infra briefs

Stratus believes in Windows. The company last week said it is backing one of its fault-tolerant servers with a $100,000 guarantee that the system will not crash when running Microsoft's Windows 2000 Advanced Server.

Under the terms of the Perfect Performance program, Stratus will pay any customer who experiences downtime from an operating system or hardware failure on its ftServer 6500 product. Stratus makes strengthened versions of Intel-based servers that include either double or triple the number of standard components to ensure the system will not go down. If a processor fails, the Stratus servers have spare chips to pick up the workload.

Users who want to take advantage of the deal will need to purchase an ftServer 6500 system with triple redundant components and Stratus' support services. With four processors, this system costs about $150,000. www.stratus.com

Intel will invest $150 million in companies developing 802.11b and other wireless network products, the chip maker said last week.

The money will come from the $500 million Intel Communications Fund established three years ago. The fund will invest in companies developing hardware and software products and services that enable user-friendly and secure wireless network connections, simpler billing procedures, a robust infrastructure and new ways to connect while on the road, Intel says.

802.11b, or Wi-Fi, is a standard for wireless LANs operating in the 2.4-GHz spectrum offering transmission speeds up to 11M bit/sec. An increased uptake of wireless LAN will benefit Intel. The chip maker in the first half of next year will launch a chip, code-named Banias, that has built-in support for 802.11b and 802.11a. 802.11a is a standard for wireless LANs operating in the 5-GHz frequency range with a maximum data rate of 54M bit/sec. www.intel.com