Though purpose-built around specific software, each appliance has containers to load additional software. The company has partnered with about 45 software vendors to build applications for the appliances.

The combination of software, hardware and remote services will appeal to SMBs concerned about integrating the pieces themselves, said Ray Boggs, an analyst at IDC. The appliances could also appeal to firms lacking IT staff or the personnel to take proper care of duties like accounting and finance.

The market is generally underserved and will represent an increasingly important opportunity for IBM and other vendors. "This is new for IBM both from the standpoint of implementation as well as target market," Boggs said.

IBM first tested the Smart Cube idea in India last year, where many SMBs were purchasing hardware or deploying applications for the first time, Friedman said. Software drives a lot of the hardware purchasing in India, and purpose-built appliances fit the needs of that market, he said. For example, Smart Cube appliances fit well into the infrastructure of vertical organizations deploying ERP (enterprise resource planning) software for the first time, he said.

IBM is now expanding the Smart Cube strategy in the U.S., and will expand it to Europe in October, Friedman said. The Smart Cubes run on Linux software and include a software stack optimized to support and manage business applications securely.