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Dell PowerEdge T710 virtualization server

Dell on Wednesday expanded its server and storage portfolio and added more flexible support services and turnkey virtualization configurations for small and medium-sized businesses.

In introducing the products and services, Dell says it's attacking the complexity and cost of virtualization and high-performance computing clusters. "Customers are seeking standards-based technologies that improve efficiency while reducing costs," Brad Anderson, senior VP of Dell's Enterprise Product Group, said in a statement.

The new services reflect a continuation of Dell's attempt to offer more flexible and modular support particular to the SMB market. The latest ProConsult offerings include electronic discovery, Web-based surveys, best practices, comparative data, and reference architectures to help companies with virtualization and reducing data center costs.

The turnkey virtualization configuration comprises a software platform, VMware vSphere 4, and hardware, including Dell PowerEdge M-series blades and EqualLogic PS6000 iSCSI storage technology. For SMBs, Dell combines Microsoft's virtualization software suite and Symantec's backup and PowerConnect networking technology with the Dell PowerEdge R710 rack server, PowerVault MD3000i, and PowerVault DL2000.

The new servers include the PowerEdge R410 rack server and the PowerEdge T410 and T710 towers. The R410 and T410 start at $999 and are built for running business applications in small offices. The R410 is a compact rack server optimized for high-performance computing clusters.

The T710 can include up to 16 drives for local storage, giving SMBs the option of starting small and increasing capacity as needed. Pricing for the T710, which is scheduled to be available in the coming weeks, was not disclosed.

Dell expanded its storage line with the introduction of the EqualLogic PS4000 array and the PowerVault NX3000 network-attached storage device.

The PS4000, which has a starting price of $10,000, includes storage virtualization, thin provisioning, and management technologies, and integrates into existing EqualLogic storage area networks. The NX3000 is capable of sharing files across Windows and non-Windows clients and includes single-instant storage technology to reduce duplicate files.

Dell introduced its new products and services in a harsh economic climate that has seen major reductions in spending by businesses. About 60% of Dell's revenue comes from PC sales, and about 10% from servers. Dell in May reported a 23% drop in revenue in the fiscal first quarter as consumers and businesses cut spending in the recession.

Revenue from large corporations and small and medium-sized businesses fell 31% and 30%, respectively, from a year ago. Revenue from consumer PCs dropped 16% and sales to the public sector decreased 11%.

InformationWeek has published an in-depth report on server virtualization. Download the report here (registration required).