SGI has confirmed plans to phase out its 18-year-old Irix server and workstation lines based on Mips processors. The company, which plans to emerge from bankruptcy protection this month, will attempt to funnel buyers to its Intel-based Linux systems, although some might be tempted by a surviving Unix from firms such as Sun, IBM or HP.

General availability of the Irix systems will end on 29 December, after which date systems will only be manufactured “through special arrangement”. However, kit will continue to be supported until at least the end of 2013, the firm said.

SGI is known for its graphics technology used in Hollywood films but its core business is in compute-intensive applications across sectors.

SGI has been attempting to rebuild after entering bankruptcy protection earlier this year. In June, the firm announced plans for a line of Linux servers based on Intel’s Xeon and Itanium processors. At that time, the firm said it was focusing on selling more to existing customers.

“We can move from serving 20 percent of their [IT] spend to 80 percent,” said chief executive Dennis McKenna, in an interview with IT Week. “The enterprise is no longer just transaction-based. They’re dealing with bigger data sets and the ability to access, analyse and transform is becoming a requirement. We have domain knowledge here."

The Irix story is a familiar one as several versions of Unix have been phased out in recent years, most notably Compaq’s Tru64 Unix. However, loyalists often perpetuate platforms through support forums.