HP Redefines Server Economics with HP ProLiant G6 Portfolio

HP (NYSE:HPQ) today introduced the new HP ProLiant G6 server line, which delivers double the performance of previous generations, enabling customers to get more value out of every IT dollar.

The HP ProLiant G6 line’s advances in energy efficiency, virtualization and automation, make it ideal for all customers. These innovations are combined with comprehensive financing programs and service offerings to redefine server economics. The new HP ProLiant G6 servers are available in 11 standards-based tower, rack and blade platforms. This represents the largest HP ProLiant rollout in company history.

"Now more than ever, customers want the best possible return on their server investments,” said Christine Reischl, senior vice president and general manager, Industry Standard Servers, HP. "Building on HP’s long history of hardware and software development, G6 brings together the best HP innovations in energy efficiency, virtualization and services to enable our customers to do more with less.”

Built for energy savings

The most energy-efficient x86 servers in the industry, HP ProLiant G6 includes many energy-saving features, such as:

• The HP Sea of Sensors – automatically track thermal activity across the server through a collection of 32 smart sensors. The sensors dynamically adjust system components such as fans, memory and input/output processing to optimize system cooling and increase efficiency.
• The Common Power Slot design – helps minimize power waste by allowing customers to choose from four power supplies to match their specific workload. Customers can achieve more than 92 percent energy efficiency in the majority of real-world configurations.⁽¹⁾
• HP Dynamic Power Capping – reallocates power and cooling resources in the data center by dynamically setting or "capping” the power drawn by servers. By precisely identifying power requirements for each server and setting a limit based on that usage, customers can reclaim overprovisioned energy to improve data center capacity.

Maximizes productivity

The HP ProLiant G6 platform offers a comprehensive set of embedded technologies and flexible tools to help maximize the productivity of a server infrastructure, including:

• HP ProLiant Onboard Administrator – simplifies server setup and enables customers to inspect server health from any location, even when a server is offline.
• HP Insight Control Environment (ICE) management console – bundled with HP ProLiant for the first time, ICE reduces operational expenses up to $48,000 for every 100 users by allowing customers to control the management and monitoring of the server infrastructure onsite or remotely.⁽²⁾
• HP Virtual Connect Flex-10 Ethernet module – the industry’s first interconnect technology to allocate the bandwidth of a 10Gb Ethernet network port across four network interface card connections. This eliminates the need for additional network hardware equipment, and enables customers deploying virtual machines to realize savings of up to 55 percent in network equipment costs.⁽³⁾

Makes every Dollar count

The HP ProLiant G6 platform builds upon the quality of the HP ProLiant brand to provide increased performance and customer value over previous generations:

• Nehalem Intel® Xeon® 5500 processors and new HP Smart Array Modular Controllers – HP ProLiant G6 delivers twice the memory and storage of previous generations as well as a 100 percent increase in overall performance.⁽⁴⁾
• HP Server Migration Pack – eases the upgrade process by automating migration from old servers to the HP ProLiant G6. Through a simple wizard-driven process, it accurately transfers operating systems, applications and data from one server to another without errors.
• HP Proactive Select – a simple credit point system that allows customers to build their service plan via a flexible menu of prepackaged options. Similar to a prepaid calling card, users can buy volume-based discounted credits for accessing services and education offered by HP experts.
• HP Financial Services – offers flexible financing options on the HP ProLiant G6 server portfolio, including zero percent financing in selected countries.⁽⁵⁾ In addition, HP can help customers free up cash through the purchase and "lease back” of existing assets via a Sale Leaseback Service.

The HP ProLiant G6 platform, based on Intel Xeon 5500 processors, includes the HP ProLiant DL380, DL370, DL360, DL180 and DL160 rack-optimized servers; the HP ProLiant BL 490c, BL 460c and BL 280c server blades; and the HP ProLiant ML370, ML350 and ML150 tower servers.

Pricing and availability

Most new HP ProLiant G6 platforms are available today and shipping worldwide; DL 360, DL 370 and BL280c models are expected to be available in the coming weeks. Starting prices for HP ProLiant G6 servers range from $999 to $2,105 and vary based on specific configurations.⁽⁶⁾

More information on HP ProLiant servers is available at www.hp.com/go/proliant.

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP is available at http://www.hp.com/.

Note to editors: More news from HP, including links to RSS feeds, is available at http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/.

⁽¹⁾ Energy efficiency based on HP testing.

⁽²⁾ Based on HP-commissioned third-party analyst research.

⁽³⁾ Comparison based on percentage cost saved per virtual machine using Internet list price of Virtual Connect Flex-10 Ethernet modules required to support six NICs and two fibre channel switches versus IBM and third-party networking components.

⁽⁴⁾ Performance improvements based on several industry benchmarks including SAP, VMmark and SPECWeb 2005.

⁽⁵⁾ Zero percent financing available in the United States and Canada for transactions of $1,500 to $150,000; also in Benelux, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the UK for transactions valued at $1,500 to $100,000 (in U.S. dollars). Other rates apply for other terms and transaction sizes. Other charges or restrictions may apply. HP Financial Services reserves the right to change or cancel this program at any time without notice.

⁽⁶⁾ Estimated U.S. street prices. Actual prices may vary.

Intel and Intel Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2009 and HP’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

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