SMBs face many and diverse IT and business challenges, such as cost control and reduction, data center footprint expansion, power consumption, and insufficient IT talent directed at the business priorities of differentiation and competition. On June 13, 2007, Alex Yost, IBM Vice President and Business Line Executive, IBM BladeCenter, announced a new IBM server that addresses some of those challenges. The fifth model in the BladeCenter line (which incidentally was introduced in 2002), the IBM BladeCenter S is designed specifically for SMBs or those larger enterprises that operate in a distributed environment.
Honey, I Shrunk the BladeCenter
An accompanying press release, IBM Shrinks Integrated Blade Computing System for Smaller Firms, cites statistics from IDC that indicate that the blade server market is predicted to grow from $3 billion in 2006 to $11 billion by 2010. According to Gartner "mid-size businesses run 25 to 45 servers on average to power business functions." (While I believe that the actual numbers do vary, there are likely small businesses running upwards of 20 servers and there are medium-sized businesses running more than 45 servers.) IBM believes the "new BladeCenter S can help reduce the 25 to 45 servers used by an average mid-size company by up to 80 percent." However, at the time of this writing, it appears that IBM does not yet have any official benchmarks to support this theory, and since the new BladeCenter S won't be released until 4Q07, SMBs should petition for, and expect, benchmarks to be forthcoming. Those considering the purchase thereof should ensure that the IBM Business Partner with whom they are engaged can perform a customized benchmark for their organization.
A Multi-Purpose Blade
Not since the advent of AS/400 has IBM announced a system that is designed to integrate most systems management applications/functions and run as an office system without need for specialized cooling and power or raised-access flooring. The BladeCenter S can scale to six blades, plugs into a 110/220 volt outlet, is compatible with five blade types and five I/O fabrics—including Ethernet, fibre channel, Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), and InfiniBand—and works with third-party technology.
IBM BladeCenter S is optimized for SMBs as well as larger businesses, which are distributed, and those with remote branch offices such as retailers, insurance companies, and/or other financial institutions. Much like AS/400, IT administrators at a central location can pre-configure blade systems and ship to remote sites.
So Easy a Caveman Can Do It
The IBM BladeCenter S was designed to be installed in three easy steps: unpack, plug in, and run the install "wizard" to customize. While this minimizes "administrative" work, problems for SMBs lie with the installation of the systems management software and the vertical enterprise application software. Most important will be the data migration and/or data conversion, which are the biggest issues and greatest obstacles along with testing and being able to resume business functions in an acceptable timeframe. These are areas in which ISVs and other Business Partners should perform benchmarks to aid SMBs and other companies that might consider purchasing or leasing a BladeCenter S. By working with customers to develop test cases and/or other scenarios, ISVs could begin to get a better sense of the amount of time (and impart that sense and confidence to their customers) it would take for an entire soup-to-nuts implementation from out-of-the-box to installation and data migration of Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne applications, for example.
Big Blue Goes Green
A surprising, but not altogether unexpected, aspect of the BladeCenter S announcement is the focus on the BladeCenter E's eco-friendliness. BladeCenter E, as reported by IBM, reduces a company's carbon footprint, can reduce energy consumption by 34 percent, and can deliver 11 to 19 percent greater energy efficiency than competitors. It is quite possible that during the next decade, especially after the current administration departs office (and please don't get me started on this subject), legislation will be introduced that requires companies to implement more eco-friendly practices. What better way than to begin doing so in the data center? IT is (or at least should be) a leader in any organization. Adopting a "green" policy now may demonstrate prescience on the part of the IT department and be yet another salvo that elevates IT in the organization.
A Double-Edged Blade
A recent article by Ziff Davis Media entitled "Blade Servers – So What's The Hurry?" brings a compelling and complementary perspective to blade technology. The article refers to analyst group Wikibon.org, which opines that there are circumstances under which blades are not the optimum server. For example, Wikibon.org avers that "blade servers simply don't perform very well for large-scale transaction processing applications." In addition, the article points out that blades may not be "economical for applications requiring less than five to 10 servers...[and] vendor lock-in issues" can arise.
The bottom line: caveat emptor. Before considering the purchase of any new technology, the company must conduct a thorough assessment of the existing technology, evaluate its existing IT talent, and determine whether application and data migration/conversion will be required—and what the impact will be on the business.
Know Thy Customer
During the last several years, and especially with IBM's Built on Express Advantage program for its Business Partners, IBM has gained SMB market share and trust. While about 50 percent of SMB revenue is generated through IBM Business Partners, IBM is still courting the elusive SMB. Why? Analyst colleagues continue to speculate, but it boils down to this: Larger enterprises normally have areas within IT that handle the various pieces of the overall IT architecture, which include hardware, middleware, and software. Because IT departments in these organizations have an articulated infrastructure, they can also mix and match vendors and buy hardware and software based on various criteria. They also have the people power to integrate disparate components. This is rare in medium-sized businesses and nonexistent in smaller companies. As one colleague noted during the analyst call on June 13, SMBs are not about buying hardware—or software for that matter. They are about price, bundling, turnkey, and return on investment.
The price of the new BladeCenter S was discussed only in comparative terms. That is, the cost of a BladeCenter S will be comparable to the cost of a rack-mounted system. IBM preferred to stress the fact that customers will save on all the adjuvant and ancillary cables and switches that are de rigueur with rack-mounted systems. Customers are also likely to save somewhat on administration and undoubtedly on power consumption and space, which is a precious commodity these days and which is appealing to the SMB community. What IBM did not talk about and what is near and dear to the SMB after pricing is how to pay for the new BladeCenter. IBM Express Advantage for SMBs—offered by the exceptional yet always under-touted IBM Global Financing (IGF)—offers below-normal market rates and other competitive amenities. If you and your company are not familiar with IGF, it is worth taking the time to speak to representatives regarding financing rates. IGF is among the best, if not the best, financing institution in the United States.
Look into My Crystal Ball
BladeCenter S definitely fills a niche heretofore unfilled, but this niche has other demands, such as bundling and pre-loading of systems management software and eventually vertical enterprise application software. I think IBM understands this and is, or will be, working with Business Partners to develop such options and offerings.
Maria A. DeGiglio is President of, and Principal Analyst for, Maria A. DeGiglio & Associates, an advisory firm that provides clients with accurate and actionable information on business and technology initiatives. You can reach Ms. DeGiglio at
More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.
TRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now! Request Now.
Forms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.
Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:
Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:
LATEST COMMENTS
MC Press Online