IBM Expands System z Solutions

IBM introduced Aug. 14 its System z Solution Edition Series with seven integrated hardware, software and services packages to help mainframe customers deploy new enterprise workloads such as data warehousing, risk mitigation and disaster recovery. The Solution Edition offerings are designed to make the cost of deploying new workloads on System z competitive with alternative distributed systems.

IBM also announced additional programs to help companies lower costs and reduce inefficiency by migrating from Sun Microsystems and Hewlett-Packard servers to the Linux platform on IBM's System z. Nearly 2,800 of the 5,000 unique applications available on the System z platform are Linux-based.

According to IBM, Linux accounted for about half of the approximately 1,000 new or updated applications produced for the IBM mainframe in 2008. More than 40 percent of new System z customers installed Linux last year, and Linux use continued to grow over 15 percent during the first half of 2009.

The System z Solution Edition Series expands on a successful program for SAP business applications on the IBM mainframe. IBM has experienced more than 20 percent growth in SAP applications on System z since the program was introduced 18 months ago, the company said. The new Solution Edition Series also enhances the existing SAP offering, which is designed to provide near-continuous availability and secure data protection with DB2 for z/OS databases on System z.

The solution can now be combined with SAP application deployments to run Linux on the System z platform.

"The Solution Edition Series advances a strategic direction, called the Mainframe Charter, that IBM first articulated in 2003 to deliver innovative solutions, expand System z's performance and value, and foster a larger System z community to meet customers' business requirements," Karl Freund, vice president of IBM System z strategy and marketing, said in a statement.