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Dell debuts new blade server

The company hopes new chassis and blades will increase market share.

Erica Ogg Former Staff writer, CNET News
Erica Ogg is a CNET News reporter who covers Apple, HP, Dell, and other PC makers, as well as the consumer electronics industry. She's also one of the hosts of CNET News' Daily Podcast. In her non-work life, she's a history geek, a loyal Dodgers fan, and a mac-and-cheese connoisseur.
Erica Ogg

Dell on Monday introduced a new blade server with new chassis and blade design, and updated connectivity options. The PowerEdge M-Series server was developed over two years and 55,000 man hours, the "most extensive R&D program we've ever done," said Rick Becker, vice president of solutions for Dell.

Upgrades include stronger handles for carrying individual blades, the option of adding 10-gigabit Ethernet ports to existing 1-gigabit ports, and the ability to be managed remotely or locally with a KVM (keyboard/video/ mouse) switch.

The PowerEdge M-Series is designed to put Dell in better competition with rivals Hewlett-Packard and IBM, which outpace the Texas PC maker in the blade market.