Data center infrastructure providers Cisco Systems Inc., Dell Technologies Inc. and Lenovo Group Ltd. all announced refreshed server lineups today that feature Intel Corp.’s new 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors.

The new Intel chips launched today are based on an improved architecture that’s said to provide built-in acceleration for a range of data center workloads, together with advanced security technologies such as Software Guard Extensions and Total Memory Encryption. They also pack the latest version of Intel’s Optane persistent memory modules.

Cisco said the 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable chips will power its new Unified Computing System servers that are designed for “increasingly complex hybrid cloud environments.” The company announced three new models, including the Cisco UCS B200 M6, C220 M6 and C240 M6 servers that enable increased performance, enhanced security and improved efficiency for workloads such as virtual desktop infrastructure, databases, artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data.

Cisco said its new servers all integrate natively with Cisco’s Intersight hybrid cloud operations platform that’s used to manage data center workloads at scale. This integration is a key advantage, Cisco said, because it enables customers to deploy the latest features on Intel’s chips more easily via the Intersight platform’s policy-based management feature. Customers can invoke their PMem memory policy upfront to avoid the laborious task of enabling the new features individually, Cisco said.

The new Cisco UCS B200 M6, C220 M6, and C240 M6 servers are expected to go on sale within the next 90 days, Cisco said.

Dell’s new server portfolio includes the flagship Dell EMC PowerEdge R750 designed to run a wide range of business applications, including VDFI and database analytics. It claims that Intel’s new chips give the R750 a 43% performance boost over the previous generation Dell EMC PowerEdge R740.1 server it replaces.

Other new models in Dell’s server lineup include a modified version of its flagship, called the Dell EMC PowerEdge R750xa, that’s designed to tackle AI, machine learning and high-performance computing workloads, and the new Dell EMC PowerEdge C6520 for running software containers at scale.

“The powerful combination of Dell Technologies and Intel powerhouse gives you an IT foundation that can act as an innovation engine: ready to drive your business forward at top speed today and shift gears quickly when market forces demand,” said Travis Vigil, senior vice president of product management at Dell.

Dell said the new PowerEdge servers will be available to purchase in the second quarter through its Flex on Demand pay-per-use consumption model, which enables customers the ability to scale capacity up and down as required and only pay for what they use.

As for Lenovo, it’s launching a new ThinkSystem line headed by the new ThinkSystem SR650 V2 server for large enterprises and cloud providers that is engineered for “speed and expansion, with flexible storage and I/O for business-critical workloads.”

Also new is the ThinkSystem ST650 V2, which has a more compact footprint and is designed for remote offices and branch offices. In addition, Lenovo announced four new servers that integrate its proprietary Lenovo Neptune cooling technology to enable reduced energy consumption, headed by the new ThinkSystem SD650 V2. Finally, the company promised to launch a new, “highly ruggedized edge server” based on Intel’s new chips to support telecommunications, manufacturing and smart city uses cases in the near future.

“Our next-generation ThinkSystem Server platform delivers a unique balance of performance, security, and efficiency,” said Kamran Amini, vice president and general manager of Infrastructure Solutions Platforms at Lenovo’s Infrastructure Solutions Group. “With the combination of Lenovo innovation in security, water-cooling technology and as-a-service economics, we enable customers to accelerate and secure a broad range of real-world workloads with 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors.”

Lenovo said its new ThinkSystem servers will be available for purchase directly or “as-a-service” through Lenovo TruScale Infrastructure Services.

Image: Intel