* Blade server vendor RLX to become a software-only operation
RLX Technologies got a new look for the holidays last year – the pioneer of blade server systems ditched its hardware and became a software-only company.
The company, which as recently as November introduced new blade hardware, says that blade servers have become commoditized, making it hard to compete with the likes of Dell, IBM or HP.
Subsequently, RLX has thrown in the towel and decided to capitalize on its software assets – RLX Control Tower and RLX Linux Cluster Solutions.
“Not being the size of Dell, IBM or HP, we have to pick and choose where we invest our money – we’ve chosen to invest in our software position,” says Doug Erwin, president and CEO of RLX Technologies.
By all reports, RLX’s Control Tower software is one of the strongest pieces in the company’s portfolio. It will be adapted, Erwin says, to manage any vendor’s blade and rack-optimized servers.
RLX has broken its software into modules so it can expand the software’s capability and its ability to manage diverse hardware. The company is working on modules to manage Dell, HP and IBM blades and other x86 servers.
RLX will market its software through OEMs. Erwin claims the company is close to at least one deal.
“We are working with a very large computer company, which we hope to announce by the end of the first quarter, who will convert to our software to manage not only their blades, but their entire rack-dense portfolio,” Erwin says.
Observers speculate that that vendor is Dell, since the company would receive the most benefit from an RLX relationship.
The first device module will hopefully be for this large computer company, Erwin says.
Control Tower software can now manage any blade or server that supports the Intelligent Platform Management Initiative (IPMI), PxE boot and SNMP. IPMI deals with managing server components such as fans, power supplies, voltage and temperature.
While the company will cease manufacturing blades, it will offer support to current customers for the life of their warranties. Even though most customers receive a one-year warranty when they buy blades from RLX, some customers such as government agencies have three-year warranties.
