Workload Partitions Not Coming to i5/OS V6R1?
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Last week, in the wake of a server reorganization that saw the System i business split into two bits, IBM announced an upcoming Power6-based, enterprise-class System i 570 server and also previewed some of the features in the upcoming i5/OS V6R1 operating system, due in 2008. IBM walked the midrange press through a rough sketch of the July 24 announcements to get the word out to the i5/OS and OS/400 base. But two features--workload partitions and its related application mobility--were not on the list. READ MORE >

Power6-Based System i Performance and Bang for the Buck
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Say what you will about IBM, but in the two decades I have been following its systems and server divisions, Big Blue has done a remarkably good job providing its customers very detailed performance data to describe the amount of work that its machines can do. No other server maker provides relative performance metrics like customers buying System i, System p, and System z servers can get. As part of the rollout of the Power6-based System i 570, which was launched last week, IBM gave out preliminary benchmark test results. READ MORE >

The IT Job Market Is More Competitive, Says Gartner
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

According to a new report from IT industry watcher Gartner, chief information officers are having a hard time filling vacant positions in their shops for IT professionals. Specifically, because some IT skills are in high demand, positions are being left open for longer than they would like them to be as candidates pick and choose among job offers. READ MORE >

User Feedback Credited for Inspiring System i Development
by Dan Burger

Last week was a big news week for IBM's System i product line. Announcements about the pending release of the latest version of its operating system, V6R1, the availability of Power6 processors in its servers, and the creation of enterprise-level and SMB-level divisions for marketing its systems created some fireworks that caught the attention of many System i community members. We knew the system upgrades were coming. We just didn't know when. The high-end and entry-level split of the System i line came as a surprise. READ MORE >