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HPE BladeSystem vs Lenovo Flex System comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Lenovo are both solutions in the Blade Servers category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.8, while Lenovo is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.7. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 13.8% mindshare in Blade Servers, compared to Lenovo’s 2.8% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Lenovo users who would recommend it.
HPE BladeSystem
Read 138 HPE BladeSystem reviews
  • 2,369 Views
  • 1,680 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
Lenovo Flex System
Read 10 Lenovo Flex System reviews
  • 407 Views
  • 315 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 3, 2025

HPE BladeSystem and Lenovo Flex System are key players in the enterprise server market. Reviews suggest HPE BladeSystem has an advantage in terms of support and scalability, while Lenovo Flex System stands out with resource capacity and user-friendliness.

Features: HPE BladeSystem is known for durability and configurability, particularly for its iLO management and reliability over time. It offers comprehensive management tools and scalability. Lenovo Flex System is praised for reliability and performance, with a focus on storage capabilities and user-friendliness, providing high resource capacity before upscaling.

Room for Improvement: HPE BladeSystem faces challenges with outdated technology and limited parts availability, with concerns over scalability and licensing processes. Its management lags behind competitors, needing better support and integration. Lenovo Flex System requires improved integration with other platforms and better module flexibility, with users noting initial setup and customer support issues.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: HPE BladeSystem offers reputable customer service with proactive support but regional discrepancies in response times are noted. Lenovo Flex System shines in initial customer service but struggles with consistent issue resolution, indicating a need for more uniform support.

Pricing and ROI: HPE BladeSystem is perceived as having high initial costs but delivers excellent long-term ROI through reduced operational expenses. It's ideal for large enterprises. Lenovo Flex System offers competitive pricing and more cost-effective scalability options, delivering significant ROI with upfront savings. Both systems have tailored pricing strategies for distinct market needs.

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To learn more, read our detailed HPE BladeSystem vs. Lenovo Flex System Report (Updated: January 2025).
Buyer's Guide
HPE BladeSystem vs. Lenovo Flex System
January 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

HPE BladeSystem
Ranking in Blade Servers
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
138
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Lenovo Flex System
Ranking in Blade Servers
11th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Blade Servers category, the mindshare of HPE BladeSystem is 13.8%, down from 17.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Lenovo Flex System is 2.8%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Blade Servers
 

Featured Reviews

JuanDuque - PeerSpot reviewer
Very reliable, expands well, and is pretty simple to set up
It is very straightforward to set up. It's not complex. The length of deployment depends on the way that you configure the Blades. For example, if you're going to work with VMware, the time could be at least 25 to 30 minutes. It is not going to depend on the BladeSystem; it is going to depend on the time of the operate system deployed. The number of people you need for maintenance depends on the monitoring system that you have. For example, if you have a good monitoring system for this platform you're going to need less than ten specialists, but if you don't have a monitoring system to check the platform, probably you're going to need more than ten people.
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Syed Ibrahim - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides a high initial ceiling before upscaling is required, user-friendly and rich in resources, but has occasional stability issues
The solution should come with cloud native applications to prepare for cloud based solutions. Forced restarts due to free upgrades is an issue that needs to be resolved. We can manage this as we have high availability and redundancy, but without that it could be a real problem. The level of customer support needs to be improved. There is currently an issue with Lenovo switching out SAN switches from the chassis, which will cause problems for people who already have a set up with the SAN switch connected to the central storage. This could require an entirely different network, adding an additional cost for the user.
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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Cabling complexity and volume have been reduced."
"HPE BladeSystem provides good commuting performance."
"This has drastically reduced our datacenter space, has good cooling and power consumption."
"The solution uses a smaller space in our data centers. It uses less feeder and network cable, which reduces costs."
"I really appreciate the integrated Onboard Administrator, the iLO (Integrated Lights-Out) modular network, and the SAN Switches."
"The solution is very easy to use."
"The benefit is the density and the capability for global harmonization on the hardware, because all the hardware chassis are the same. We can also purchase the same network cards too, chassis by chassis, so it gives us a global solution."
"The solution has good scalability."
More HPE BladeSystem pros
"It comes at a good price. We didn't face any problems with this product."
"The functionality is reliable and requires minimal support."
"One of the most valuable features of this solution is its ease of use."
"The stability and speed are always good. The processor is good and it's still working with our loads."
"The Lenovo Flex System is very stable."
"The product is very user-friendly and has many resources at the enterprise level."
"Flex System's best features are its performance and stability."
"We use the solution as a compute model to run the compute load on servers."
More Lenovo Flex System pros
 

Cons

"It will be discontinued so we will have to change to another product shortly."
"Higher bandwidth interconnects could be introduced."
"The other similar solutions used different CLI commands than HPE BladeSystem. The HPE BladeSystem CLI commands should be the same as the other companies which would make it easier to manage. It would be better for the system administrators to manage HPE BladeSystem and other systems together. I wanted to configure this service with the CLI but the commands are different than the other solutions making it a bit more difficult."
"They could include some embedded software for container technology."
"I would like to see the upgrade path a little bit smoother."
"Really look at it closely, but really look at the Synergy product as well. That seems to me like that's the next evolution of the BladeSystem."
"The support from HPE has not been satisfactory in the last two to three years."
"Currently, in the case of a disk failure there is a need to remove the whole bay and as a result, to disconnect all the other disks."
More HPE BladeSystem cons
"The user-interface needs improvement, because they have an application from which we have to manage the whole system and all the infrastructure. This application is not working at our premises, because of some problem with the hardware itself. So although we brought it with our systems, and we used it to manage all the systems: the storage, the switches, and everything, nevertheless we have to support every part alone and enter the interface in one-by-one."
"The solution could improve by providing more integration with other platforms."
"I had some difficulties with the initial setup."
"It does not have the same module flexibility that was present in IBM Blade. On the Blade System, I was able to choose between the Cisco module, or BMC module. Since the switch to Lenovo, I have not had the same choice of modules, only the BMC modules."
"Continuing the production of this product is necessary. It is currently out of support, and we are seeking support from other sources besides Lenovo."
"The most valuable feature of the Lenovo Flex System is the storage system."
"Forced restarts due to free upgrades is an issue that needs to be resolved. We can manage this as we have high availability and redundancy, but without that it could be a real problem."
"The solution's firmware and driver upgrades are a bit difficult."
More Lenovo Flex System cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have an annual license."
"When you purchase HPE BladeSystem you have to pay for the support service. The first three years are covered under the warranty, and for any further support, you have to pay annually. When comparing the cost of HPE BladeSystem to other vendors, the fees are less expensive."
"The prices for the HPE Virtual Connect Modules are expensive compared to other I/O Modules available."
"The price of HPE BladeSystem could improve. They need to reduce the price to be able to compete better with other vendors, such as Dell."
"Regarding the cost, HPE BladeSystem is not cheap. The solution and its support are costly, and there are challenges with renewal and pricing, especially in Nigeria, due to the dollar rate and FX issues. However, it is reliable. I don't have specific figures for licensing costs, as the procurement and finance departments handle them."
"The product’s price is high compared to one of its competitors."
"I don't have access to your financial information or the specific details of this solution's pricing. There are no additional fees. It is the hardware and the support."
"It is not expensive, really, in this class of server products."
More HPE BladeSystem pricing and cost advice
"The is an annual license cost to use the Lenovo Flex System. If the price was less expensive and flexible overall and for additional features, our customers would be happier."
"There is a one-off payment to buy the equipment and the support is purchased annually."
"We have the whole maintenance for the 3 years, starting the deployment. We also have the VMware license for 3 years and I think we have another license to buy. There are no additional costs besides licensing."
"We are just paying the operational cost, which is not much."
"The price is interesting. I am able to quote a client based on their needs and offer them either Lenovo or Dell."
"The 14 blade server allows significant room for upscaling before having to invest in another chassis. You would have to purchase another chassis much sooner in the case of an eight or nine blade server."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
21%
Computer Software Company
15%
Government
13%
Real Estate/Law Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How would you choose between HPE's Bladesystem and Synergy?
For me, choosing between HPE’s Bladesystem and Synergy came down to which solution was more powerful, reliable, and stable. It turns out Bladesystem was the winner. Bladesystem is excellent because...
See all answers
What do you like most about HPE BladeSystem?
The solution is scalable, offering flexibility and expansion options to meet changing business needs.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HPE BladeSystem?
We paid approximately 60,000 Saudi Riyals per year for support from HPE, equivalent to $15,000 USD. However, some years, we did not utilize their support services.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Lenovo Flex System?
Compared to its quality, the pricing is very reasonable and represents good value.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Lenovo Flex System?
Continuing the production of this product is necessary. It is currently out of support, and we are seeking support from other sources besides Lenovo.
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Lenovo Flex System?
We are using Lenovo Flex System on the server for our VMware environment, which includes our VMs and all our servers, Linux and Windows. It manages the daily operation efficiently.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

HPE Synergy vs HPE BladeSystem Logo
HPE Synergy vs HPE BladeSystem
Compared 61% of the time
Dell PowerEdge M vs HPE BladeSystem Logo
Dell PowerEdge M vs HPE BladeSystem
Compared 20% of the time
Cisco UCS B-Series vs HPE BladeSystem Logo
Cisco UCS B-Series vs HPE BladeSystem
Compared 13% of the time
HPE Superdome X vs HPE BladeSystem Logo
HPE Superdome X vs HPE BladeSystem
Compared 6% of the time
More HPE BladeSystem Competitors
HPE Superdome X vs Lenovo Flex System Logo
HPE Superdome X vs Lenovo Flex System
Compared 51% of the time
HPE Synergy vs Lenovo Flex System Logo
HPE Synergy vs Lenovo Flex System
Compared 49% of the time
More Lenovo Flex System Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
HPE BladeSystem
February 2025
HPE BladeSystem reportDownload HPE BladeSystem product report
Buyer's Guide
Blade Servers
February 2025
Lenovo Flex System reportDownload Lenovo Flex System product report
 

Also Known As

HP ProLiant BL Series Servers, HP ProLiant BladeSystem
Flex System Blade Servers, Flex System SN Series
 

Overview

HP ProLiant BladeSystem share power, cooling, network, and storage infrastructure via the blade enclosure. Since equipment is not needed for each server, you get a dramatic reduction in power distribution units, power cables, LAN and SAN switches, connectors, adapters, and cables. And you can add the newest-generation technologies by simply changing individual components.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Flex System is Lenovo’s proven, 2nd generation blade, that efficiently runs your infrastructure applications with up to 80% better density than standard rack server deployments.

Lenovo
 

Sample Customers

EMIS Health
Information Not Available
Buyer's Guide
HPE BladeSystem vs. Lenovo Flex System
January 2025
Free Report: HPE BladeSystem vs. Lenovo Flex System
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