Compagnie des Machines Bull SA is taking its RISC-based Estrella low-end server range into the Intel dominated personal computer server market, adding five new series and twelve models to its Estrella entry-level PowerPC RISC servers. The new series are based on single and two-way PowerPC 603ev/604e 200MHz processors running the Windows NT and IBM AIX Unix operating systems, and are aimed at the enterprise networking applications market including groupware, workgroup databases, Internet/intranet and communications package solutions. Bull is putting its Estrella 120 NT-based 200MHz PowerPC 604e system with 256Mb RAM and 5Gb disk up against Compaq’s similarly priced and configured Deskpro 6000 200MHz Pentium Pro servers, with prices from $2,600. The Estrella servers come bundled with workgroup software from the likes Oracle Corp, Informix Software Inc, Microsoft Corp and Lotus Development Corp, on both AIX and Windows NT. They also include Bull’s WatchWare Server Monitor, a stripped-down version of its advanced ISM/OpenMaster network and systems management suite. Meantime Bull has lit a fire under its mainframe class Sagister and PowerCluster clustering technology, slashing up to 50% off the previous entry level price. It has added three new models to the Sagister range, bringing the entry level pricing down from $260,000, compared with the previous $700,000. It’s now possible to cluster eight nodes together, each with eight processors. Sagister comes with Bull’s Open Enterprise Software Suite, and Unix applications including SAP R/3, Oracle, Tuxedo and Peoplesoft integrated with its systems and networking software.
