IBM publicly unveiled its new System z10 Enterprise Class hardware today as the cornerstone of its New Enterprise Data Center – IBM’s new model for virtualized, business-driven, and service-oriented IT delivery.

The five System z models range from 12 – 64 4.4GHz processors, which provide 62% more performance than the largest z9 processors. The 64-way z10 is said to offer 70% more server capacity than the largest z9 and 50% more performance in n-way configuration comparisons. Customers looking to upgrade from z9 are being offered attractive leasing packages, non-disruptive migrations, and project financing that allows the payment stream to follow the benefit stream.

 Customers looking to consolidate x86 boxes will find compelling data as well: the company states that literally thousands of x86 servers can be consolidated onto single z10 mainframe systems, with comensurate cost savings in software license costs, power/cooling/floorspace requirements, and personnel costs. Much of this will depend on just how well the new quad-core z10 processor runs Linux code – this has been a bit of an issue with previous z systems – the processors simply didn’t perform all that well with Linux. However, IBM is making assurances that the new mainframe brain is much better on Linux and will, presumably, prove it sometime in the near future. We’ll be waiting with baited breath…

More information on z10’s impact on the data center can be found in IBM’s press release: http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/23592.wss