Just last fall, industry watchers began casting their attention at a between Facebook and the biggest Internet company in the world - . The fact that the social network had enough muscle and industry clout to take on the likes of Google said something about not only how far it had come, but where people expect it to go.

Fichera said the announcement was proof that Facebook is playing in the same arena as Google.

"This is like Facebook saying, 'Hey, everyone thought we were big, but golly, we really are big,' " Fichera added. "There aren't many Web companies driving hardware innovation. That really marks Facebook as being one of the big guys here. Up until now that's only been a Google, Amazon, maybe or eBay realm. This says Facebook is a big, big presence on the Web. This is really big."

Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at or subscribe to . Her e-mail address is .

in Computerworld's Data Center Topic Center.