Gateway Broadens Product Line, Beefs Up Support

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Gateway Monday unveiled the Gateway 995 server, an offering nicknamed the “4 x 4” aimed at enterprise-class customers needing maximum performance in minimal space. The vendor also revealed an alliance with IBM Global Services under which Big Blue will provide on-site and field support for Gateway’s systems and networking division.

Gateway Monday unveiled the Gateway 995 server, an offering with an ultra-dense 4U design that boasts quad-processor power and four-hour service response times.

The new server, which has been nicknamed the “4 x 4, is aimed at enterprise-class customers needing maximum performance in a space-saving design.

The Gateway 995 is being marketed as ideal for mission-critical applications, such as high-end database applications (e.g., Oracle and SQL) and e-mail (e.g., Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes).

Gateway at this time also revealed an alliance with IBM Global Services to provide on-site and field support for Gateway’s systems and networking division. Services include field-based support with next-business-day and four-hour response times, on-site repair, parts logistics, and other infrastructure and professional services.

The vendor describes these additions as the next step in its transformation from being a traditional PC maker to a being a “branded integrator of technology solutions.” As a branded integrator, Gateway plans to launch an array of branded products across a host of new categories and integrate those products into customized solutions for its consumer and enterprise customers.

The Gateway 995 offers PCI Hot Plug (technology that allows IS managers to replace or add new PCI cards without having to shut down the server) as a standard feature. The server contains four 64-bit PCI-X Hot Plug slots, two 64-bit PCI-X Non-Hot Plug Slots, and two 32-bit PCI slots. PCI Hot Plug is compatible with industry standard PCI cards, as well as with the leading operating systems in use, including Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Standard, and Linux.

The Gateway 995 comes with four Intel Xeon MP 2.8 GHz processors with HT technology, level-three cache support, and a 400 MHz front side bus. The system supports up to 24 GB of ECC DDR200/DDR226 memory, with ChipKill and Memory scrubbing technology for more accurate data delivery.

“The 995 broadens our product line and truly addresses the needs of our enterprise customers, such as corporate data centers, institutions, and any customer requiring a highly available solution. And by adding IBM Global Services, we are well-equipped to fulfill the needs of large organizations,” said Scott Weinbrandt, general manager of Gateway’s Systems & Networking Products Division.

Gateway Partners With Big Blue

Gateway sees its newly minted agreement with IBM Global Services as not only deepening its scope of support for its business-critical systems, but as also enabling Gateway to geographically broaden its services footprint.

“No other company in the industry has IBM Global Services’ reputation and capabilities in this arena, and we’re excited about the synergies between IBM’s services and our strong — and growing — systems and networking product line,” said Jim Jones, GM and vice president of Gateway’s services group.

Gateway plans to make its relationship with IBM Global Services a critical component of its LifeCycle Services platform, which provides organizations with hardware, support, and related services through all stages of their technology’s lifespan.

IBM Global Services provides service to millions of customers worldwide from its more than 7,000 remote and on-site technicians, and more than 600 logistics centers.

“IBM Global Services shares Gateway’s commitment to quality service and support. Because of this commitment, we have invested in the infrastructure required to deliver superior service and support to customers, making IBM Global Services uniquely qualified to offer a broad array of services to Gateway customers,” noted Tom Conway, director, IBM Global Services.

The Gateway 995 is priced starting at $5,999, with a base configuration that includes a single Intel Xeon MP 2.0 GHz processor, 512 MB of ECC DDR200/DDR226 memory, a dual channel Ultra SCSI controller, a single 36 GB SCSI 10,000 RPM hard disk drive, and universal sliding rails for installation onto any standard rack.