Instead of becoming the dominant chip line as Intel and HP had anticipated, Itanium is now one of the top choices for those looking to build high-end Unix servers and has a promising future.
Research firm IDC has met with 501 server administrators and confirmed that the Itanium chip is highly regarded among them. Additionally, more than two-thirds of HP PA-RISC server customers surveyed revealed they plan to transition to Itanium.
According to IDC, Itanium servers are expected to achieve an annual growth rate of 35% over the next three years, while the overall server market will grow at only 3.4%.
“Many people are interested and satisfied with Itanium’s performance. This will provide a solid foundation for the Itanium Solutions Alliance (ISA) to expand its customer base,” stated Matthew Eastwood, an analyst at IDC.
IDC also noted that the $10 billion investment made by ISA members in the development of Itanium is a “critical factor” in attracting customer interest in the future. Itanium is poised to maintain a stable position in applications such as customer relationship management and business security.
