IBM is planning to release a new class of x86 servers that treat memory, processors and solid-state disk as interchangeable components, saying a more flexible server is needed to satisfy the requirements of virtualized data centers.

A precipitous fall in worldwide server shipments triggered a sharp decline in revenue for server makers during the first quarter of 2009, IDC said in a survey released on Thursday.

VMware is still the only virtualization vendor whose hypervisor meets every enterprise requirement, but rivals Citrix, Microsoft and Virtual Iron are closing in on that goal, according to research by the Burton Group.

X86 virtualization is often a risky proposition for highly regulated, mission-critical applications, because people and processes are not ready for virtualization and the security risks it introduces, IBM security expert Joshua Corman argued at Interop Las Vegas this week.