Intel launches Itanium 2 trial

Intel is challenging businesses to a server race. The chipmaker on Monday said it would supply large corporations with servers based on its Itanium 2 free of charge for up to 90 days under a new campaign designed to win customers for the processor.

Intel, which calls the trial the Intel Itanium 2 Solution Challenge, wants companies to compare Itanium 2 servers against their current hardware. Intel hopes that this will convince large companies that use servers from Intel rivals to switch to Itanium 2-based servers. The trial is scheduled to run through the summer of 2004, Intel said.