Bangkok--7 Sep--IBM
IBM Unveils zEnterprise EC12, a Highly Secure System for Cloud Computing and Enterprise Data
Technology Breakthroughs Extend the Mainframe's Leadership as the Enterprise System for Critical Data
- New, cutting-edge System z? capabilities for security and analytics dramatically boost cloud performance with help from IBM Research innovations.
- zEC12 offers 25% more performance per core, over 100 configurablecores and 50% more total capacity than its predecessor.
- The result of over $1 billion in IBM R&D investment and collaborative
client input on today's enterprise system challenges.
IBM today announced the zEnterprise? EC12 mainframe server, the most powerful and technologically advanced version of an IBM system that has been the linchpin of enterprise computing for 48 years. The new enterprise system features first-of-a-kind technologies that demonstrate IBM’s ongoing commitment to meet the growing need to secure and manage critical information with the System z mainframe.
Mainframes support significant portions of the data environment at most large enterprises. As these enterprises grapple with the well-documented growth of data, they are looking for new ways to secure and gain insights from such critical information as financial, customer and enterprise resource data that will enable them to provide their clients with new services. The new zEC12 offers industry-leading security and robust support for operational analytics that can help clients efficiently sift through large volumes of raw data and transform it to gain knowledge that can be used for competitive advantage. For example, a retailer managing online transactions on zEC12 can gain insights from client information that will enable it to provide clients with a more customized shopping experience.
“We continue to drive innovation on System z, allowing a broader set of clients to apply its leadership capabilities in security and resiliency to the current demands of their business, be they from analytics, cloud or mobile computing,” said Mr.Charnchai Kraithongsook, System z Country Manager IBM Thailand Co.,Ltd. “Our end-to-end design approach for smarter computing -- from processors to systems to software optimization -- is targeted to handle complicated business challenges associated with managing, protecting and analyzing a client's most critical information. It’s what makes the mainframe the ultimate enterprise system.”
The IBM zEC12 enterprise system is the result of an investment by IBM Systems and Technology Group of more than $1 billion in IBM research and development primarily in Poughkeepsie, New York as well as 17 other IBM labs around the world and in collaboration with some of IBM's top clients.
The new IBM mainframe is one of the most secure enterprise systems ever, with built-in security features designed to meet the security and compliance requirements of different industries. With operational analytics and near real-time workload monitoring and analysis, clients can use the new zEC12 for a variety of workloads, including hybrid clouds that can take advantage of the System's 25% more performance per core, the world’s fastest chip running at 5.5 GHz and 50% greater total system capacity .
Ultimate Security for Critical Information
IBM System z is a leading platform for secure data serving and the only commercial system to achieve Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 5+ security classification, providing clients the confidence to run many different applications containing confidential data on a single mainframe. The new zEC12 builds on this with innovative security and privacy features to protect data at rest or in flight -- a critical capability in the age of Internet banking and mobile devices.
zEC12 includes a state-of-the-art, tamper-resistant cryptographic co-processor called Crypto Express4S that provides privacy for transactions and sensitive data. Crypto Express4S includes new hardware and software developed with IBM Research to meet the security requirements of different industries and geographies. For example, it can be configured to provide support for high quality digital signatures used with applications for Smart passports, national ID cards and online legal proceedings, replacing handwritten signatures as directed by the EU and the public sector.
SC Data Center Inc. provides services to Colony Brands Inc., one of the world’s largest and most successful catalog companies, and uses encryption technology on zEnterprise to protect its call center applications when it services customers and takes orders, protecting its e-commerce platform that relies on System z for all sales and credit transactions and moves sensitive data safely to other platforms for processing.
Operational Analytics Drive Business Insights
zEC12 advances performance for analytics, increasing performance of analytic workloads by 30% compared to its predecessor. In addition, support for the IBM DB2 Analytics Accelerator that incorporates the Netezza data warehouse appliance into zEC12 enables clients to run complex business analytics and operational analytics on the same platform.
The new mainframe also offers IT systems analytics capabilities based on technology from IBM Research. It analyzes internal system messages to provide a near real-time view of the system’s health, including any potential problems. Called IBM zAware, the technology learns from the messages to recognize patterns and quickly pinpoint any deviations, using the information to identify unusual system behavior and minimize its impact. IBM STG Lab Services will offer services to help with planning, configuration and implementation of IBM zAware.
Large-Scale Cloud Capabilities
The mainframe’s leading virtualization capabilities make it well suited to support private cloud environments. Clients can consolidate thousands of distributed systems on to Linux on zEC12, lowering IT operating expenses associated with energy use, floor space and software licensing.
zEC12 offers a low total cost of acquisition for Linux consolidation of competitive database workloads. And zEnterprise can save up to 75 percent on energy costs compared to x86 alternatives (4). One zEC12 can encompass the capacity of an entire multi-platform data center in a single system.
As one of the world's most secure systems, with features that meet the security and compliance requirements of different industries, the new mainframe also enables clients to run traditional IT and private cloud applications on one system.
Services and Financing for zEC12
To help current mainframe clients looking to upgrade to zEC12, IBM also offers newly enhanced setup and migration services to drive more long term economic value from their system investments.
IBM Global Financing (IGF) can help clients evolve and grow their zEnterprise investments with financing that promotes greater flexibility, lower total cost of ownership and predictability of payments.