Server Market Seen as 'Stabilizing'

Server shipments were up 13.8 percent in the third quarter as compared to the second quarter this year, and revenue increased 10.2 percent, according to searchITchannel.com.

Gartner research shows both numbers were down from the period a year ago, however -- shipments by 17 percent and revenue by 15.5 percent.

IBM took 31.7 percent of revenue, up a fraction over last year, while Hewlett-Packard's share stayed flat at 30.2 percent, according to an IDG story in The New York Times. HP and Dell topped Big Blue in shipments, however.

Market observers keep using the word "stabilizing" to describe the server market.

However, Gartner is telling IT managers that the energy, space and technology problems in the data center will only get worse in 2010, and replacing servers won't necessarily help, according to an article on Channel Insider. The research firm is urging companies to try to get a year or two more of life out of them, a position that's obviously not popular with vendors.