Some blade server vendors charge a premium to customers for a high density blade solution based on a promise of lower management costs over time. The perception is that blade servers should simply cost more as a new technology to the market. Dell believes that blade servers can be deployed with a cost savings upfront in addition to the long-term management cost savings, thus bringing the "Dell Effect" to the blade server market. By leveraging the Direct Model and superior operational efficiency, the PowerEdge 1855 delivers up to a 25% price advantage over similarly configured Dell 1U servers*.
The PowerEdge 1855 is designed to have a break-even point at approximately five blade servers plus a chassis. This five server break even point is when the cost of a chassis and five blade servers is approximately equal to the cost of five similarly configured 1U Dell PowerEdge 1850 servers. Overall cost savings begin to accumulate with the purchase of blade servers six through ten.
