2011 Need To Know: Hardware Infrastructure Emerging Vendors

Emerging Vendors In The Hardware Infrastructure Space

While PCs may be a commodity these days, the introduction of new products from computer peripheral manufacturers, boutique computer makers and custom system builders are presenting new business in the PC market. Solution providers now have ample opportunity to differentiate their PCs, workstations and servers from their retail store counterparts and add value beyond the basic nuts and bolts.

This need to know list takes a look at 10 emerging vendors in the hardware infrastructure space that are building cutting-edge products around storage, processors and network interface cards.

Big Foot Networks

Key Executive: Michael Cubbage

Bigfoot’s offerings include the first network interface card and the first PCIe network card. The company is dedicated to offering networking hardware such as its Killer 2100 NIC.

CoolIT Sytstems

Key Executive: Barry Fairhurst

Founded in 2001, CoolIT has been working on a cost-efficient cooling product for end users as well as its OEM customers, providing superior cooling performance while reducing system level noise and improving reliability.

CrestaTech

Key Executive: Ramon Cazares

CrestaTech’s focus is on programmable RF, algorithms and parallel processing. Founded in 2005, CrestaTech is the first company to provide a software-defined RF IC solution that is fully supported by wireless standards.

Lyric Semiconductor

Key Executive: Ben Vigoda

Lyric is a fabless semiconductor company redesigning information processing circuits to natively process probabilities — from the gate circuits to the processor architecture to the programming language.

NuPGA

Key Executive: Zvi Or-Bach

NuPGA specializes in architecture and implementation of monolithic 3-D integrated circuits. It is working on a carbon-based memory process that uses Graphene as the reprogrammable memory element.

OCZ

Key Executive: Richard Singh

OCZ originally was a memory hardware maker but shifted toward enterprise data storage with its SSDs and memory products. It produces a range of SSD interfaces including SATA II, PCI-Express, SAS and USB 3.0.

SandForce

Key Executive: Matt Ready

Founded in December 2006 with headquarters in Milpitas, Calif., SandForce offers its SSD processors with standard Flash memory for enterprise, client and industrial computing applications.

Smartfish Technologies

Key Executive: Jack Atzmon

Smartfish launched the very first ergonomic keyboard to help eliminate risks of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It also offers the Smartfish Whirl Desktop Laser Mouse and Engage Compact Keyboard.

Tilera

Key Executive: Ken Way

Tilera is a fabless processor design firm founded in 2004. In 2008, it began offering products based on scalable multicore general-purpose processors developed at MIT with a 32-node cache coherent multiprocessor.

XI3

Key Executive: Jason A. Sullivan

XI3 specializes in configurable desktop systems that can fit in your hand. Its Modular computer is 4 inches wide and has no moving parts but comes with plenty of desktop-level performance.