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Match Made in IT Heaven
This has been a long time coming. It connects two of the most well-known corporate computing environments.
Eliminating Silos
These systems typically operate in individual silos, requiring separate staff and software tools to manage, with the additional complexity of interacting and communicating with each other in real time.
Backed by Customer Demand
Support for a hybrid system—both Windows and/or Linux on the mainframe—was the No. 1 IBM client requirement after its launch of zEnterprise in July 2010 because companies have mixed workloads.
Fit for Purpose
It’s all about running the right applications on the right platform. IBM's z Windows integration makes it easier to keep applications where they reside and continue to get the benefits of each platform.
Missing Piece
IT can manage applications better—even in an end-to-end capacity—which helps IT get aligned with the business and its requirements. Windows support adds a missing piece.
Central Management
The new capability provides centralized management, which offers a variety of money-saving benefits, such as faster and automated access to computing resources, reduced administration and lower training costs. The technology enables users to leverage the mainframe for cross-platform system management and offers enterprise customers a single pane of glass for gaining insights into and control over virtually all of their data center systems.
No Changes Required
No application changes are necessary to get centralized management.
More Choice
Users gain more choice in choosing the best platform for a particular application, from ERP to business analytics to transaction processing.
Application and Data Integration
This move allows front-end Windows applications to integrate with applications or data on the mainframe.
Consolidate workloads
Enterprises can consolidate more workloads onto the mainframe to maximize technology investments. The financial impact of consolidation onto System z can be substantial, with savings of up to 70 percent in total cost of ownership compared to distributed platforms.
Extends the Mainframe
Adding Windows integration capabilities extends the vitality of the mainframe, which continues to be critical to banks, insurance companies, governments, major retailers and other IBM clients who benefit from its high levels of security and reliability. IBM has continued to see mainframe momentum since shipping its new zEnterprise 196 in July 2010, with new clients and system upgrades worldwide. Since then, IBM has added more than 80 new mainframe clients worldwide, with more than 30 percent of these in growth markets.
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IBM recently made good on its promise to deliver Windows integration with the IBM mainframe via the zEnterprise System. When IBM introduced zEnterprise in July 2010, the company also announced plans to deliver additional general purpose blades for the zEnterprise BladeCenter Extension, including IBM System x-based blades running Linux, in 2011. IBM also suggested it would support Windows and in April confirmed its plans to deliver Windows support on z/Enterprise. IBM officials say this capability is a first of its kind and is a strategic, demand-driven move by Big Blue. As of Dec. 16, this new technology enabling zEnterprise System users to integrate Windows applications into the mainframe environment will become available. The new capability allows enterprises with multi-tier applications—for example, Windows applications connected to mainframe data—to be integrated and consolidated on the same system. In an interview with eWEEK, Greg Lotko, vice president and business line executive for System z, said bringing together the mainframe and distributed computing worlds is designed to ease the cost and complexity of large corporate data centers and improve management of workloads spanning mainframe and distributed environments.