24
Tue, Dec
1 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. News
  4. Industry News
  5. Trends
  6. IBM Forges New Market Routes with Power and Storage Systems Tuned for Big Data and Cloud Computing

IBM Forges New Market Routes with Power and Storage Systems Tuned for Big Data and Cloud Computing

Trends
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

IBM today accelerated its strategy to make big data and cloud computing a reality for businesses of all sizes with new Power Systems and Storage Systems that provide deep insights into big data, simplify data storage in the cloud, and can reduce costs through consolidation.

 

The announcement was made today in Johannesburg, South Africa, where IBM convened over 100 CEOs, CIOs, government officials, and academics at a leadership forum to chart a course for future business opportunities across the continent.

 

Starting at $5,947 (USD), IBM has created an affordable family of entry level and midrange Power Systems based on new POWER7+ processors. The new systems are optimized for IBM's industry-leading analytics software, and use underlying technologies from the groundbreaking Watson system including POWER processors and big data analytics.

 

In addition to IBM's longstanding relationship with Avnet and Arrow, today's news comes on the heels of IBM's recent agreement with Ingram Micro and TechData to resell IBM's entire portfolio of Power Systems, PureSystems, and Storage Systems, radically changing the market of IBM's POWER7+ technology by offering it to small and midsized businesses (SMB) and large enterprises.

 

SMBs have struggled to adopt big data and cloud computing due to high costs, lack of skills, and inefficient commodity hardware. IBM is addressing these issues with new Power Systems that are affordable, don't require specialized skills, and offer the latest advances in virtualization and automation.

 

"Big data and cloud technologies that were once only affordable to large enterprises are now available to the masses," said Rod Adkins, Senior Vice President, IBM Systems & Technology Group. "With these new systems, IBM is forging an aggressive expansion of its Power and Storage Systems business into SMB and growth markets."

 

Firebaugh, California-based Westside Produce, a 700 person company, contracts with melon growers to harvest, market, and ship fresh melons throughout North America. The company turned to IBM's Power System to make it easier to forecast how many boxes of melons will come from multiple fields, sorted by size, variety and grade. "Perish-ability of produce is a key challenge in our industry, and having the right technology in place to deliver fresh produce on time is critical for the success of our growers and our company," said Justin Porter, director of technology, Westside Produce, "All of our mission critical systems run on IBM Power with little to no intervention required. I do spend an inordinate amount if time dealing with issues on less mission critical x86 problems."

New Power Systems Tuned for Big Data and Cloud

Previously available only on select enterprise IBM Power Systems, IBM is extending its POWER7+ technology to entry level and midrange systems. IBM POWER processors can be a better platform for big data and cloud than commodity x86 hardware because embedded memory and virtualization - key ingredients for analytics and cloud workloads – are built into the processor. These systems come optimized for IBM's industry-leading analytics software including Cognos and SPSS for business and predictive analytics.

 

IBM is rolling out eight new Power Systems for SMBs and growth market companies. New entry level systems include the Power Express 710, 720, 730 and 740 family of products. Starting at $5,947 (USD), the 710 is competitively priced to commodity hardware from Oracle and HP.

 

IBM also introduced two new PowerLinux Systems - the 7R1 and 7R2 – now optimized for IBM InfoSphere BigInsights and Streams big data analytics software. Clients can take advantage of an optional IBM Solution for WebSphere Mobile and Web Applications on PowerLinux to speed up application development for the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.

 

Two new Power Systems for midsized and large enterprises, the 750 and 760 are ideal consolidation platforms that centralize big data analytics and cloud workloads.

Cloud Storage Made Easy

As big data continues to grow, more organizations are turning to cloud and virtualization technologies to improve efficiencies, lower costs, and gain faster access to much-needed storage capacity. IBM is introducing new Storage Systems and SmartCloud storage software to meet these needs:

 

  • IBM SmartCloud Storage Access: Today, IBM is introducing for the first time a new software that lets organizations set up secure private storage clouds and users store information on the company's internal cloud. The new package features a Web-based self-service portal that lets any user create an account, set up the amount of storage they need, and then start uploading files via the cloud – all with just a few clicks and without the assistance of an IT administrator.

 

  • The IBM XIV Storage System has been updated with a new system design for big data that supports up to 12 10GB Ethernet Ports (or 22 1GB Ethernet ports), and up to 6TB of solid state cache, both of which combine to improve the performance of database-like workloads by up to five times over previous models. In addition, the inclusion of advanced power supplies can lower a fully-loaded XIV system's power consumption by as much as 16 percent over previous models, which can help customers save on energy and cooling costs.

 

  • The new Real-Time Compression Appliance™ Model STN7800, v4.1 supports large complex environments with reduced infrastructure costs. The appliance is based on System x server technology and offers 5x compression in real-time, unlimited per appliance software licensing (over 50TBs), and supports 0GbE optical, 1GbE copper, or mixed 10GbE and 1GbE connectivity options.

 

IBM Global Financing

While technology options for businesses are growing rapidly, companies are searching for strategic solutions to help them shift spending away from maintaining infrastructure to investing for growth. IBM Global Financing can help credit-qualified clients acquire IBM Power Systems and Storage Systems with affordable payment programs that allow clients to keep their cash while accelerating return on investment and lowering total cost of ownership. Financing plans include: 0%, 12-month financing on Power and Storage Systems.

 

For more information on IBM Global Financing, please visit www.ibm.com/financing/.

For more information on IBM's Smarter Computing initiative, visit: www.ibm.com/smarter-computing.

 

 

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: