Dell has already said it was testing servers based on 32-bit ARM chips from and , but this is the first time it has shown any hardware based on a 64-bit ARM processor. Sixty-four-bit chips are generally better suited to server use than 32-bit parts.

Proponents say ARM chips will be more energy efficient than x86 processors that Intel makes for certain cloud and analytics workloads, but the market is in its early stages, with plenty of hardware and software development work to be done. Analysts estimate the first 64-bit ARM servers won't actually hit the market before 2014.

AppliedMicro hosted a session on Thursday at ARM's TechCon conference, where it tried to illustrate how various elements of the 64-bit ARM server "ecosystem" are coming together.

It was joined by representatives from Red Hat and Cloudera, both of whom said they'll have software ready for testing on 64-bit ARM chips next year. Oracle was also there, pledging a version of Java SE for 64-bit ARM processors, though it didn't give a timeframe.

AppliedMicro CEO Paramesh Gopi, in full showman mode, pulled away a black cloth cover to reveal the Dell server at the end of his talk. He didn't describe it in any detail but it appeared to be a two-rack-unit chassis with four or five individual servers, or "sleds," that slide into the frame.