It is the dawn of the Quad-Core processor from Intel.

Actually, these processors were originally launched late last year, but to my knowledge they were not widely available in the Isle of Man until recently when more than 40 new servers based on Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5300 processors were installed at the Netcetera Dataport in Ballasalla.

Quad-Core servers are designed for companies running data-intensive business applications such as databases, business intelligence, enterprise resource planning and large mail and messaging platforms.

They are a step forward in processing because no one, Intel included, could possibly defy the laws of physics to make single-core processors go any faster. I'm told by experts that even small increases in speed now demand huge increases in power and, of course, heat.

By keeping the speed down, the processor is kept significantly cooler, but it is not that much slower. And, by putting multiple slower processors in the same package, you can multiply the amount of data you can handle without overheating.

According to Intel, that can mean a marked increase in performance of up to 50 per cent for some applications compared with dual-core processors. Company representatives say the benefits to graphics processing and scientific data analysis applications show the greatest boosts in performance.

The introduction of the Quad-Core was a significant factor in the drop in worldwide server sales in the last quarter of last year, according to industry analyst Gartner.

Vice-president Jeffrey Hewitt has said: 'The fourth quarter of the year exhibited slower growth in x86 servers than we have seen in most recent years, which constrained the results for the year as a whole. Most of that slowdown seems to be attributable to a lengthening of the sales cycle due to the anticipated introduction of quad-core x86 processors.'

But now they are here. And Netcetera Limited's technical director Tim Cass says the new kit is ideal for small and medium-sized enterprises.

He said it is ideal for running MS Exchange, MS Sharepoint or for anyone running an intranet via a web host and Mr Cass reported strong demand from companies looking to roll out BlackBerry.

For the uninitiated, BlackBerry is now available from a couple of the telecommunications providers in the Island. The CrackBerry, as it is colloquially known due to its addictive nature, is a fully comprehensive, wireless, hand-held computer. With it you can to read, create, reply and delete email messages from just about anywhere.

The BlackBerry allows you to manage your contacts, calendar, email attachments and more. Personally I have not succumbed to the lure of this hand-held, but I am becoming sorely tempted. Companies with more than 10 users will have to use the BlackBerry Enterprise software solution and the Quad-Core is an ideal server for the purpose.

Green efficiencies are another key benefit of the new Quad-Core.

Cooling servers is a big part of energy consumption and, with the utilisation of Quad-Core and choosing co-location, you can maximise your environmental computing initiatives even more.

A co-location centre is a data centre where many companies locate network, server and storage gear and interconnect to telecommunications infrastructures and network service providers.

IT analyst Sageza Group says that, from a sheer processing perspective, the Quad-Core Intel Xeon servers offer 'considerable bang for the buck'.
However, they say, the greatest value of these solutions is not simply their computational ability, but rather in the holistic approach to processor, hardware platform architecture and software management of the resources.

Analyst Clay Ryder said: 'We believe HP has understood this reality for some time and these quad-core offerings are just another example of the value that ongoing innovation helps unlock — not only in its products, but in the operations of the customers who buy them.'

And now companies in the Isle of Man can benefit from Quad-Core and that is great news.


>>Sherrilynne Starkie is the managing partner of Strive Public Relations, a communications consultancy in the Isle of Man. She provides her views on business and technology each week in Tech Talk. Visit her business blog Strive Notes for frequent updates.
www.strivepr.com