If you're tempted to think of Cisco's Unified Computing System (UCS) as just another blade server — don't. In fact, if you just want a bunch of blades for your computer room, don't call Cisco — Dell, HP, and IBM all offer simpler and more cost-effective options.

As with any server product, there are lots of ways to configure UCS, including different levels of CPU, memory and storage. Cisco has a 29-page document to help you get it right, and 29 pages are not overkill. To get an idea of what this might cost, we configured two separate systems: one with 40 dual-socket blades, and another with 80 of the same blades.

Cisco Systems' UCS data-center architecture provides the backbone of a service from Taser International that collects and stores video from police cameras.

Alphawest has become the first Cisco partner to demonstrate a new element of the networking giant’s Unified Computing System (UCS) to local audiences.

The professional division of Thomson Reuters, six months into a massive data center virtualization project using Cisco Systems Inc. gear, has already seen a payback on costs.

As promised, Cisco this week divulged more details on its Unified Computing System for data centers, including pricing and performance benchmarks.