IBM finally went and did it and not only sold off its X86 server line so it could focus on Power Systems and System z mainframes, but it went the next logical step and got itself out of the chip making business. Both decisions were the inevitable consequences of deals long since done, and their consequences will be felt in the decade hence.

In the case of the System x division, IBM’s fate was sealed at the moment that it sold off its PC division to Lenovo Group nearly a decade ago. Big Blue had very sound financial reasons for

There was not a lot of good news with IBM‘s third quarter financial results when they came out early next week, but one of the few bright spots was that the Power Systems business was at the least showing some sequential growth as the Power8 systems ramp begins in earnest. But the Power Systems division is still down year-on-year, and it is very likely that the declines will continue at least into early 2015.

IBM does not provide revenue figures for its various server lines, and never has included such information in its financial reports. It would be a

IBM‘s investment in flash technology, which was pegged at $1 billion when it was announced in April 2013, has led to a number one market position in enterprise flash-based storage. It’s not a large market. Even the grandest estimates have it at less than 10 percent of the enterprise storage business. It is undoubtedly growing though, particularly as primary storage, or what is called Tier 1 storage, in the lingo.

Since it was first introduced as an enterprise-grade alternative to spinning disk technology, flash has come up against three obstacles: price, endurance, and reliability. Michael Kuhn, vice president of

It’s not difficult to underestimate Donald Trump and forget he earned a degree in economics at the vaunted Wharton School. His cuckoo coiffure amplifies the impression he makes on boosters and blasters alike. Follicular folly similarly misdirects observers of Boris Johnson, London’s mayor. Soon, however, Johnson might get serious about standing for Prime Minister, in which case his unthatcherish thatch could befriend a brush. Ginni Rometty‘s hairdo, by contrast, alludes to Duplessis’ Franklin; it proclaims grit and gravitas, as befits an executive Fortune dubs the most powerful woman in the business world.

Of these three notables,

Organizations will be able to implement more complex data replication and protection schemes thanks to the new Multiple Target Peer-to-Peer Remote Copy (MT-PPRC) capabilities that IBM will be making available in DS8870 storage arrays. The capability to mirror data from a production environment to two target systems with MT-PPRC will give customers more flexibility in how they prepare for, and respond to, disasters. The company also bolstered its FlashCopy mechanism, and made various other enhancements to the DS8870s.

PPRC is one of the core underlying technologies that IBM exposes through DS8000 Copy Services. The technology is used in three primary

The large distributors of systems, storage, networking, and related systems software are perhaps a better barometer of what is going on out there in the enterprise than IBM these days, and that is one of the reasons why The Four Hundred watches very carefully how these companies are doing every quarter. The good news is that Avnet is doing a lot better than Big Blue in the past quarter. And its server business, for both proprietary and X86 machines, is growing.

In the 13 weeks ended in September, Avnet’s overall revenues rose by 7.8 percent to $6.84 billion and net

It’s frustrating at the very least. And aggravating, too. People talk about aligning business objectives and IT capabilities, but the distance between talking and doing seldom leads to the same destination. There’s clearly more than one common denominator that steers these projects into the ditch. But inadequate project management is many times the villain. Most attack this as a people problem. That’s certainly a good place to start looking around, but it can also be a lack of tools issue. That’s worth a closer look as well.

Businesses change. If it’s handled properly, we call it evolution. If it’s sudden

Retail supply chain powerhouse Manhattan Associates continues to perform well as demonstrated by its Q3 financial report showing a revenue gain of $17.8 million (14 percent) and a license revenue increase of $2.1 million (12 percent) based on comparisons with Q2. License revenue, however, fell below $17 million, after three consecutive quarters above that mark. For the nine months of 2014, license revenue was $52 million, which compares to $45.1 million for the same nine-month period in 2013. Total revenue for the first three quarters of 2014 increased from $306.9 million to $361.7 million. License revenue from net new customers

Baker College has transitioned all of its IBM i-related courses from the classrooms of its multiple campuses to online. The Michigan-based school offers courses in RPG, CL, database, and enterprise architecture, among others that are Power Systems related such as Linux and AIX. The online classes are open to anyone, whether they are enrolled at Baker College in a degree program or are interested in a single class.

Michael Picerno, dean of information systems, oversees the IBM midrange computing curriculum.

“The administration at Baker determined that on-premise classes with small enrollments be taken online,” Picerno says while noting other changes.

If you are looking to get a shiny new Power Systems machine running the current or most recent past generation of Power processors and supporting IBM i, AIX, or Linux workloads, then the Global Financing unit of IBM has a deal for you. It is a simple 24-month, zero percent financing deal that an elementary school student can understand.

As you can see in this announcement, the deal is dirt simple. You take the cost of selected configurations of Power7+ or Power8 systems, divide by 24, and pay IBM that much every month for the iron. IBM acts as