IBM DELIVERS SELF-MANAGING SOFTWARE FOR ESERVER Z900; Z/OS BRINGS INTELLIGENCE TO THE MAINFRAME.

IBM has announced the availability of z/OS, a new self-managing 64-bit operating system for the IBM eServer z900.

z/OS features Intelligent Resource Director (IRD), an exclusive IBM technology that makes the z900 the only server capable of automatically reallocating processing power to a given application on the fly, based on the workload demands being experienced by the system at that exact moment. This advanced technology, often described as the "living, breathing server," allows the z900 and z/OS to provide nearly unlimited capacity and non-disruptive scalability, according to priorities determined by the customer.

"With the z900 and z/OS, we are significantly raising the stakes," said Rich Lechner, vice president, IBM Enterprise Servers. "We are giving our customers all that they expected plus something more, agility -- the ability to configure, connect, extend, operate, and optimize their central computing resources to efficiently meet the 'always-on' demands of e-business."

Other key benefits of z/OS include greater computing power with 64-bit real storage and advances to simplify system set up. Where previously special mainframe skills were needed to configure the system, the new method builds on Web-based wizard technology, employing an easy, interview style for customization. Workstation-based dialogs guide customers step-by-step through the tasks required for installation and configuration.

Further enhancements are due to become available later this year with the introduction of z/OS 1.2. These include Intelligent Resource Director for Linux and networking advances that will use server memory to allow information to travel at memory speed across logical partitions, minimizing network latency, maximizing bandwidth and improving availability.

In the critical area of e-business security, z/OS 1.2 will introduce new intrusion detection functions as well as significant enhancements to distributed security, digital certificates, directory services, and cryptography.

Also, available later this year will be revamped software pricing, made possible by enhancements to z/OS and key z/OS-based middleware. The new technology will offer customers greater control in how software licenses are managed and charged. Software fees will be based on need rather than total system capacity, providing customers with the flexibility to pay for only the capacity they need.