Broadband Developments

Last week Facebook and Intel released a joint announcement where Intel will provide “thousands” of high performance yet energy efficient servers. From the press release:

Facebook and Intel have signed a collaboration agreement that focuses on technology evaluation, benchmarking and optimization of software for Intel architecture. Intel will work to address Facebook’s processing needs through assessment of various chipset and server platform configurations, delivery of the most energy efficient processors and allocation of software engineering to evaluate ways to harness the optimal performance from Facebook’s servers.

When I heard this I knew it sounded oddly familar, almost recycled. Last year Intel started making custom hardware for Google (again). I always thought this was a special deal for god… I mean Google. (note the capitalization, yes Google has overtaken god in day-to-day importance), however apparently Intel has a dedicated white box division for custom projects. Anyone with deep pockets can order up a custom solution and commission any R&D around it. The Register sheds a little light on the operation:

The chip maker crafts a few different types of systems and will ship them to interested parties… On the Google front, Intel went out of its way to steal such business. It produced a bespoke server line full of low-power, low-cost components that matched Google’s demanding specifications.

According to a CNet blog cited in the same article, “Intel’s server gurus ‘have been maniacal as we designed a unique board for them, developing a unique memory module with them, working every angle of the cost equation”. Although Facebook is a valley and Web 2.0 up and come’r, it’s still no Google. I wonder if Intel would work as hard to slum it for the likes of Facebook? Or possibly Sheryl Sandberg pulled some tricks from her Google history to make the deal happen? Either way, my sources inside Facebook and Intel are on the technical side and say this is nowhere close to the significance or workload of the Google deal. Basically, Facebook will be getting a similiar platform to what Google’s been gobbling with a few minor tweaks. Rather anticlimatic, but it makes sense. Facebook doesn’t have the liquid capital to start a greenfield R&D exercise with Intel but both Intel and Facebook could use a PR injection amidst all the recession talk. This deal completely makes sense. Intel leverages the previous R&D investment and Facebook gets a high performance/low power server Google paid to develop.