Today, IBM is making several announcements that aggressively promote its POWER4 servers and Linux software among mid-market organizations. While the announcements do not mention the iSeries, they reveal much about the servers and software that IBM will likely offer iSeries customers over the coming year.

On the server front, IBM is rolling out two midrange pSeries models: the p650 and p655. While the two servers both scale to eight processors, they meet different needs. The p650 is a general-purpose system that can manage everything from Web serving to database transaction processing. The p655, by contrast, is best suited for computationally intensive workloads, such as data warehouses and scientific/technical applications, which run better over clustered servers.

What both servers share is a second-generation POWER4 processor--known within IBM as the POWER4+--that is the first to use a 0.13-micron lithography process instead of the 0.18-micron process used in the p690, p630, and the iSeries model 890. This allows both models to achieve clock speeds of 1.2 GHz in their "standard" versions and 1.45 GHz in their "turbo" versions, up from the 1.1 and 1.3 GHz speeds of older POWER4 models.

Next Stop: Mid-Market Organizations

IBM is bringing POWER4+ processors to its midrange Unix servers before it introduces them on its high-end systems for some very good reasons. Over the last year, the computer giant has taken significant high-end Unix server market share away from Sun Microsystems with its p690 "Regatta" servers. However, IBM has not made as much headway in the midrange server market, where both Sun and Hewlett-Packard have entrenched positions. To break those positions, IBM is leading with its fastest processors in the midrange. Just as importantly, it is taking the following steps to gain an edge over its competitors.

• Getting more aggressive on prices. Earlier this year, IBM introduced pSeries Express Configurations, prepackaged Unix servers that cost up to 32% less than customized configurations. The p650 extends this innovation, as it comes in six different Express Configurations that compare favorably to midrange models from Sun and HP. For instance, a two-processor p650 Express Configuration running at 1.2 GHz costs 15% less on a list price basis than a two-processor Sun V880 running at 900 MHz. The same configuration costs 61% less than a comparable HP server, a two-way RP7405 running at 650 MHz.
• Putting mainframe technologies in midrange packages. When it comes to reliability and "enterprise worthiness," IBM's new midrange models have advantages over some competitive servers. For instance, the p650 comes standard with hot swappable fans, power supplies, disk drives, and PCI cards, not to mention features such as First Failure Data Capture and chipkill memory that help detect and prevent errors. Some of these features are optional or not available on other midrange servers. In addition, both the p650 and p655 have service processors that automatically alert IBM and the customer if a component is failing. Many competitive models, including Sun's V880, do not have service processors.
• Offering superior Linux support. With the announcement of the p650 and p655, IBM is also taking a bold step in its Linux strategy. It is announcing that on its entry-level and midrange pSeries servers, it will offer Express Configurations that run Linux only--that's right, no AIX operating system--at prices that are lower than those of standard Express Configurations. One pSeries server--the one- to four-way p630--will ship as a Linux-only Express Configuration this month. Early next year, IBM will ship similar configurations for the p650 and p655. Meanwhile, the computer giant is aggressively working to recruit software vendors who will port their solutions to Linux on the pSeries.

IBM's Announcements: The iSeries Implications

There is much more that I could say about IBM's strategy for its midrange pSeries models, especially with regards to its Linux strategy. For the moment, however, let's consider what these announcements could mean for owners of IBM's other POWER server, the iSeries.

As I see it, there are two big implications for iSeries customers. First, IBM's bold moves to improve the price/performance of its pSeries servers increase the likelihood that midrange iSeries models will get similar enhancements during 2003. According to sources within IBM, the company intends to refresh the rest of its pSeries lineup with POWER4+ processors during the first half of next year. With the entire pSeries moving to POWER4+, it is likely that the iSeries will, at the least, get first-generation POWER4 processors.

Second, IBM's campaign to get software vendors to port their applications to Linux running on the pSeries could make those same applications available to iSeries customers. Once a Linux application becomes available on a POWER4 Linux distribution such as that offered by SuSE, it automatically runs on both the pSeries and iSeries. While I am not at liberty to name the software vendors that are considering support for Linux on POWER4, I know of several first-tier vendors that could announce their support early next year. The iSeries could gain just as much from such support as the pSeries.

In short, IBM's heightened focus on midrange servers and mid-market customers may seem to exclude iSeries owners for the moment. However, as 2003 rolls around, there's a good chance that the computer giant's efforts will bring benefits to both its Unix and OS/400 customers.

Lee Kroon is a Senior Industry Analyst for Andrews Consulting Group, a firm that helps mid-sized companies manage business transformation through technology. You can reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..