August 18, 1997

Solaris Vs. NT Workgroup server is the battlefield for Sun's Enterprise 450 system By Mary Hayes un Microsystems will introduce on Aug. 19 the Enterprise 450, a Solaris-based server specifically designed and priced for the workgroup server market that's now dominated by Windows NT-based systems. The Enterprise 450 is the first Sun system designed from the ground up as a workgroup server; earlier models in the entry-level server line evolved from the company's workstation business, say Sun officials. For example, the Enterprise 450 features enhanced I/O bandwidth and up to six PCI buses, while ol der one- to four-way servers are noted more for their graphics capabilities. Sun had not set pricing for the Enterprise 450, but a spokesman says the system will be priced "within a few percentage points" of comparable NT-systems. Traditionally, the prices of Sun's one- to four-processor systems have been about 50% higher than NT-based servers, says David Douglas, director of workgroup server marketing at Sun. While workgroup servers function within a LAN primarily as file and print servers, Sun believes corporate customers want more-sophisticated features out of servers priced below $20,000-such as secure Internet communications and support for network computers. Sun sees an opportunity for the Enterprise 450 in this space with the reputation of its Solaris operating systems as a reliable platform. "Reliability doesn't have to be a high-end feature," says Brian Croll, director of Solaris marketing at Sun. "Workgroup servers can't be unreliable because so many more outside functions are being demande d of them." Sun will face considerable challenges in tackling the firmly entrenched NT workgroup server, but pricing the Enterprise 450 competitively should garner it some attention, says Rich Partridge, an analyst with D.H. Brown, a market research firm in Port Chester, N.Y. "The pricing had to come down for anyone to even consider Sun in this area, and this may bring pricing into the ballpark," adds Partridge. "Whether features from high-end Unix are needed in that market is debatable." The Enterprise 450 will include up to four 300-MHz UltraSparc chips, six PCI buses, and 4 Gbytes of memory. The system will also feature redundant, hot-swappable power-supply and storage capabilities. The featured operating system will be Solaris for Intranets, a package that's been tailored for simple, browser-based installation and supports any network client, including Windows, Macintosh, NetWare, and network computers. Back to News in Review Send Us Your Feedback Top of the Page

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