IBM Cuts xSeries Prices

IBM on Thursday said it was adding more systems, including AMD-based servers, to its Express portfolio and cutting prices in the Americas by up to 6 percent on some servers to be more competitive against Dell and other rivals.

The move comes on the eve of next week’s PartnerWorld conference in Las Vegas and follows IBM’s announcement on Wednesday that it plans to recruit 5,000 new partners, especially SMB solution providers selling competitors’ products.

With the new Express offerings, all IBM one- and two-way xSeries servers are now included in the Express program, which is designed to speed delivery of high-volume servers with standard configurations, said Stuart McRae, IBM’s worldwide marketing manager for xSeries. Coupled with the new Express offerings, list prices on the entire x236, x336, x346 and IntelliStation M Pro lines are being reduced between 5 percent and 6 percent, he said.

“We now have an aggressive list price on every model aimed at the SMB market,” McRae said.

IBM Business Partners welcomed the price cuts. “Any time there is a price drop, it causes a stir among your customer base,” said John Marks, CEO of JDM Infrastructure, a Chicago-based solution provider. “People who have been waiting for a price drop now have a compelling reason to go to their CIOs or procurement people and say, ‘I was waiting for the price to drop. It’s dropped. Now it’s time to buy.’ ”

IBM also is offering an introductory 10 percent discount off the list price on its new Express offerings. The promotion will run through the end of March. Models included in the introductory discount include IntelliStation Z Pro, x226, x236, x336, x346 and e326m servers. The discounts are available to channel partners and direct customers buying through ibm.com, IBM said.