• IBM Kills Off Entry Power Server Hardware Subscription, Old Features

  August 19, 2024 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Big Blue has been talking about offering a complete IBM system, including hardware, software, and support, as a single offering and under a single price, for more than two years now. The company talked about it back in July 2022, and we got the full scoop on pricing on the IBM i System Subscription, the first instantiation on the Power S1024 server, back in September 2022.

  This looked like the wave of the future, with a single per user cost of around $50 per month per user for a machine, which as we pointed out at the time, is …

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• The Power Of Modernization: Igniting Business Growth With IBM i Upgrades

  May 22, 2024 Tom Horan

  Staying competitive is key in a fast-paced business world. For many organizations, IBM i systems play a crucial role in their operations. These systems, known for their reliability, scalability, and security, have long been the go-to for critical business applications. But as technology advances, these systems must evolve, too. Upgrading your IBM i infrastructure isn’t just an upgrade – it’s a strategic investment that can fuel business growth.

  So the question is: Why modernize?

  Boost Efficiency and Performance

  Modernizing your IBM i systems can significantly increase efficiency and performance. Upgrading to the latest IBM i operating system and hardware (IBM …

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• Big Blue Offers Managed Services For PowerVS Private Cloud Pods

  May 22, 2024 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  There are lots of ways to skin the cloud infrastructure cat. You can rent cloudy capacity and manage it yourself. That is called Power Virtual Server. You can buy your own virtualized Power Systems servers and manage them with the same control plane as is used for the PowerVS cloud. That is called Power Virtual Server Private Cloud, of PowerVS Private Cloud for short. (Sort of.)

  And now, with announcement letter AD24-0420, Big Blue is offering a version of PowerVS Private Cloud that has a managed services provider layer on top of it from the company’s own …

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• Introducing PowerVS: Your Gateway To A Hybrid Cloud Future With IBM i

  March 25, 2024 Tom Horan

  In the fast-paced world of IT, businesses are always on the lookout for cutting-edge solutions that fuel their growth. For IBM i users, the shift to the cloud has been tricky, often complicated by compatibility, security, and performance issues. But in 2024, all eyes are on the cloud thanks to IBM’s revolutionary PowerVS. The challenges that were once difficult hurdles to overcome are turning into stepping stones for progress.

  PowerVS, an advanced technology from IBM, empowers businesses to extend their IBM i platform to the cloud. This game-changing solution allows organizations to tap into the agility and scalability of cloud …

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• The Cloud Is Part Of The IBM i Present, And A Bigger Part Of Its Future

  February 26, 2024 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  As obvious as this might sound in hindsight, if you want to get the right answers, you have to ask the right questions in the first place. And as inquisitive communicators, we will be the first ones to admit that this is not always as easy as it sounds.

  It is hard to draw the line in the timeline sands for when the first true cloudy instance of a Power Systems machine running a rentable license to the IBM i operating system was announced, but it is safe to say that various hosting providers have been renting out parts of …

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• Lots Of Unanswered Questions On IBM i Subscriptions

  February 19, 2024 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Like all of you, we have been watching with great interest as Big Blue transitions the IBM i software stack and Power10 hardware to cloud-like, utility-style subscription pricing. We have watched how each part of the IBM i stack has been transformed from the perpetual (and sometimes user) license pricing scheme with Software Maintenance to a subscription.

  As far as we know, and as we reported back in September 2023 when the subscription pricing for the IBM i P05 and P10 software tiers was revealed, March 26, 2024, is supposed to be the last day you will be able to …

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• IBM Cloud Storage And BRMS Get Subscription Pricing

  January 22, 2024 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  As you are well aware, Big Blue is in the middle of converting the IBM i software stack from perpetual software licensing and Software Maintenance pricing to straight-up subscription pricing. Now, subscription pricing has come to IBM Cloud Storage as well as to the venerable Backup, Recovery and Media Services for i (BRMS).

  The new pricing was revealed in announcement letter AD23-0531, and it appears to be an option, not a requirement. Remember, for IBM i 7.4 and IBM i 7.5 themselves, perpetual licensing based on IBM i software tiers will only be available through the end of March …

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• IBM’s Crypto Card Now a Cloud Service from FNTS

  June 28, 2023 Alex Woodie

  IBM i shops that want to utilize IBM’s powerful cryptographical processor card to encrypt transactions but don’t want the hassle of buying and maintaining the setup can now tap into a new cloud-based encryption service that utilizes the IBM crypto card and is managed by First National Technology Solutions.

  Representatives with First National Technology Solutions and CLAI PAYMENTS Technologies shared details of their joint IBM i encryption solution at COMMON’s recent POWERUp conference in Denver, Colorado. An executive from IBM, which has given its blessing to the offering, was also in attendance at the session.

  The need for encryption …

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• Blazing The Trail For VTL In The Cloud

  March 29, 2023 Timothy Prickett Morgan

  Making the decision to move IBM i applications to the cloud is a relatively easy endeavor. But covering all of the bases, particularly when it comes to disaster recovery and business continuity, takes some thought because even though the cloud is an ideal place to do HA and DR, not every cloud does it right. And doing it right often means using a mix of technologies and service providers.

  IT managers are thinking of moving their IBM i workloads to the cloud for good reasons. They do the math, they weigh the risks and rewards. They take into account all …

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• IBM Debuts GRS, A New Data Replication Service in the Cloud

  November 16, 2022 Alex Woodie

  If you run your IBM i workloads in the IBM Cloud, there is a new data replication offering available that could help you recover more quickly from a disaster. Dubbed Global Replication Services (GRS), the offering is only available for Power Systems Virtual Server customers running in two IBM data centers at the moment. But IBM says GRS could eventually be used with on-prem Power and FlashSystem deployments, too.

  GRS, which IBM introduced in a September 22 blog post, provides asynchronous data replication for IBM i, AIX, and Linux data, as well as failover and failback mechanisms. The offering …

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