assistant for easy on-site operating system installation. The PowerEdge 500SC also provides server-class manageability through embedded features such as temperature, fan and voltage monitoring, as well as a hardware monitor that automatically reboots the system should the operating system fail. Online and telephone customer support is also available to help users install and manage their servers."