IBM's new business class mainframe is said to offer clients more than 90% lower energy costs. The IT service provider hopes to attract energy-conscious companies, as well as first-time mainframe buyers, with its new z10 BC product.
“The z10 is for customers seeking server consolidation options to cut costs,” says Carol Stafford, IBM's worldwide VP for enterprise systems.
Emerging countries, such as SA, will also be able to afford IBM's z10 BC mainframe since it will be priced at less than $100 000 (R1 million), the company says. “The z10 BC is designed as a powerful entry-level version of the IBM System z10 Enterprise Class, and the IBM z10 BC provides mid-sized clients with all the unique attributes of an IBM mainframe.”
The IBM z10 BC delivers the capacity of up to 232 x86 servers, with an 83%smaller footprint and up to 93%lower energy costs, Stafford says. The server also has a much higher level of security, control and automation, which allows for up to 100% utilisation.
Investment pays off
The $1 billion investment into developing the z10 BC mainframe is paying off, Stafford says. IBM's revenue grew by 25% in the third quarter this year, compared to the same time last year when revenue grew only by 20%. Stafford attributes this to IBM's z10 technology.
“Already this year, we saw a 32% hike in revenue during the second quarter and we were sold out of z10s two months from announcing their launch,” she says.
Zoaib Hoosen, systems and technology group director for IBM Sub Saharan Africa, says the company has already sold more than six servers in SA and it hopes to increase its share in the mainframe market in Africa by selling servers to first time buyers.
“We always thought servers were a niche market geared towards large corporations, but with the launch of the z10 BC we see that SMEs and other first-time buyers can enter the market,” he says.
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