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IBM z: a new era in data encryption

By Allyson Towle
Johannesburg, 22 Aug 2017

IBM launched its "oldest product with the youngest approach": IBM z, at the Langhams Lifestyle Centre, Johannesburg, on 17 August. IBM z is the next generation of what IBM claims is the world's most powerful transaction system, capable of running more than 12 billion encrypted transactions per day. The new system also introduces a breakthrough encryption engine that, for the first time, makes it possible to pervasively encrypt data associated with any application, cloud service or database all the time.

Over 100 people gathered to hear the IBM z message from experts including Dr Graham Barbour, information security competency of the mathematical and data science unit, CSIR, Anesu Charamba, programme manager: digital transformation practice, Frost & Sullivan; Tarun Chopra, IBM z, programme director, product management, IBM; Jayesh Prag, founding partner, Hassem Prag; Johan Bosch, executive director, Emid ICT Solutions; and Miguel Vega, vice president systems hardware, IBM MEA.

Hamilton Ratshefola, country general manager, IBM SA, kicked off proceedings by stressing the relevance of the mainframe even in today's cloud-based world. Ratshefola said: the "mainframe is not dead but alive and well and thriving", and that IBM's transaction engine supports 87% of all credit card transactions, totalling nearly $8 trillion worth of payments each year. This comment was supported by Bosch of Emid ICT Solutions, a long-term IBM client, who explained the reasons for the company choosing IBM as its trusted partner. Emid's clients, many local banking giants, need a system that is robust, reliable, scalable and trusted, and IBM z was the obvious answer, Bosch said.

Ratshefola explained that as part of his remit as country manager, he will "oversee the roll-out of the company's R700m investment programme in high-tech skills development as well as the opening of a new Research Lab in Braamfontein". He discussed IBM's R945m investment in building digital, cloud, and cognitive IT skills to help support a 21st century workforce in Africa: the initiative "IBM Digital - Nation Africa". This initiative provides a cloud-based learning platform designed to provide free skills development programmes for up to 25 million African youths over five years, enabling digital competence and nurturing innovation in Africa.

Frost & Sullivan's Charamba described how business has been migrating and adopting technology in leaps and bounds, fits and starts. He said in the past 50 years we have migrated from a physical working environment to a digital one. The millennials are already enabled for the future world of work and we need to be ready to work with future workers. Going forward, due to the fact that companies are all actively producing data, both personal and corporate organisations must develop strategies that incorporate data security as a norm. Lastly, he said the question we need to ask is how do we, in Africa, bring technologies such as IOT, mobile Internet, 3D printing to fruition? How, if AI is the next big thing, will we ensure its convergence with other technology sets such as cloud computing, big data and more importantly cognitive cyber security?

Vega, of IBM MEA, said Johannesburg, South Africa, was the first of the MEA regions to launch IBM z.

IBM's Chopra said IBM z's pervasive encryption reflected a call to action on data protection articulated by chief information security officers and data security experts worldwide, and more than 150 IBM clients around the world who participated and provided feedback in IBM z's system design over three years. As a result of this collaboration, IBM z provided significant advances in cryptography technology.

Chopra added that the original design point for what is now IBM z wasn't about more capacity, memory or speed, but that it "wanted to build a value proposition that solves today's biggest business challenges".

He went on to explain in detail the four focus areas and overall theme for the IBM z:

1) It brings significant advances in cryptography technology. IBM z makes it possible for organisations to pervasively encrypt data associated with an entire application, cloud service or database; tamper-responding encryption keys and encrypted APIs.

2) It is designed for tough new data protection regulations. Encryption, which is already hard and complicated, is further aggravated by policies and procedures such as the General Data Protection Regulation under which, if found non-compliant, will prove costly to organisations (fines of up to 400 million euros and jail time) as well as resulting in severe reputational damage for the organisation concerned.

3) By applying machine learning to their most valuable data,organisations can gain a competitive advantage. With only 20% of data from a big data perspective being openly available, machine learning will allow the other 80% that rests behind an organisation's firewall to be probed. The z14 Guarded Storage and pause-"less" garbage collection built into processor reduces pause time by up to 10x for predictable high-performing transaction processing at scale, the 50 new instructions optimised for Java and the additional 32TM memory added to a machine, Chopra explained.

4) IBM z is open and connected with new economics in the cloud. Chopraannounced three new Container Pricing models for IBM z which will provide clients with greatly simplified software pricing combining flexible deployment with competitive economics vs. public clouds and on-premises x86 environments.

In conclusion, Chopra stated: "If you have heard nothing else from today's presentation, your one big takeaway should be: pervasive encryption. Compliance is paramount and regulation is increasing. Everyone needs to be secure. Make data your perimeter."

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