Facebook joins hand with rival for better results

Taking an initiative to improve its website infrastructure Facebook called reporters, hardware makers and even other internet rivals including Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Shutterfly and several others for the debut. The meeting was all about improving Facebook services with the optimization at both the ends.

Facebook also showed its openness to the world by publishing documents that describe how to build the network of computers that support the site's millions of users and enormous banks of information on Open Compute Project which could also be seen as a potential jab at Google and Amazon, which closely guard information about their infrastructure and facilities.

Optimizing its hardware, Facebook installed its new servers about 31% more energy efficient than previous ones the company used, which were in line with the industry average. They keep cool using outside air funneled through a data center instead of pricey air-conditioning units. Facebook's main data center resides in Prineville, Oregon. A fairly large server farm can ring up an annual energy bill of $10 million but the new Facebook's design could reduce that yearly power cost to $6 million.

The hardware giants Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Intel had demonstration tables for its server technology in the back of this event, held in Facebook's cafeteria. For the record, Dell is already using Facebook's motherboards in its hardware. It's a very nice move from Facebook to join hands with rivals and hardware specialists to come up with the best.