Axceleon
Start-up Axceleon provides resource management software for enabling the distributed execution of applications across grids and clusters, maximising server use.
Key product: EnFuzion
Azul Systems
Just emerging from stealth mode, Azul offers appliances (powered by 384 processors) that plug into an existing data centre environment. This concept of 'network attached processing' allows the existing workload to be virtualised and managed across all systems.
Key product: (Undisclosed)
BladeLogic
BladeLogic specialises in data centre management software for systems provisioning and change management.
Key product: Operations Manager
ClearCube
ClearCube is one of the leading proponents of the blade PC architecture.
Key products: R1200; R2100
Computer Associates
Systems management software specialist CA offers a broad portfolio of performance management, optimisation and provisioning tools.
Key product: Unicenter
Data Synapse
GridServer from DataSynapse is a distributed application server that creates a real-time operating environment for virtualising IT services over a grid infrastructure.
Key product: GridServer
Dell
Although Dell servers are already used in large-scale computational grids in academia and science, the company will inevitably be a major supplier of the server and storage devices that will form the basis for many commercial utility computing projects, especially as blades become mainstream.
Key products: PowerEdge servers
EDS
Using technology acquired with its takeover of Internet hosting company Loudcloud, IT services giant EDS was one of the first to seize on the idea of providing data centre billing based on actual usage – a critical aspect of any utility model.
Key products: EDS hosting services
Egenera
Egenera is a pioneer of blade servers, offering a blade server system of up to 24 units and virtualisation software for provision- ing applications.
Key products: BladeFrame, PAN Manager
Fujitsu-Siemens
Fujitsu-Siemens offers blade servers with up to 10 dual server blades in a system unit. It also provides grid middleware in its openSEAS package through a licensing partnership with Oracle.
Key products: Primergy servers, openSEAS
Hewlett-Packard
Much of HP's advanced IT architectures work comes under its Adaptive Enterprise programme. The company was one of the first to ship utility computing technologies, an early leader in the blade server market and has one of the most mature utility systems management portfolios.
Key products: BladeSystem, ProLiant servers, OpenView, Virtual Server Environment
IBM
IBM champions 'on-demand' computing, providing many of the core components that organisations will use to build utility infrastructures, including blade servers, virtualisation and provisioning software, and grid management software.
Key products: Tivoli, BladeCenter, OpenPower
NEC
NEC has built business-oriented grid middleware "to enable autonomous resource allocation of services in response to dynamic changes in service workloads".
Key product: Valumo
Oracle
Oracle was the first major software vendor to enhance its database to run on a grid of clustered servers. In the case of a node failure, its grid management software re-distributes the load over the remaining servers.
Key products: 10g, Enterprise Manager
Platform Computing
Founded in 1992, Platform is the veteran of grid management software. It has built a base of 1,600 customers, mostly using its software to run compute-intensive and data-intensive batch applications.
Key product: Platform LSF
Savvis
From a background in virtual private networks and Internet service provision, Savvis is now offering a hosted utility service based on Egenera blade systems.
Key product: Intelligent Hosting.
Softricity
Softricity claims its software transforms applications into centrally managed network services that are accessible on demand to Windows computers.
Key product: SoftGrid
Sun Microsystems
Sun's N1 vision of advanced architecture is pooling servers, storage, systems software and networking into a single resource that can be dynamically provisioned to different applications as their needs change. Sun also plans to offer a hosted utility service.
Key products: N1 Grid system; Solaris 10; Fire Blade; Pay-per-use Cycles.
TopSpin Communications
TopSpin provides programmable server switches that allow virtual servers to be created by interconnecting server, storage and networking resources on demand.
Key product: TopSpin 360
United Devices
Five-year old United Devices offers Grid MP, a package of services and software agents that enable grids and clusters, providing resource allocation and provisioning, centralised data and applications management and high-level security.
Key product: Grid MP
Veritas
Veritas has used its grounding in storage provisioning (and several key acquisitions) to move into distributed server provisioning.
Key product: OpForce
VMware
VMware specialises in software for virtualising data centre resources so servers can be managed and provisioned based on changing business demands.
Key products: VirtualCenter
