SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co.HWP.N will unveil on Tuesday "blade" computers that fit onto cards stacked like books on a shelf and could replace the less-efficient racks of machines and tangles of cable now standard for many corporations, executives said.
HP's systems, the first by a major network computer maker, could be cheaper to run and house more than current low-end servers, and analysts say they may become a multibillion dollar offering in a matter of years but caution the slow economy could stifle early demand.
The blades, each a separate computer, miniature storage system or other network part, slide into slots in a chassis which provides power, connections and protection, replacing rack-mounted boxes as the trimmest computers on the block.
Vendors say blades will make networks easier to manage and take up less space at companies that devote small computers to individual tasks, like telecommunications companies or Internet web-hosting centers.
News source: Reuters
