IBM Ships Linux Ready IBM eServer pSeries Systems

IBM announced it is shipping Linux ready IBM eServer pSeries systems, lowering the cost for customers deploying the Linux operating system on 64-bit processor technology. The new IBM eServer p630 offers the first pSeries configurations dedicated to Linux and supports AIX5L and a combination of Linux and AIX in logical partitions.

The eServer p630 running Linux with a POWER4 microprocessor is available for $16,827, which is 44 percent less expensive than the cost of $29,928 for a similarly configured HP rx5670 server with an Itanium 2 microprocessor running Linux. IBM's POWER family of microprocessors is among the most widely used in the industry and can be found in Nintendo game consoles, Apple computers and some of the world's most powerful supercomputers. Through its Linux Technology Center, IBM contributes key operating system features to the Linux community that can help improve flexibility, performance, scalability and reliability and bring Linux further into the enterprise. IBM already offers customers the choice of running Linux or AIX 5L operating system simultaneously on many pSeries systems through its unique partitioning capability and self-managing features. IBM plans to offer its leading middleware for an on demand environment including WebSphere, DB2 and Tivoli management software for Linux on the new Linux ready eServer pSeries. The Linux ready eServer p630 Express Configuration is available with one, two or four POWER4 processors and up to eight GB of memory, in a rack or tower configuration. The Linux ready eServer p630 Express Configuration is now shipping in volume and starts at $15,577. About IBM