New York - February 8, 2006 -- In a step sure to spark major innovation, more than 30 technology leaders including IBM and Intel today announced the official formation of Blade.org, an open community that will develop and advance next-generation technologies for blades.

Blade.org will increase and accelerate the introduction of blade platform-based solutions to market and expand end user confidence. The Blade.org community will initially focus on solution design guidance, compliance and interoperability testing, industry events and marketplace education.

In July, IBM announced the intent to form Blade.org together with Intel, Brocade, Cisco Systems, Citrix, NetApp, Nortel, Novell and VMware.

New members joining Blade.org today include Altiris, AMD, Avnet, BladeFusion, Broadcom, CG Atlantic, Devon IT, Emulex, Force10 Networks, Fulcrum Microsystems, HCL Technologies, iVivity, Myricom, Neoware, OpenService, Pathscale, QLogic, Qumranet, Red Hat, Sensory Networks, Server Engines, Stargen, Teak Technologies, Tehuti Networks, Universal Network Machines, Universal Scientific Industrial Company, Virtual Iron, Voltaire, Wyse Technology and Zeus Technology. The membership levels are governing, sponsoring and general.

IBM today made available the open specifications for the new BladeCenter High-performance system, called BladeCenter H (see other IBM press release: "New IBM Blade Computers Speed Business Data Ten Times Faster"). IBM is the only server vendor to open their blade specifications

Blade.org member companies announcing new products today for BladeCenter H include Emulex, Myricom, Server Engines and Voltaire.

"What started only months ago as a group of companies interested in driving innovation on the BladeCenter-based platform, has become a fully functioning organization, supporting openness and collaborative innovation around new products and systems," said Doug Balog, chairman, Blade.org. "The Blade.org community is already innovating and delivering new BladeCenter solutions, expanding customer confidence in this still rapidly growing market."

"Intel is committed to expanding the blade ecosystem," said Kirk Skaugen, vice president, Digital Enterprise Group and general manager, Server Platforms Group, Intel Corporation. "New market segments and broader solutions are already emerging from the Blade.org community, and Intel will continue to work closely with the consortium to create new blade solutions."

Examples of other BladeCenter products and initiatives carried out by Blade.org founding members to date include:

Blade.org Committees
Blade.org has created a number of committees to be led by the community's governing members:

Also, Blade.org today launched a new website, www.blade.org, as a central location for the blade community, offering membership information and details on the organization.

Blade.org also plans to participate in industry events like Intel Developer Forum and Server Blade Summit.

About IBM BladeCenter
IBM BladeCenter is one of the fastest-growing server business units in IBM history, with more than 2,600 percent growth in less than past three years. More than 320 companies have received the BladeCenter specifications, with more than 600 technology and solution providers participating in the BladeCenter Alliance Program and Open Specification Program, making it possible for them to develop products and solutions based on the open specifications for BladeCenter.

BladeCenter has been the leading blade server vendor in the industry for nine successive quarters according to IDC. IBM has shipped well in excess of 350,000 blades since market introduction, the first and only vendor to reach that milestone.

About Blade.org
Blade.org is a collaborative organization and developer community focused on accelerating the expansion of blade solutions and the IBM and Intel blade ecosystem. This organization is intended to create and speed time to market for new solutions that will offer more customer choice.