IBM Launches Power595 & Power6 `Hydro-Cluster' Supercomputer Systems
The Big Blue, IBM launched two high-end Power Systems models – the world`s fastest UNIX server and a unique water-cooled supercomputer, which have superb energy-saving capabilities on Monday.
In its official release, IBM stated that the new energy efficient products offer sophisticated IBM virtualization technology that will help reducing bottom line operating costs, such as those for energy, floor space and systems management, while improving system performance, helping customers transition to a new enterprise data center.
According to IBM, the new UNIX Enterprise Server, the Power™ 595 is the fastest Unix server in the world and is targeted at the existing IBM clients. It is designed to extend IBM`s leadership in the UNIX market, and to entice the existing IBM clients as well as Sun Solaris and HP UNIX users. For example, IBM`s Power enterprise 64-core server delivers twice the performance at a comparable price as a similarly configured HP Superdome Itanium® system.
The new Power6 `Hydro-cluster' supercomputer is built to help users tackle tackle some of the world`s most challenging problems in fields such as energy, aerospace and weather modeling. The new super-dense system, representing a breakthrough in green IT, uses a unique, in-rack, water-cooling system and with 448 processor cores per rack offers users nearly five times the performance and more than three times the energy efficiency of its predecessor, IBM`s POWER5+™ processor-based p575 supercomputer.
Rajesh Saha, Country Manger – Enterprise Systems, Systems & Technology Group – IBM India/SA said, "Today`s announcement of incredibly high-value UNIX and supercomputer solutions, coupled with last week`s announcement of the first of a new generation of servers that takes our System i clients forward on a mainstream platform, opens up a whole new world of possibilities for our Power Systems clients."
The IBM rep said, "The world`s most powerful enterprise UNIX server with superior virtualization for workload balancing across UNIX, Linux and i applications and the water-cooled supercomputer represent major breakthroughs in innovation and energy efficiency for IBM clients and make the new enterprise data center a reality. Sun and HP UNIX customers just might discover the new Power Rewards program is the impetus to make the switch to the Power roadmap."
According to the company, the two systems launched are part of a comprehensive launch of a new generation of IBM Power Systems which began last week.