Hitachi is putting Intel's new Itaniums to good use, bumping up the processing power of its BladeSymphony server line some 25 percent and providing a more robust platform for the Virtage embedded virtualization system.

The BladeSymphony 1000 sports the Itanium 9100 processors, although you can still get it with either the dual-core Xeon 5200s or the quad-core Xeon 5400s.

The company also is coming out with new versions of the BladeSymphony 320, aimed at edge and application consolidation. Xeon 5200 and 5400 servers are designed to bolster virtualization performance, while a new low-voltage version cuts power consumption by nearly a third and improves the density available in a standard 110-volt wall socket.

The 320 also sports a new Web-based console designed to decrease maintenance and installation processes and cut down on error-prone tasks.

The systems also are "field-expandable" to allow the new versions to be integrated into existing environments within the same chassis.