Lenovo System x Servers (Archived Report)










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Archived Report
Lenovo
System x Servers

by Karen Spring

Docid: 00017895

Publication Date: 1901

Report Type: PRODUCT

Preview

The Lenovo System x servers are flexible offerings for companies of all
sizes to boost memory, storage, and performance scalability. The System x
servers support Linux, Windows, and VMware. Lenovo acquired the System
x server line from IBM in 2014. This report provides
product details about the System x servers along with information about
competitors and support options for this server family.

Report Contents:

Description

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Related Faulkner Reports
IBM Company Profile

The System x servers are hardware systems that provide a backbone for
enterprise computing environments. Lenovo offers several lines of System x
servers with capacity options to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes. This
product line is designed to offer memory expansion, lower server costs, and make
deployment simple while utilizing less energy than other servers at this level.

Vendor

Name: Lenovo 
Headquarters
1009 Think Place
Morrisville, NC 27560
(866) 968-4465
Web: http://www.lenovo.com/
Type of Vendor: Computer and Communications Hardware 
Founded: 1984
Service Areas: Worldwide

Lenovo purchased the entire line of x86 servers from IBM in October 2014 in a
deal valued at over $2 billion. This transaction enabled Lenovo to further
expand its x86 hardware business, making it the third top provider in a $42
billion x86 server market worldwide. The brokered deal gave Lenovo IBM’s entire
x86 portfolio including tower, rack, high-density, and blade products, as well
as the Systems Networking suite. In a statement from the company, Lenovo said,
"This is a logical, rational move to drive profitability in Lenovo’s core commercial business that not only provides a significant profit pool – with a PTI
(pre-tax income) that is several times that of the existing PC business, but it also directly fuels our ability to
invest in high-growth PC+ businesses (including tablets, smartphones and smart TVs). This is a
very clear fit with Lenovo’s strategy."

Lenovo’s enterprise, multi-purpose servers are capable of running numerous open-network-based applications
simultaneously for multiple users. These servers perform high-volume transaction
processing and serve data to personal systems and other end-user devices. 

Table 1 outlines the models available in the System x server family.

Table 1. The System x Server Family
Category Description Options
Rack Mount Lenovo offers rack-mount System x servers with various data capacity
options to meet mission-critical applications..
  • x3250 M6
  • x3650 M5
  • x3550 M5
Mission-Critical

The System x enterprise
servers are designed to provide an affordable, industry-standard
server platform that can tackle demanding workloads, but still handle
entry-level computing.

  • x3950 X6

  • x3850 X6

Applications

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The System x servers are ideal for a variety of uses. For example, Lenovo
notes that the following servers are ideal for such tasks as: 

  • x3550 M5 – Print-server, cloud, big data and analytics
  • x3650 M5 – Business-critical workloads
  • x3950 X6 – Hosting mission-critical applications and running sizeable
    in-memory databases
  • x3850 X6 – Implementing virtual machines

According to
Lenovo, the System x line provides high availability, performance, flexibility,
density, and efficiency. Companies of all sizes can benefit from the System
x line as the various models offer advantages depending upon the size of the
business and its needs. For example, the System x3250 M6 provides
enterprise-level reliability but caters to the needs of a small- to medium-sized
business, retail store, or distributed enterprise. 

The System x servers have been used by companies in such industries as
automotive, banking, education, healthcare, insurance, and
government. 

Environment

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The x Series servers support the following operating systems: Windows Server,
Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SuSE Linux, and Ubuntu. The x3550 M5 and the x3650 M5
also support VMware vSphere 
Additionally, the
x3250 M6 supports VMware ESXi.

Support

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Lenovo offers extensive support offerings on its Web site which include
drivers and software, documentation, and system diagnostics. Users also can
access a forum to discuss issues and raise questions with other customers.
Support agents are available 24/7 to chat with users and
answer questions at (844) 755-5754. 

Pricing

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The System x servers can be purchased directly from Lenovo’s Web site or by
phone and email. Customers may call Lenovo at (855) 253-6686 for further information. Pricing is dependent upon the configuration required
and a sales representative can assist customers with determining the price.
Lenovo has financial services to assist customers with purchasing
technology. 

Table 2 offers information on base prices for some of Lenovo’s System x
servers. 

Table 2. Pricing for the x Server Family
Product Beginning Price (in USD)
System x3550 M5 Rack $2,099
System x3250 M6 Rack $1,029
System x3650 M5 Rack $2,229
System x3850 X6 Mission-Critical $9,999
System x3950 X6 Mission-Critical $9,999

Competitors

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System x servers mainly compete with mid-range server hardware from IBM, Dell,
Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Oracle.

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About the Author

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Karen M. Spring is a staff editor for Faulkner Information
Services, tracking high-tech industries, including network security, data
breaches and cybercriminal activity, CRM, network management, Internet security,
and software tools. She writes regularly on high-tech topics for publications in
the k-12 and higher education industry. Previously, Ms. Spring was a marketing
specialist for two computer distributors, working closely with such clients as
3Com, IBM, Okidata, Unisys, and Acer.

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