IDC predicts explosion in Itanium server processors

Research market firm IDC sees a bright future for Itanium processors, despite criticisms from competitors.

Based on results of interviews with some 501 members of its enterprise server customer panel, IDC reports high customer satisfaction and solid intent-to-purchase ratings for Itanium-based systems, writes Server Watch. More than two-thirds of HP PA-RISC server customers interviewed say they plan to migrate to Itanium systems, notes the article.

Itanium is Intel`s processor for servers and mainframe-class high performance systems. It was originally co-developed with HP, but is now solely by Intel. Billions of dollars have gone into its development, which began more than 10 years ago, adds Server Watch.

Belgian and Swiss police yesterday closed down a major server of the eDonkey file-sharing network, writes Dark Vision Hardware. "Razorback 2 was the biggest server on the eDonkey peer-to-peer (P2P) network, which transfers data from user to user. Music companies have blamed P2P piracy for causing a drastic downturn in sales, and Hollywood is trying to prevent a similar impact on the movie business," notes the article.

The Motion Picture Association confirm in a statement that Swiss authorities arrested the site operator at his residence in Switzerland yesterday morning and searched his home.

"At the same time, on the authority of a local magistrate, Belgian police seized the site`s servers located at an Internet hosting centre in Zaventem near Brussels," it adds.

Toronto-based telecom vendor Nortel is selling the assets of its Blade Server Switch Business Unit (BSSBU) to Garnett & Helfrich Capital, writes Server Watch, adding that Nortel plans to keep a minority interest in the newly formed Blade Network Technologies.

Blade Network Technologies will assume management of Nortel`s BSSBU operations, including design, manufacturing and support of existing BSSBU blade server switches

Equity firm Garnett & Helfrich said Blade Network Technologies will be based in California, and headed by CEO Vikram Mehta, who led Nortel`s blade server switch business from its inception in 2001. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.