IBM introduces new dedicated Linux servers

The IBM eServer zSeries offering for Linux consolidates from twenty to hundreds of servers from Sun and Intel, bringing the superior total cost of ownership and bullet-proof performance and security of the IBM mainframe to an entirely new class of customers. The announcement follows a year of remarkable growth and interest in Linux on the mainframe at IBM, as the eServer zSeries became the fastest growing platform in the industry and the only server platform to chalk up five consecutive quarters of growth.

IBM also announced plans to deliver an aggressively priced, easy-to-manage Linux server specifically for small and medium-sized businesses.

The IBM eServer iSeries offering for Linux uses IBM's advanced "partitioning" technology to help customers to reduce cost and complexity by consolidating up to 15 standalone Linux and Windows servers onto a single physical server. It supports the SuSE and Turbolinux distributions of Linux and includes an installation wizard for rapid deployment. Both servers are intended for infrastructure applications such as firewall, Web serving, file and print serving, and mail serving and are expected to be available in the first quarter of this year.

"Organisations in the Middle East are moving to e-business as fast as they can: but a limiting factor for them is skilled resources. These new Linux servers answer the need from customers who need to prevent a "server sprawl". They require much fewer technical resources to run and manage, and can dramatically improving the total cost of ownership," said Michael Paier, Manager of System Sales, Middle East and Pakistan. "There are already strong Linux skills in this region. This announcement means that large enterprises and government organisations can have the benefits of mainframe reliability and performance, whilst making the most of available expertise."

Running IBM's industry leading z/VM virtualization technology, the eServer zSeries offering for Linux offers an ideal platform for server consolidation, utilizing the mainframe's ability to create as few as twenty and up to hundreds of virtual Linux servers on a single physical box, saving customers substantially on energy, floor space, and maintenance expense.
IBM offers the industry's broadest support of Linux, with its leading middleware supporting both new servers.

Linux services available from IBM Global Services include:

Linux Support Line, which provides comprehensive around-the-clock enterprise-level remote usage and defect support for major distributions of the Linux operating system as well as all IBM and many non-IBM applications that operate in a Linux environment; and

Locally Delivered Services, including Linux Rapid Deployment solutions, providing the installation of Linux, the installation, set up and enablement of TCP/IP and the installation and configuration of Samba or Apache.

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