Beaverton, OR – November 9, 2007 – Intel brand server processors enjoy higher levels of loyalty among enterprise x86 customers than rival AMD, although system purchases are largely influenced by vendor brand and other non-processor factors, according to a survey conducted by Gabriel Consulting Group (GCG).

Every six months, GCG’s x86 Server Vendor Preference Survey polls IT managers, architects, and administrators to reveal their perceptions of vendor systems and services as well as special issues like virtualization, power/ cooling and floor space, and their purchasing plans for the future.

Some highlights from the ‘Intel vs. AMD’ section of the survey:

·         45% of survey respondents described their data centers as “die-hard Intel” shops.

·         Only 13% positioned themselves as “die-hard AMD” advocates.

·         Less than 30% of respondents said that processor brand is the most important factor they consider when purchasing an x86 system, but the majority of these respondents strongly favor AMD.

·         55% reported that they buy the best server/ processor combination available at any given time, regardless of processor brand.

 “While the majority of customers make purchasing decisions based on the system as a whole, most customers prefer to purchase systems based on Intel processors,” said Dan Olds, principal analyst at GCG. “However, AMD has a small, but extremely dedicated following, but we’re not sure these customers exist in high enough numbers to result in market share gains for AMD.”

The survey was conducted in the second quarter of 2007 and covered 297 enterprise x86 server customers who work with the systems on a daily basis

GCG will release in-depth reports detailing vendor-specific results and customer opinions on issues such as x86 virtualization, energy consumption, and future buying plans.  

Gabriel Consulting Group is a research, analysis, and consulting firm dedicated to helping our clients achieve maximum return on their Information Technology investment. We provide pragmatic consulting services, industry analysis, and custom research designed to help our clients reach their business goals through efficient and effective use of Information Technology. GCG was founded in 2001 by Dan Olds and is based in Beaverton, Oregon.

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For more information contact: Gabriel Consulting Group, 12570 SW Harlequin Drive, Beaverton Oregon  97007   www.GabrielConsultingGroup.com