When it comes to mainframe systems, IBM is taking a global view.
The Armonk, N.Y., company is planning to unveil a new set of services for its System z mainframe systems March 8. The backdrop for this announcement is set to take place in Mumbai, India, where IBM executives believe there is a large potential market for its mainframe systems.
The company’s emphasis on emerging markets for its mainframe business is not new, said Ami Ehlenberger, manager of services for System z. In April 2006, the company launched its z9 Business Class mainframe with an eye toward emerging markets. The company even went to China to emphasize the importance of those markets.
“We have been opening up our platforms to new markets and new customers,” Ehlenberger said.
According to a Feb. 22 report by Gartner, IBM System z mainframes helped the company maintain its overall revenue lead in the worldwide server market for 2006.
Mainframes—a part of the market Big Blue has dominated for years—grew 4 percent in terms of revenue during that time.
With these new services, IBM is hoping to show the benefits of switching to mainframe systems for smaller companies as well as startup enterprises in emerging markets, such as India, China and Russia.
Daryl K. Taft says the mainframe has a bright future. Click here to read more.
One key area that the company intends to push as it looks for new markets for its mainframes is power consumption. IBM is hoping to entice startups and small businesses by touting the energy efficiency of one System z mainframe compared to using multiple x86 servers to perform the same job.
