IBM, on the heels of introducing its hybrid blade server and PC blade platform, the Virtualized Hosted Client Infrastructure, on Monday teams up with current PC blade market leader ClearCube Technology to introduce a product optimized for the financial and banking industries.

IBM's "bank in a box" offering combines IBM's server blade-powered VHCI, client systems from ClearCube, and services from IBM Global Services in a package that can be implemented in bank branches offices for about $100,000, says Tom Dougherty, program director of BladeCenter marketing at IBM.

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"What is clear is that ClearCube has already made some significant inroads in the banking and financial industry, so this is kind of a natural partnership," Dougherty says.

IBM has previously resold ClearCube PC blade products through its global services unit, but did not specifically mention ClearCube when it introduced VHCI in October. VHCI uses an IBM blade server in combination with software from VMware and Citrix to allow users to create up to 15 desktops off a single blade.

The new IBM offering for branch banking includes the IBM BladeCenter server blades, or xSeries rack servers, as base computing platforms, and IBM Director for centralize management of the infrastructure and software deployment. Functions that can be implemented include wireless networking, local storage backup and restore, and management of automated teller machines and surveillance cameras.

June Felix, general manager of banking solutions for IBM, says the "bank in a box" product has been designed to make it easier to manage bank branches and employees to increase both revenue and productivity. "This technology will accelerate the speed in which you can introduce new products and services out to branches," she says.