Intel is quietly killing its whitebox server blade product line as it prepares to bring out a new architecture more in line with its small and midsize business partners. CRN has learned from channel sources that Intel is in the process of end-of-lifing its entire server blade product line, including its Server Compute Blade SBXD132, its Server Blade Chassis SBCE, its Gigabit Ethernet switches, and other associated products.
Instead, the company looks set to introduce a new architecture based on a rack-mount enclosure, according to channel sources who saw the device at the Intel Solution Summit in March in San Diego. The enclosure has space for up to six 1U servers which can be configured for dual-core, quad-core, and "many core" Xeon processors. The 1U servers take up about two thirds of the enclosure, with the rest of the enclosure having space for up to 14 2.5-inch SAS or six 3.5-inch SATA drives. It also includes ten Gbit Ethernet ports, the sources said.