Move Up to IBM BladeCenter

• Q: Dell’s recent advertising claims touting superior blade system setup time and better out-of-box experience is simply inaccurate. Is this true?
• Q: I've seen recent advertising where Dell claims their blades are 28% better performance per watt than IBM BladeCenter. Is their performance claim true?

Q: Dell’s recent advertising claims touting superior blade system setup time and better out-of-box experience is simply inaccurate. Is this true?

A: Dell claims that IBM® ships BladeCenter® in as many as 62 boxes. For years, IBM has offered “Configure to order” (CTO) IBM BladeCenter solutions through IBM Business Partners or directly from IBM that enable customers to receive IBM BladeCenter customized for their applications. A majority of IBM BladeCenter customer solutions are shipped in a single box.

Dell must have known about IBM CTO capability. It is puzzling why they continue to use these claims to mislead customers. Dell’s report compares fully configured Dell systems with un-configured IBM systems – clearly not an “apples-to-apples” comparison. Additionally, Dell excludes installation of certain key components, such as PDUs, from their test.

Given Dell’s focus on cardboard boxes, here are the real facts:

• IBM CTO option enables customers to create customized, fully-integrated solutions.
• CTO services are available to all IBM customers through IBM or business partners.
• A majority of IBM BladeCenter customer solutions are shipped in a single box.
• Dell’s M1000e chassis has no handles! Instead, Dell ships with cardboard support levers. Clearly, a worrisome lift – and not something that inspires confidence.

Fig. 1 - Dell M1000e cardboard handles!

Fig. 2 - Dell M1000e: Risky lift?

While Dell’s differentiation claims may end with the box, IBM BladeCenter value extends to the true out-of-box experience – when the system is actually turned on! IBM’s focus on hardware and software innovations makes BladeCenter a superior out-of-the-box experience.

• BladeCenter S with SAS RAID controller combines SAS switching with RAID controller function, integrating high-availability storage in a chassis to simplify datacenter operation, reduce cabling and lower TCO.
• BladeCenter Open Fabric Manager software delivers the ability to preconfigure SAN and LAN addresses for up to 1,400 blades (for automated setup upon insertion) and enables customers to automate I/O failover to keep their business running.
• IBM Systems Director 6.1 software provides a platform management foundation that streamlines the way physical and virtual systems are managed across a multi-system environment, with newly redesigned features and further integration with the IBM Tivoli® enterprise framework.

While Dell obsesses over counting boxes, IBM focuses on solving real business issues for its clients. As IBM BladeCenter customers already know, IBM innovations make BladeCenter a truly superior out-of-the-box experience. That is why more customers choose IBM BladeCenter over Dell.

Summary: CTO enables customers to order preconfigured IBM BladeCenter solutions. Additionally, IBM customers benefit from hardware and software innovations offered by BladeCenter that drive real business advantages through ease of deployment and management of servers, providing best return on investment.

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Q. I've seen recent advertising where Dell claims their blades are 28% better performance per watt than IBM BladeCenter. Is their performance claim true?

A: Dell is making a very general claim that it is more power efficient than IBM BladeCenter. IBM BladeCenter is an entire brand! Obviously, Dell wanted to skew the results in their favor and therefore chose one particular configuration and made comparisons to one blade type and one chassis type. Our extensive blade (and IBM) portfolio includes a multitude of power efficient products and options that were not addressed in this study. And when running the BladeCenter HS12 server, IBM BladeCenter beats Dell by 36% based on their own testing criteria our lab tests versus the configuration Dell used in their ad. Dell is using industry standard parts with no added innovation or unique offerings. The IBM configuration used was able to provide a better performance per watt rating by using IBM's unique Solid State drives, leveraging our energy efficient BladeCenter E chassis, and utilizing our innovative Systems Director Active Energy Manager.

Summary: IBM BladeCenter offers solutions 36% more energy efficient versus Dell, along with a portfolio of chassis and servers geared to meet your specific needs. Learn more (PDF, 125KB)

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