For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Server Trends: Intel Xeon 5500 Creates New Server Differentiation

by James Staten, May 28, 2009

Every new processor introduced comes with significant hype. The Intel Xeon 5500 may indeed live up to the hype; it not only provides a faster server processor option but also enables a greater level of differentiation for the server and storage vendor . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: Blade Server Systems, Q2 2009

HP And IBM Lead, With Dell And Sun Close Behind

by James Staten, May 28, 2009

In Forrester's 44-criteria evaluation of blade server system vendors, we found that HP and IBM lead the pack because of the maturity and breadth of their offerings. Dell is a Leader as well that debuted a greatly improved new chassis in 2008 and is building . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

Hardware Tech Marketers Bank On The Small Financial Services Market

by Ellen Carney, May 6, 2009

Not too long ago, IT hardware vendors banked on the business they got from financial services industry giants like Morgan Stanley, The Royal Bank of Scotland, and AIG. When the Wall Street bubble burst, hardware tech vendors like Cisco Systems, Dell, . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Q&A: Consolidating Linux Workloads On System Z

Best Fits For Making The Technology And Business Case

by Brad Day, April 21, 2009

Transitioning Linux workloads to run on a System Z footprint will first require your chief information officer's (CIO) sponsorship — as any step away from convention would entail. Take the shortcut on this assignment by asking him three simple questions: . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

The State Of Emerging SMB Hardware Trends: 2008 To 2009

Business Data Services North America And Europe

by Frank E. Gillett, February 27, 2009

This report provides sample highlights of an extensive data set collected across North American and European enterprises via our Enterprise And SMB Hardware Survey, North America And Europe, Q3 2008. Hot topics include server virtualization, cloud computing, . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

The State Of Emerging Enterprise Hardware Trends: 2008 To 2009

Business Data Services North America And Europe

by Frank E. Gillett, February 27, 2009

This report provides sample highlights of an extensive data set collected across North American and European enterprises via our Enterprise And SMB Hardware Survey, North America And Europe, Q3 2008. Hot topics include server virtualization, green IT, . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Q&A: Choosing IBM's System z10 BC Mainframe

What Selection Criteria Should Make Your Shortlist?

by Brad Day, February 17, 2009

IBM System z10 Business Class (BC) introduced significant functionality improvements over its predecessor generation, the zSeries 890/990 or System z9 BC. Most importantly, IBM preserved all of the big iron functionality introduced from the quad-core . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

IBM's Server Appliance Will Change The Market For Small Business Computing

Lotus Foundations Server Adds Credibility To The Product Category

by Michael Speyer, May 8, 2008

Small businesses want sophisticated IT functionality, but their lack of IT resources requires that IT is delivered in a highly reliable no-touch manner. Linux-based server appliances have emerged to satisfy these requirements, but IBM's recent announcement . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Can Specialty Engines Save The Mainframe?

Deploying New Workloads On System z

by Brad Day, April 29, 2008

System z specialty engines are specifically designed to make IBM's System z more attractive for the optimization of new workloads, while helping to significantly lower the life-cycle cost of running those workloads on a System z server. Specialty engines, . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Why Consolidate Linux On IBM System P?

by Brad Day, April 25, 2008

With the evolution of IBM's Power Systems server (formerly known as System p), the core differentiation of its feature/functionality has first and foremost centered on its sustained advantage in scaleable availability and scaleable performance versus . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

The New IBM Mainframe: Should You Make The Move To System z10?

by Brad Day, April 23, 2008

IBM's next-generation mainframe — the System z10 EC — brings an extremely broad, deep, and complex array of feature/functionality enhancements to the table. Whether you're a System z990 or z9 shop, you've probably already taken the first evaluation steps, . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Mainframes And RISC Server Trends For IT Infrastructure Consolidation

by Brad Day, March 27, 2008

In a recent Forrester survey, more than half of the respondents who are consolidating servers as part of an IT infrastructure consolidation strategy are focusing on their mainframe environment. Long thought of as separate and largely untouchable, the . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Hardware Vendor Positioning Benchmark, Q1 2008

A Review Of Hardware Marketing Practices With A Self-Assessment Tool

by Norbert Kriebel, March 26, 2008

Forrester used its vendor positioning review (VPR) methodology to evaluate the positioning of eight top hardware vendors across 14 criteria to determine where they are currently positioning themselves on the continuum between information technology (IT) . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

High Performance And Grid Computing Don't Generate Broad Interest

Marketers Should Lead With Business Value, Not These Tech Themes

by Frank E. Gillett, March 11, 2008

Global enterprise buyer interest in grid computing grew slightly in 2007, but the growth was mostly in Asia Pacific, with nearly flat interest in North America and a decline in interest in Europe. For the first time, we also asked buyers about high performance . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Virtualization Trends On IBM's System P

Unraveling The Benefits In IBM's PowerVM

by Brad Day, February 5, 2008

IBM's PowerVM (formerly Advanced POWER Virtualization) technology has catalyzed the consolidation of server systems resources and a variety of applications workload types — both AIX- and Linux-led — as virtualized on more powerful multi-core System p . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

Businesses' Operating System Environments And Windows Vista Deployment Plans  (172 KB PPT)

by Benjamin Gray, February 5, 2008

These Data Charts present an overview of the current state of enterprise and SMB operating system environments and their Windows Vista deployment plans. Additionally, we compare these trends across the North American, European, and Asia Pacific regions.

For Consumer Market Research Professionals

Vista Early Adopter Research Trends

Consumer Data Shows An Encouraging Signal Despite The Noise

by J.P. Gownder, January 29, 2008

Forrester's latest set of consumer adoption data allows for a first look at Vista adoption in the first two months following its January release. On the whole, Vista early adopters tend to be more engaged with their PCs than XP users, especially in advanced . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Best Metrics For Java Server Performance

by Brad Day, January 24, 2008

While there are many Java server-side performance tools and benchmark tests, only two standards are comprehensive enough to measure all aspects of Java application workload and accurately represent the real workload environment they simulate. The first, . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

x86 Virtualization Adopters Hit The Tipping Point

It's Time For Software Marketers To Upgrade Offerings — Or Risk Customer Ire

by Frank E. Gillett, November 30, 2007

Server virtualization has gone mainstream — half of surveyed enterprise IT shops are using x86 server virtualization today, and two-thirds will by 2009. Enterprises using virtualization have an average of 24% of servers virtualized today and expect to . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The State Of Enterprise Hardware Adoption: 2007

Business Data Services North America And Europe

by Frank E. Gillett, November 19, 2007

How are enterprises adopting, using, and managing hardware, including hardware budgets, mobile devices, PCs and laptops, servers, systems management, storage, networks, and data centers? This document gives highlights of an extensive data set collected . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

IBM System z: Trends And Drivers Catalyzing The Next Generation Midframe

by Brad Day, November 14, 2007

IBM's System z9 stands at a crossroads. Some IT folks believe System z remains challenged, constrained by a lack of available programming and administrators' skills, legacy application re-use, and perceived higher software license and support costs. Yet . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

IBM's Positioning Is Out Of Alignment

Vendor Positioning Review: Hardware Vendor Summary, Q3 2007

by Norbert Kriebel, November 7, 2007

IBM's corporate positioning is among the most business technology (BT)-oriented of the vendors we reviewed. Its corporate advertising, Web site, and sales structure are designed to address the needs of business decision-makers. Even its tagline, "What . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The State Of SMB Hardware Adoption: 2007

Business Data Services North America And Europe

by Michael Speyer, October 31, 2007

How are small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) adopting, using, and managing hardware, including hardware budgets, PCs and laptops, servers, storage, networks, and services? This document gives highlights of an extensive data set collected from 1,103 . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

X86 Server Virtualization For High Availability And Disaster Recovery

How x86 Server Virtualization Affects Business Resiliency

by Stephanie Balaouras, Christopher Voce, October 24, 2007

To date, the primary driver behind the adoption of server virtualization has been consolidation. But as enterprises gain experience with the technology, additional uses and benefits are surfacing. According to a recent Forrester study, 49% of enterprises . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Vendor Positioning Review: Hardware Vendors, Q3 2007

by Norbert Kriebel, October 19, 2007

Forrester evaluated four of the top hardware vendors across 15 criteria and three product domains to determine how they are positioning themselves on the continuum between information technology (IT) and business technology (BT). We found that Cisco leads . . .