Upcoming Events

Executive conference

Cloud Connect March 16-18

Comprehensive thought leadership for executives, IT professionals and developers. Topics include: the ROI, cost and economics of on-demand computing; Migration strategies to move from on-premise to cloud-based IT; Vertical cloud specialization, tailoring features and architectures to specific applications, industries, and customer ecosystems

More Events »

Subscribe to Newsletter

  • Keep up with all of the latest news and analysis on the fast-moving IT industry with Network Computing newsletters.
Sign Up

 
NetNews
N E W S / A N A L Y S I S  


It's Not Intel's Fault

  August 5, 2002
  By Steven Schuchart Jr.


Unisys and Hewlett-Packard both have released systems using Intel's new Itanium 2 processor and a 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows. These new systems are designed to compete with high-end Unix systems, a market dominated by IBM and Sun Microsystems.

The first version of the Itanium processor received a lukewarm reception. Expect the same for version 2--not because it's a weak processor but for the same reason the original sputtered: Windows.

The hallmark of the Sun and IBM Unix systems has been reliability and uptime--two traits that can't easily be attached to Windows systems. It's conceivable that one day Windows will be suitable for high-end installations, but that day isn't here yet. What's more, customers and software vendors will have to recompile programs to support Itanium 2. While it will run in a 32-bit "compatibility mode," companies don't pay top dollar to get so-so performance in compatibility mode.

Market uncertainty, the persistent shortcomings of Windows and relatively small third-party vendor support for this new processor makes it a risky investment.

--Steven J. Schuchart Jr., sschuchart@nwc.com


Best of the Web

Data deduplication: Declawing the clones

Data deduplication is emerging as a critically important new arrow in the storage administrator's quiver to answer hard questions about the increasing problem in storage growth costs.

Quick Read

Compression, Encryption, Deduplication, and Replication: Strange Bedfellows

One of the great ironies of storage technology is the inverse relationship between efficiency and security: Adding performance or reducing storage requirements almost always results in reducing the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of a system.

Quick Read

WAN Optimization Whitelists and Blacklists

Optimization is a fantastic way of saving money and creating really happy customers at the same time, but it doesn't work flawlessly for all applications.

Quick Read

WAN Optimization as a Managed Service: It's Not About the Cost

This insight examines how organizations outsourcing their WAN optimization initiatives to a third-party go about achieving their goals for application performance, reducing operational costs, and streamlining enterprise infrastructure.

Quick Read

  Sponsored Links

Premium Content

Next Generation Data Center, Delivered, November 17th
NWC


Salary

Video