My back-of-the-envelope calculations showed that a hardware-based key value store (custom chips driving DRAM plus ethernet interfaces in a 1RU chassis), would use so much less power than an average x86 server that you could charge a great price thanks to the TCO / power savings.
Can you check that you're not becoming obsolete due to Moore's law before savings recoup costs ? Also, consider the potentially reduced product flexibility of hardware vs software.
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My back-of-the-envelope calculations showed that a hardware-based key value store (custom chips driving DRAM plus ethernet interfaces in a 1RU chassis), would use so much less power than an average x86 server that you could charge a great price thanks to the TCO / power savings.
Can you check that you're not becoming obsolete due to Moore's law before savings recoup costs ? Also, consider the potentially reduced product flexibility of hardware vs software.