IBM Extends Smart Analytics Systems Architecture

The new appliances also represent the first time that IBM has applied the IBM pureScale Application architecture to X-Series and Z-Series systems. Previously, this approach was only available to P Series customers running the AIX operating system.

From a customer perspective, the new IBM Smart Analytics systems come bundled with Cognos business intelligence software and InfoSphere data warehouse software to allow applications to more easily scale out by deploying appliances that dynamically scale to meet application workload requirements, said Bernie Spang, IBM director of data management product strategy. That capability is especially critical for IT organizations trying to build cloud computing services around applications that don't have consistent processing requirements, he added.

The IBM Smart Analytics systems are a leading-edge example of a major industry shift towards embedding more software functionality into systems that are specifically optimized for certain classes of the applications. This shift is arguably one of the major reasons that Oracle moved to acquire Sun, and why we have seen a tighter relationship forming between Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard.

In fact, looking to steal a march on Oracle, IBM is offering $500 million worth of special financing options to Sun customers looking to shift to the new IBM systems.