“IBM’s xSeries servers handle serving up Web pages and
storing data, while the iSeries uses IBM’s Domino software for
running collaboration projects. … In the future, IBM plans to
sell server appliances for housing email, caching Internet data to
help speed its delivery, setting up network security firewalls and
balancing computing work across a group of servers. In
addition, IBM could offer one server appliance to set up virtual
private network (VPN) connections–secure channels across the
public Internet–and another to link employees checking into
corporate networks on a notebook or handheld computer…”
“IBM offers the Web server with a choice of two operating
systems: Linux and a specialized, stripped-down version of Windows
2000 Advanced Server. Both are rack-mountable models that are 1.75
inches tall with a single processor.”
“With 256GB of memory, a 9GB hard disk and an 800-MHz CPU, the
Linux model costs $3,995. The Windows model costs $4,295. IBM
argues that the Windows model, while more expensive, adds features
such as IBM’s caching software and Windows’ Active Directory.”