Hewlett-Packard's recently announced Superdome high-end Unix server is aiming to be different to competing machines, not just on the technology front but also in the way it's priced and supported, according to users and analysts.
The 64-processor Superdome system is scheduled to ship in the first quarter next year. The product is targeting the database server, application hosting and server consolidation markets.
But what will really set Superdome apart from its rivals is how HP plans to sell and support the system: with individual managers for each customer, said Rich Partridge, an analyst at DH Brown Associates.
HP will also offer a utility-like pricing model under which users pay for the system based on their actual usage of the box.
Instead of paying for the entire system up front, users will be able to install a fully configured server and turn resources on and off as needed.
According to a statement released by HP in Australia, the Superdome is available for purchase immediately.
