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LAS VEGAS — IBM has released preliminary study findings of 750 global organizations that show that less than 10 percent are fully prepared to address the proliferation of cloud computing, analytics, mobile devices, and social media, so Big Blue is providing new systems to help them.
Preliminary findings from a new Institute for Business Value study show that organizations are unprepared to tackle the next wave of technology trends. Thus, addressing this challenge head-on, IBM is unveiling new systems, software and capabilities designed to help organizations create smarter infrastructures that yield faster access to big data insights through the cloud and improved business performance.
Building on last week’s Software Defined Storage launch, in which IBM announced new software that enables organizations to access any data from any device and from anywhere in the world, the company today announced new and enhanced capabilities across its storage portfolio. Advances in its Storwize, XIV, tape library and Flash storage products can optimize storage for large-scale cloud deployments through virtualization, real-time compression, easy-tiering and mirroring, and provide clients fast access to information. IBM announced the new systems at the IBM Edge 2014 conference here.
“Big data is the transformative force driving every element of our clients’ computing infrastructure – starting with environments of traditional applications blended with the new requirements of social, mobile and analytic workloads that demand faster access at massive scale,” said Tom Rosamilia, senior vice president of IBM Systems & Technology Group and IBM Integrated Supply Chain, in a statement. “The continued advances of our portfolio provide clients with a fast and easy way to close the gap between their data, the business decisions they have to make, and the mandate to use information to provide more personalized experiences for their customers.”
The IBM preliminary findings revealed that 70 percent of organizations recognize that IT infrastructure plays a significant role in enabling competitive advantage and generating revenue.
Available in the second quarter, the new high-performance storage solutions include the IBM Storwize V7000 Unified, which has been enhanced with new clustering capabilities, real-time compression, and Active Cloud Engine to help clients manage growing amounts of data. The system now supports two times the storage capacity of previous models, or 4 petabytes.
Meanwhile, the IBM XIV Cloud Storage for Service Providers delivers a cost-efficient infrastructure and pay-per-use pricing model for business partners that reduces the initial cost of the system by as much as 40 percent. Also, IBM previewed new features such as XIV multi-tenancy, enhanced data security and improved cloud economics through the partition of XIV storage into logical domains assigned to distinct tenants.
The TS4500 Tape Library enables large-scale cloud deployments with a data architecture that maintains high utilization and can back up three times more cloud data in the same footprint. And the IBM DS8870 Flash enclosure offers up to three and one-half times faster flash performance requiring 50 percent less space and 12 percent less energy. All these products are available now.
Also, in related storage news, scientists at IBM Research – Zurich, in cooperation with the FUJIFILM Corporation of Japan, announced they have demonstrated 85.9 billion bits per square inch, a new world record in areal data density on low-cost linear magnetic particulate tape — a significant update to one of the computer industry’s most resilient, reliable and affordable data storage technologies for big data, IBM said.
In addition, IBM introduced new IBM Flex System X6 compute nodes for fast, agile, resilient infrastructure. Clients are seeking greater speed, agility and resiliency for the big data, analytics and large-scale virtualization for dynamic cloud environments. To meet these needs, today IBM introduced its new IBM Flex System x880 X6 eight-socket, x480 X6 four-socket, and x280 X6 two-socket compute nodes.
Based on IBM’s X6 architecture for System x and PureSystems solutions, the new nodes include modular blade design that enables seamless scalability without “rip and replace” as analytic workloads increase; nearly 300 percent faster performance; and resiliency features and virtualization tools that can help reduce the cost and complexity of system operation and administration. The Flex System X6 compute nodes are generally available on June 13, 2014 and start at $15,700 or $388 per month for 36 months.
Moreover, the IBM System x3100 M5 is a new, compact tower server designed to provide advanced reliability and performance for small to mid-sized businesses and distributed environments. The x3100 M5 is equipped with the latest Intel Xeon E3-1200v3 processors for increased performance, and four levels of RAID for enhanced data protection. The System x3100 M5 is generally available on June 18, 2014 and starts at $755.
Also, the IBM PureFlex Solution for Parallels – MSP is designed to allow managed service providers to flexibly integrate Web, IaaS, SaaS, and core services for their clients quickly, efficiently and economically on the Parallels Automation software platform. The PureFlex Solution for Parallels is available today.
As usual, IBM Global Financing is helping clients acquire IBM solutions with a single financing solution to better manage their cloud and big data infrastructure, and accelerate business transformation. Financing programs and offerings help clients better match the benefits of reduced up front payments and faster return on investment within existing budget commitments. Credit-qualified clients may obtain zero percent loans or Fair Market Value leasing and loans with customized payment plans. IBM Global Asset Recovery Services provides buyback and disposal services for removal of older IT equipment.