How AMD Opteron™ 6100 Series Platform can work for your business

Whatever the type of business, in today’s always-on and always-connected world, it’s likely to rely heavily on its technology.

That assessment is supported by surveys from Gartner, Inc., which show that even in the midst of a slowed macroeconomic environment, worldwide IT spending will reach $3.4 trillion in 2010, which represents a 4.6 percent increase from 2009. And as companies spend more on IT purchases, they will come to rely on technology to an even greater extent, including using new technologies not only for automating essential day-to-day tasks, but also for helping provide business intelligence that can help speed and smooth strategic decision-making processes. As such, it is important to understand how new technology can support new initiatives, where a new loyalty scheme, manufacturing model or portfolio of services can be helped by the networks, PCs and servers that a business may use.

It is within this context that the data centre should be re-examined. A data centre should not be viewed just as collection of boxes of kit and cables, but as a strategic tool to deliver the raw computing power that can make new initiatives a reality. For example, technologies used in a data centre can give a business the strategic headroom for growth and scalability needed to process more data. By having the ability to process more data, businesses can gain the ability to react to newfound business intelligence in an agile and responsive way, such as helping the most valued customers or develop the most successful products.

Understandably, business may have been quick to put the brakes on non-strategic IT spending during harsh economic conditions, but now, many businesses are preparing to capitalize on the forecasted economic recovery. They are looking for ways in which IT can help the business do more with less – less expense, less complexity and less management overhead.

This is why AMD is taking its latest evolution of data centre processors out to both business and technology leaders. The new AMD Opteron™ 6100 Series Platform, formerly codenamed “Magny-Cours,” will help businesses deliver on their desire to do more with less, while still delivering the functional headroom needed to foster real innovation. The codename chosen has a story to tell in itself. Like the famous French racing circuit for which it was named, the AMD Opteron 6100 series will become known for its speed and agility.

The racing analogy is not just appropriate for codenaming data centre processors, however. It can apply to the data center as a whole. Just as a race car’s technology can be used to make it both more competitive and resilient, so too should the chips running at the heart of the data centre deliver performance and strength. That is why the AMD Opteron 6100 Series Platform was designed to help maximize the value and power efficiency of IT infrastructures.

When it comes to adding value to any IT infrastructure, it is a good idea to consider both the performance-per-watt proposition of the data center’s microprocessors as well as their expandability.  AMD has a strong tradition of delivering products that excel in both of those areas. Before AMD entered the processor market in the 1990s, expensive processors could cost as much as $3,500 each. Today, AMD has been able to bring the price of high performance, efficiency and scalable processors down to between $255 and $1,300.

Value propositions can also be impacted by ease of integration. AMD has ensured its new chipset is designed to integrate easily with existing IT systems by incorporating the same features across power bands and avoiding artificial limitations. This means that businesses that choose to base their servers off of the AMD Opteron 6100 Series platform need not sacrifice performance for core functionality, or vice versa.

In addition to helping maximize the value of technology spending, AMD has designed the AMD Opteron 6100 Series platform to deliver sufficient raw compute power without making the electricity bill swell out of control. Among the AMD Opteron 6100 Series platform’s energy efficiency technologies is a sleep state which can be invoked when all processor cores are idle.  In addition, low-voltage memory, platform-level power management support, and in-built temperature and cooling features also help control utility expenses.

In short, AMD believes companies should not have to pay a premium to access high-end compute power that can support their business in the long term. Which can explain why organisations like Acer, Cray, Dell, and HP, along with numerous global solution providers and channel partners, are all providing key partner support for the AMD Opteron 6100 Series platform.

  Gartner Press Release, Gartner Says Worldwide IT Spending To Grow 4.6 Percent in 2010, January 21, 2010 http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1284813

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.
AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, and AMD Opteron are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.