IBM has made enhancements to its PureSystems suite of expert integrated systems. This represents a broadening of the overall portfolio for the PureSystems line in three main categories, Jason Gartner, vice president, PureSystems Product Management at IBM, tells 5 Minute Briefing. The first category is big data, the second is cloud-based offerings, and the third is a broadening of the portfolio to go after different types of customers.
The products include PureData System for Analytics to help companies benefit from big data opportunities; PureApplication System on POWER7+ to improve management of transaction and analytics applications in the cloud; a smaller PureApplication System to accelerate cloud deployments for a broader range of organizations; PureApplication options for MSPs across the PureSystems suite, including financing options and targeted MSP Editions to support new services models; and SmartCloud Desktop Infrastructure to ease management of virtual desktop solutions.
IBM's new PureData System for Analytics, with Netezza technology, includes new hardware as well as new software, which is enabling IBM to provide up to 50% more data on a single rack as well as an up to 3X performance improvement, says Gartner. “This is a significant performance advancement that we have made in our PureData for Analytics line. We are very excited about it because when you look at the big data challenges, speed, density and the amount of data that you can crunch is really what is going to differentiate clients, customers and those new lines of ‘data applications’ which are emerging.”
The PureApplication System suite has been expanded on the high end, using the new POWER7+ chip, says Gartner. “This drives higher levels of performance and density in the cloud platform which is highly important.” The PureApplication System on Power7 is targeted at larger enterprises, particularly those in financial services and insurance, for whom availability and performance are critical, as well as at large enterprises in growth markets.
IBM is also expanding the PureApplication System family at the other end of the customer spectrum with a new model that offers organizations with limited budgets and resources a “cloud in a box.” It provides the infrastructure and management software to more easily develop and deploy new applications in the cloud or on-premise. “This is highly important for lower cost of entry,” and is targeted at growth markets where highly integrated, lower-skilled cloud in a box solutions are needed; as well as regional data centers; small and medium businesses; and managed service providers who need an entry point for building a new business around providing cloud services to clients, explains Gartner.
Rounding out the offerings, there are new MSP Editions for PureFlex and Flex Systems. The MSP Editions for IBM PureFlex and IBM Flex System provide a faster, more cost-effective cloud deployment platform as well as easier management. “These are providing reference based architectures for some of the major use cases that we have with the MSPs such as virtual desktop infrastructure, or backup/restore, or storage. These are very specific pain point editions which are geared towards them.”
In addition, IBM has announced an expanded Software Patterns Catalog, which helps reduce the time it takes to install, manage and maintain applications, and a new SmartCloud Desktop Infrastructure offering, for IBM PureFlex and Flex Systems, which is intended to boost the quality and reliability of virtual desktops.
For more information, visit www.ibm.com/ibm/puresystems/uk/en/eis_overview.html