ARM has had a boost from Facebook by being added to Facebook's Open Compute Project.This means that Facebook and other server customers will buy servers from companies which use both x86 processors and ARM processors.

The Open Compute Project includes the goal of a 'common slot architecture' which means that server manufacturers can use x86 or ARM processors interchangeably.

At yesterday's announcement of the addition of ARM to the Open Compute Project, Frank Frankovsky, Facebook's vp of hardware design, showed off a server board containing five Intel processors and five 64-bit ARM processors made by AppliedMicro.

The common slot architecture goal is backed by Intel and AMD of the x86 camp and AppliedMicro, Calxeda and Tilera of the ARM camp.

The Open Compute Project has been running for 18 months. The aim of it is to give server customers more control over the make up of servers by offering them interchangeable modules to customize servers more closely to their individual needs.

HP and Dell are members of the Open Compute Project.