HP and IBM simultaneously launched servers based on Intel's 5500 chip series each claiming to slash energy costs by over 90 per cent.

IBM launched its 5500 series-based System x servers claiming its four new x86 rack servers have lower wattage requirements that can slash energy costs up to 93 percent.
"At the same time, the new System x servers boast double the compute performance in some models, and support more memory, storage and I/O to help customers of all sizes ease the transition to highly efficient virtualized computing resources. System x blades and racks lead the industry with 96GB to 1TB memory options," the company said.
IBM too announced management software to complement Systems Director 6.1, which enables clients to automatically manage virtual and physical assets across platforms.
IBM Power Systems, System z, storage and non-IBM x86 servers are all supported, with a potential cost savings in management costs of up to 44 percent. The range includes BladeCenter HS22, System x3650 M2 and x3550 M2 ("energy-smart designs to simplify power distribution and reduce energy loss"), System x iDataPlex dx360 M2 ("for data centers constrained by floor space... and can cool the data center 70 percent more efficiently with the Rear Door Heat Exchanger"). The company also announced a raft of systems management tools.
Meanwhile HP announced 11 Proliant models also built for energy savings and claiming to be the most energy efficient in the industry.
"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.
The company said they are "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.
• 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.