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HP (NYSE: HPQ) just announced the addition of four new ProLiant platforms to their entry-level category of servers.  These servers promise to aid midsize customers with limited space, budgets and IT staff by simplifying the configuration/installation process.

The four new platforms are dense, high-capacity servers that improve data availability while protecting against data loss with embedded Serial ATA (SATA) Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID).   These servers also feature a high-efficiency power supply option which helps lower electricity costs.

The full press release can be found here, but the new lineup includes:

• HP ProLiant DL180 G5 - A low-cost, two-processor (2P) 2U server, offering the newest Intel quad-core architecture, three PCI-E slots, optional redundant power supplies, up to 12 large form factor hot plug drives and 9 terabytes (TB) of storage.

• HP ProLiant DL185 G5 – A 2P 2U is a low-cost server with high capacity making it ideal for mail and messaging, video capture, online gaming and high- performance computing.  The DL185 features up to 14 large form factor hot plug drives, 10.5 TB of storage, dual network interface cards (NICs), three PCI-Express slots and optional redundant power supplies.
• HP ProLiant DL165 G5 – A 2P 1U server that offers an outstanding combination of price, performance and flexibility.  In an industry first, the DL165 features four 3.5-inch hard disk drives for demanding application needs or capacity requirements.
• HP ProLiant DL160 G5 - Announced in November but now available, the DL160 G5 is designed to meet the needs of midsize customers with high-performance computing environments, as its dense 2P 1U form factor is optimized for Intel’s newest quad-core architecture.  The server features two PCI-Express x16 2.0 slots, support for faster front side bus speeds, high-efficiency options and double the amount of storage versus previous generations.

More specific details, model comparison and the QuickSpecs documents can be found here.  The previous family of entry-level ProLiant servers were powerful enough, but lacked much of the redundancy found in more expensive models, but these new offerings demonstrate that reliability can be had at a lower price point.