Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 74 | Page 66

INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Data Centres

IBM unveils new generation of IBM Power servers

IBM has announced the new IBM Power E1080 server , the first in a new family of servers based on the new IBM Power10 processor , designed specifically for hybrid cloud environments . The IBM Power10- equipped E1080 server is engineered to be one of the most secured server platforms and is designed to help clients operate a secured , frictionless hybrid cloud experience across their entire IT infrastructure .

The IBM Power E1080 server is launching at a critical time for IT . As organisations around the world continue to adapt to unpredictable changes in consumer behaviours and needs , they need a platform that can deliver their applications and insights securely where and when they need them . The IBM Institute of Business Value ’ s 2021 CEO Study found that , of the 3,000 CEOs surveyed , 56 % emphasised the need to enhance operational agility and flexibility when asked what they ’ ll most aggressively pursue over the next two to three years .
Many see the answer to this need in a hybrid cloud computing model , which combines on-premises resources with cloud-based infrastructure and can offer up to 2.5x greater value than a public cloud-only approach . However , not all hybrid cloud models are designed equally . on demand across the entire infrastructure while allowing businesses to deploy containers to modernise the applications .”
The new IBM E1080 was designed to introduce several key features , including :
• Enhancements for hybrid cloud like planned industry-first , by the minute metering of Red Hat software including Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Enterprise Linux , 4.1x greater OpenShift containerised throughput per core vs x86-based servers , and architectural consistency and cloud-like flexibility across the entire hybrid cloud environment to drive agility and improve costs without application refactoring .
• New hardware-driven performance improvements that deliver up to 50 % more performance and scalability than its predecessor , the IBM Power E980 , while also reducing energy use and carbon footprint of the E980 , allowing customers to do more with less . The E1080 also features four matrix math accelerators per core , enabling 5x faster inference performance as compared to the E980 .
• New security tools designed for hybrid cloud environments including transparent memory encryption , so there is no additional management setup , 4x the encryption engines per core , allowing for 2.5x faster AES encryption as compared to the IBM Power E980 , and security software for every level of the system stack .
• A robust ecosystem of ISVs , business partners and support to broaden the capabilities of the IBM Power E1080 and how customers can build their hybrid cloud environment , including record-setting performance for SAP applications in an 8-socket systemii . IBM is also launching a new tiered Power Expert Care service to help clients as they protect their systems against the latest cybersecurity threats while also providing hardware and software coherence and higher systems availability .
“ When we were designing the E1080 , we had to be cognizant of how the pandemic was changing not only consumer behaviour , but also our customer ’ s behaviour and needs from their IT infrastructure ,” said Dylan Boday , VP of Product Management for AI and Hybrid Cloud . “ The E1080 is IBM ’ s first system designed from the silicon up for hybrid cloud environments , a system tailor-built to serve as the foundation for our vision of a dynamic and secure , frictionless hybrid cloud experience .” p
“ Organisations in the Middle East and Africa are recognising that in order to be competitive in today ’ s marketplace , they need to be able to move with speed and flexibility to react to changes in their customers ’ needs in real time , while continuing to drive innovation ,” said Idriss Janati , Director , Servers and Storage Solutions in IBM Middle East and Africa . “ The answer to this challenge is the IBM Power E1080 server that offers a frictionless , secure hybrid cloud platform with the ability to scale
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