See this video from IDF 2009, San Francisco. 

Sean Maloney demonstrates new features coming with the next generation Intel Xeon processor for 4S+ server configurations, Nehalem-EX.  Sean focuses on the unique scalability and RAS capabilities newly introduced into the platform. 

Paul Ottelini on Monday said it is the democratization of data.  With the capabilities, Intel Xeon processor based servers are ever more relevant to any type of workload a data center would support.  The economics of standards based Intel architecture platforms will in effect provides another choice for data center operators to run the most demanding and mission critical workloads where expensive and legacy proprietary architectures like RISC are no longer the sole choice.  This choice proposition is very powerful as the cost reduction is the foremost concern that needs to be tackled by data center operators and IT managers. 

Nehalem architecture brought the performance and efficiency.  Nehalem-EX will bring, on top of that, the RAS capabilities and increased variation of OEM system designs.  In addition, ISVs will be ready to have hardware features reflected into the software products.  It is a game changer, turn of the industry, where Intel is providing data centers with opportunities to standardize ALL the workload, including the most mission critical, to Intel Xeon processor based infrastructure.