IBM Expands Mainframe Portfolio with New Z17 and LinuxONE Systems Offerings
The new configurations add on-chip AI acceleration, confidential computing and post-quantum cryptography, with general availability starting Aug. 12, IBM said.
- On Tuesday, IBM announced new rack-mount and single-frame configurations for its z17 and LinuxONE 5 portfolios, marking the first time the company offered these deployment options across its full Z and LinuxONE systems.
- Organizations facing record-low data center vacancy and rental rates exceeding $400 per kW/month, according to CBRE's 2026 Global Data Center Trend Report, need infrastructure optimizing their data center footprint while maintaining resilience.
- Supporting up to 82 cores and 18 TB of memory, the new configurations provide a 20% increase in core count and 12% increase in memory capacity, with integrated AI acceleration through the IBM Telum II processor and IBM Spyre Accelerator.
- IBM will begin taking orders for the new machines on August 12, with IBM Infrastructure Management and IBM COBOL Elevate for z/OS arriving in September to help clients modernize operations without complex rewrites.
- As Gartner predicts 75 percent of vendors in the mainframe exit market will pivot or cease to exist by 2030, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna has attributed the z17's strong sales to mainframes being cheaper to operate than alternative platforms like VMware.
14 Articles
14 Articles
IBM teases new rackable mainframes that ‘complete’ the z17 family
IBM has posted an announcement that teases the introduction of rack-mounted and single-frame versions of its z17 mainframes. Big Blue’s documentation for the z17 mentions only a model called the ME1 that scales from single-rack to four-rack systems. The Tuesday announcement mentions bundles called the z17 ME2 and IBM z17 MER, respectively a single-frame and rack-mounted affair. The announcement doesn’t offer any specs but says they “complete the…
[Digital Daily Reporter Lee Anna] IBM announced new configurations for its mainframe product families, IBM z17 and IBM LinuxONE 5, on the 8th. This marks the first time IBM has offered both single-frame and rack-mount configurations across the entire Z and LinuxONE product families. The expanded portfolio is characterized by allowing enterprises to select deployment methods based on their data center environments and workload characteristics. I…
IBM targets data center efficiency gains with new z17 and LinuxONE offerings
IBM has cut the ribbon on a series of new mainframe offerings as the tech giant eyes data center efficiency gains. The new IBM z17 and IBM LinuxONE 5 series mark the first time the company is offering rackmount options alongside single frame systems. According to Tom McPherson, general manager for IBM Z and LinuxONE, the move here aims to help customers consolidate data center footprints without sacrificing performance. “The number of mission-cr…
IBM Expands z17 and LinuxONE 5 Portfolio with Rack-Mount Systems and New Management Software
IBM has expanded its IBM z17 and IBM LinuxONE 5 portfolios with new rack-mount and single-frame configurations, marking the first time rack-mount systems are available across the company’s entire IBM Z and LinuxONE lineup. The additions are designed to provide enterprises with greater deployment flexibility while maintaining the performance, security, and software ecosystem of IBM’s flagship platforms. The announcement targets organizations faci…
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