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IBM Announces New Features For Top Of Line Mainframe

IBM announced new mainframe offerings and is mobilizing its resources to help customers who want to simplify their IT infrastructure by combining the power of the mainframe and the scalability of IBM eServer BladeCenter systems.

IBM is unleashing on schedule, two new models of its mainframe, the eServer z990, a 24-way and 32-way server, providing at the top end more than 9000 MIPS (million of instructions per second). The new mainframe models possess new features that customers can combine with IBM eServer BladeCenter or other on demand technologies to create more simplified infrastructure.

The actions are part of the company's effort to help customers capitalize on a growing trend dubbed "Infrastructure Simplification," which steps beyond server consolidation to focus on additional cost reductions by creating a more efficient, resilient and responsive IT environment. With Infrastructure Simplification, multiple tiers of computing systems (servers, storage, networking, etc.) are collapsed into a more efficient, less complex infrastructure, often using mainframe and blade technology.

"As a result of working with customers, IBM is aggressively moving to make the products and resources widely available to help businesses realize the benefits of a simplified infrastructure," said Erich Clementi, general manager for zSeries at IBM. "We believe that this approach can help customers achieve new efficiencies beyond traditional server consolidation projects."

Specifically, IBM announced:

  • eServer zSeries 990 mainframe -- general availability of the Model C (24-way) and D (32-way) for customer's most intense transaction processing environments as well as additional new features that extend support for Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP), Linux on zSeries, networking functions and LPAR capabilities, which can enhance the value of consolidation on the mainframe.
  • Mobilizing Resources -- IBM is training resources to assist customers in designing, developing, and deploying a simplified infrastructure. In connection with this, IBM is also creating a new class of technical sales support, the IBM Systems Architect, expected to be deployed into top customer accounts to help analyze and architect a simplified infrastructure.
  • IBM eServer z990 on demand business investment promotion -- for customers interested in simplifying their IT infrastructure, IBM will offer a variety of incentives, when purchasing a z990 server and certain BladeCenter and/or other qualifying technology (see official IBM promotion announcement for terms, conditions and additional details). Besides BladeCenter systems, the eligible on demand technologies may include WebSphere and storage.
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